Destined by the moon

Morning came too quickly, dragging with it a strange heaviness that pressed against Elara's chest. She hadn't slept after the encounter in the woods, her mind replaying the golden eyes and the deep, resonant voice that had called her name.

The sunlight streaming through her window should have felt comforting, but it only seemed to highlight the lingering unease that clung to her like a shadow. As she sat at the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the forest beyond, the sound of her brother's laughter downstairs broke her trance.

"Elara! Breakfast!" her mother called from the kitchen.

She forced herself to move, her legs heavy as she made her way downstairs. The smell of pancakes and coffee filled the air, a stark contrast to the tension she felt bubbling beneath the surface.

"Morning, sleepyhead," her mom said with a smile, flipping a pancake onto a growing stack.

"Morning," Elara muttered, sliding into her usual seat at the table. Liam was already there, happily pouring an obscene amount of syrup onto his plate.

Her father glanced up from his newspaper, his sharp blue eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. "Rough night?" he asked.

She hesitated, her fork hovering over her plate. "Yeah, I didn't sleep much," she admitted, avoiding his gaze.

"Bad dreams again?" Liam piped up, his mouth full of pancake.

"Something like that." She tried to keep her tone light, but the memory of the golden eyes flashed in her mind, and her stomach churned.

Her father folded the newspaper and set it aside. "Maybe it's time to take a break from all those books you're reading. You've been spending too much time in your own head."

Elara forced a smile. "Yeah, maybe."

She had no intention of telling them what had really happened last night. They wouldn't believe her anyway. Her dad would chalk it up to her "overactive imagination," and her mom would fuss over her, asking if she was eating enough or getting enough rest.

"Can we go to the park later?" Liam asked, breaking the silence.

"Maybe," Elara said absently, her mind still in the woods.

After breakfast, she retreated to her room, feeling restless. She sat at her desk, staring at the blank page of her notebook. Writing had always been her escape, but today, her thoughts felt tangled and heavy. She closed the notebook with a sigh and glanced out the window again.

The woods were quiet now, bathed in sunlight, but the sense of unease lingered. Something had changed last night, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over.

A soft knock on her door made her jump.

"Elara?" Liam peeked in, his eyes wide. "Can I hang out in here? It's too quiet downstairs."

She nodded, motioning for him to come in. He climbed onto her bed, clutching his stuffed bear.

"Do you think it'll come back?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elara hesitated, unsure how to answer. "I don't know," she said finally. "But if it does, I'll protect you."

He nodded solemnly, seeming to take her words as a promise.

They spent the next hour playing card games, but Elara's mind kept drifting back to the woods. What had she seen last night? And why did it feel like… it knew her?

By the time the afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across her room, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to know.

"I'm going for a walk," she announced, standing abruptly.

"Can I come?" Liam asked.

"No," she said quickly, softening her tone when she saw his disappointed expression. "I won't be long. Stay here, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly, and she slipped out of the house, heading straight for the woods.

The air grew cooler as she stepped beneath the canopy of trees, the sunlight filtering through in dappled patterns. Her footsteps were soft on the forest floor, but the silence around her felt oppressive, like the world was holding its breath.

She walked deeper, following an unmarked path that felt oddly familiar, even though she was sure she'd never been here before. The pull was stronger now, like an invisible thread tugging her forward.

"Elara."

Her heart stopped.

The voice was faint, carried on the wind, but unmistakable. She froze, her eyes scanning the trees. "Who's there?" she called out, her voice trembling.

No answer.

She took a cautious step forward, her pulse pounding in her ears. The air seemed to thicken, and a strange energy crackled around her.

Then, she saw it.

A figure emerged from the shadows, tall and broad-shouldered, with golden eyes that glowed like embers. He stepped into the light, his features sharp and striking, his dark hair falling in loose waves around his face.

Elara's breath caught in her throat.

"You came," he said, his voice low and velvety.

"I… I don't even know who you are," she stammered, taking a step back.

He tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made her feel exposed. "You don't remember me," he said, more to himself than to her.

"Should I?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

A faint smile tugged at his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Not yet."

Her fingers tightened around the flashlight in her pocket, even though it was useless in the daylight. "What do you want?"

"To protect you," he said simply.

"From what?"

His expression darkened, the warmth in his golden eyes fading. "You'll find out soon enough."

Before she could respond, he stepped back into the shadows, his form dissolving into the darkness as though he'd never been there at all.

Elara stood there, her chest heaving, the weight of his words sinking in.

Something was coming. And somehow, she was at the center of it.

Elara stayed frozen in place, staring into the shadows where the man had disappeared. Her thoughts were a jumble of confusion, fear, and curiosity. Who was he? Why did his voice feel familiar, like a melody she'd forgotten but couldn't stop humming?

The woods seemed to press in around her, the silence growing heavier by the second. She forced herself to turn back, her legs shaky as she walked toward home.

By the time she reached her yard, the sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the sky in deep hues of orange and purple. Liam was waiting for her on the porch, his bear clutched tightly in one hand.

"You were gone forever," he said accusingly.

"Sorry," she muttered, ruffling his hair as she passed him.

He followed her inside, his small footsteps echoing behind her. "Did you see anything?"

Elara hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. "Just trees," she lied.

Liam frowned but didn't push further, trailing off to the living room where the faint sounds of a cartoon drifted from the TV. Elara went upstairs, her mind still spinning.

She closed her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling shakily. Her thoughts drifted to the man's golden eyes, his words echoing in her mind. "To protect you." Protect her from what?

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. She went through the motions—dinner with her family, helping Liam with his math homework, and pretending to laugh at her dad's corny jokes—but her thoughts were elsewhere.

When night fell, the unease returned, sharper than before. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her pulse quickening every time the house creaked or the wind rustled outside.

The dreams came again.

This time, the golden-eyed man stood in a field bathed in moonlight, his expression unreadable as he reached out a hand to her. Behind him, shadows writhed, shifting and growing into monstrous shapes. She couldn't see their faces, but she could feel their malice, their hunger.

"Elara," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "You have to remember."

"Remember what?" she asked, but the dream began to dissolve, the shadows closing in until all she could see were his eyes, glowing like twin flames in the darkness.

She woke with a start, her heart pounding. The room was dark, the clock on her bedside table reading 3:12 AM. She sat up, rubbing her temples. The dream felt more like a warning than her usual nightmares.

Her gaze drifted to the window. The woods were calling to her again, though the thought of going back out there made her stomach twist.

"Elara."

The whisper wasn't in her dream this time. It was real.

Her breath caught, and she whipped her head toward the window. For a moment, she thought she saw movement—a flicker of something just beyond the tree line.

"No," she muttered, shaking her head. She was imagining things. She had to be.

But the whisper came again, softer this time, barely audible. "Elara."

She couldn't ignore it. Throwing off her blanket, she grabbed her flashlight and crept out of her room, careful not to wake her family.

The house was silent as she slipped out the back door, the cold night air prickling her skin. The woods loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, but the pull was stronger than her fear.

She stepped onto the path, the flashlight cutting a narrow beam through the darkness. Her heart raced with every step, the sound of her own breathing loud in her ears.

"Elara."

The voice was closer now, drawing her deeper into the forest. She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. The house was just a pinprick of light in the distance.

Turn back, a small voice in her head urged. But she didn't.

The air grew colder as she walked, the trees pressing closer together. Then she saw him again.

The man stood in the middle of the path, his golden eyes glowing in the moonlight. This time, he didn't vanish into the shadows.

"Why are you following me?" she demanded, gripping the flashlight tightly.

"I'm not following you," he said, his voice calm. "You're the one who keeps coming back."

She frowned, her fear giving way to frustration. "Who are you? And why do you keep saying my name?"

He stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he didn't want to scare her. "My name is Kael," he said. "And you already know why I'm here."

She shook her head, taking a step back. "I don't know anything. You're just—" She stopped, unsure how to finish the sentence.

Kael tilted his head, his gaze steady. "You've felt it, haven't you? The dreams. The pull. The feeling that something isn't right."

Her breath caught. "How do you know about the dreams?"

"Because they're not just dreams," he said. "They're memories. Pieces of who you really are."

His words hit her like a punch to the gut. "What are you talking about?"

Kael hesitated, as though searching for the right words. "You're more than you think you are, Elara. More than you've been allowed to remember. And there are those who would do anything to stop you from finding out the truth."

She stared at him, her pulse racing. "The truth about what?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a low growl echoed through the trees.

Elara's blood ran cold as the sound grew louder, closer. Kael's expression darkened, and he stepped in front of her, his body tense.

"Stay behind me," he said, his voice low and commanding.

"What's happening?" she whispered, fear clawing at her throat.

Kael didn't answer. Instead, his golden eyes began to glow brighter, his posture shifting as the growling grew deafening. From the shadows, shapes began to emerge—tall, hulking figures with glowing red eyes and sharp, glinting teeth.

Elara's knees nearly buckled as she stumbled back. "What are they?"

"Trouble," Kael said, his voice grim.

The figures closed in, their growls turning into guttural snarls. Kael's body tensed, and in a flash, he lunged forward, his form blurring as he shifted into something massive and terrifying—a wolf, sleek and powerful, with golden eyes that burned like fire.

Elara's scream caught in her throat as Kael clashed with the creatures, the sound of snarling and snapping jaws filling the air.

She stood frozen, her mind unable to process what she was seeing. But as one of the creatures turned its glowing red eyes on her, a surge of instinct took over.

Run.

And she did.