The lost girl and the Falling stones

The wind carried whispers through the forest, a song of warnings and secrets that only the wolves could hear. Catherine, now older and sharper, sat perched on a low branch of a massive oak, her eyes scanning the dense trees below. Faelor stood nearby, his silver fur gleaming under the thin veil of moonlight.

The night felt different. There was something in the air—something that prickled the edge of Catherine's awareness, like a shadow creeping closer with unseen intent.

"Faelor," she whispered, her voice steady. "Do you feel it?"

The wolf's ears twitched. His golden eyes narrowed as he gazed into the distance. A low growl rumbled from deep within his chest.

"Is it danger?" Catherine pressed, gripping the rough bark beneath her fingers.

Faelor didn't answer in words, but Catherine felt his thoughts touch her mind like a cold breeze.

Darkness. It comes.

She shivered. She had felt the unease for days—an unseen force that seemed to twist the very air, making her heart race for no reason. It was as if the forest itself held its breath, waiting for something terrible to unfold.

"What kind of darkness?" she murmured.

Ancient. Hungry.

A chill ran down her spine. She had always known there were things beyond the edges of her understanding—whispers of powers that lurked in the far reaches of the world. But this… this was different.

"Do we fight it?"

Faelor's eyes met hers. We prepare.

---

Catherine leapt down from the branch with ease, her feet landing silently on the soft forest floor. She moved like a shadow, her steps light and precise. The wolves had taught her well.

The pack gathered around her, their eyes reflecting the faint glow of the moon. They were silent, their bodies tense with anticipation.

"We've fought dangers before," Catherine said, her voice calm but firm. "This is our home. We protect it."

The wolves watched her with unwavering loyalty. Faelor stepped forward, his presence commanding. He lowered his head, touching his nose to her hand.

Together.

She smiled faintly, her heart swelling with a mixture of fear and resolve. Whatever was coming, they would face it as one.

---

Hours passed.

Catherine moved through the woods, her senses sharp and attuned to the slightest sound. The forest had grown eerily quiet—too quiet. Even the nocturnal creatures seemed to have fled.

Her fingers brushed against the hilt of a dagger at her side. The blade was a gift from Faelor, forged from the stone of a fallen star. It shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow, a reminder of the mysteries that lay beyond the sky.

Suddenly, a flash of light tore through the darkness.

Catherine shielded her eyes, her heart lurching. When the brightness faded, she saw it—a jagged, smoking crater in the ground. At its center lay a stone unlike anything she had ever seen.

It pulsed with a dark, mesmerizing glow, as if it held the very essence of the night within it.

"What is that?" she breathed.

Faelor growled low, his hackles rising.

A piece of the sky. Tainted. Dangerous.

Catherine crouched closer, her fingers itching to touch the stone. Its pull was undeniable—a force that seemed to call to her very soul.

"Should we take it?"

No. Leave it. It corrupts.

But even as he spoke, the shadows around the crater began to shift.

Catherine's eyes widened as figures emerged from the darkness—tall, lean creatures with elongated limbs and hollow eyes that burned with a cold, blue fire. Their movements were jerky and unnatural, like puppets pulled by unseen strings.

"What are they?"

Hunters. They seek the stone.

Catherine gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on the hilt of her dagger. The air grew heavy with an oppressive, suffocating force.

One of the creatures lunged toward her, its claws glinting like obsidian blades.

She moved swiftly, her instincts honed from years of training. Ducking low, she slashed upward, her dagger cutting through the creature's arm. It shrieked—a sound that pierced the night like a blade of ice—and dissolved into black smoke.

Another came from her left. She twisted, her blade finding its mark once more. The hunter fell, its form unraveling into nothingness.

But they kept coming.

"Faelor!" she cried.

The silver wolf leapt into the fray, his jaws snapping with ferocious power. He tore through the shadowy figures with a savagery that left no doubt of his strength. The other wolves joined him, their growls filling the air as they fought with unrelenting fury.

The battle raged.

Catherine's heart pounded as she danced between the hunters, her movements fluid and deadly. Her dagger flashed like a comet, cutting down enemies with precision.

But for every hunter that fell, another took its place.

"There's too many!"

The stone draws them. Destroy it.

She hesitated, her gaze flicking to the dark, pulsing stone. Its power was overwhelming, a force that promised both destruction and unimaginable strength.

"Are you sure?"

Now!

With a deep breath, Catherine lunged toward the crater. Her dagger, glowing with the light of the fallen star, struck the stone.

The impact sent a shockwave through the forest.

The hunters shrieked as the light consumed them, their forms disintegrating into ash. The darkness lifted, the oppressive weight vanishing as quickly as it had come.

Catherine stumbled back, her chest heaving. The stone was shattered, its fragments scattered like dying embers.

"Is it over?" she whispered.

Faelor stepped beside her, his fur singed but his eyes calm. For now.

---

They stood in silence, the forest slowly coming back to life around them. The wind stirred the leaves, carrying with it the scent of earth and rain.

Catherine knelt, her fingers brushing the fragments of the shattered stone. A sense of unease lingered in her heart.

"More will come, won't they?"

Faelor nodded. The darkness is only beginning.

She clenched her jaw, determination hardening her resolve. "Then we'll be ready."

Faelor's gaze softened, pride shining in his eyes. Together, we fight. Together, we endure.

Catherine stood tall, her dagger still glowing faintly in her hand. The night had tested her, but she had not broken.

The darkness stirred—but so did her strength.