In the forest, Raziel was preoccupied, his thoughts incessantly looping back to the awkward encounter with Matron Selene.
He cringed inwardly with each replay, agonizing over whether he'd tarnished his image in her eyes.
What if she doesn't treat him the same anymore? He felt ashamed that he couldn't control his unruly thing better.
His mind was so absorbed with the details of what happened, he didn't notice the passage of time nor the distance he'd strayed from home.
As the sky began to darken, a sense of urgency snapped him back to reality.
He glanced at the hefty bags of logs he'd gathered, realizing he'd spent far too long in the forest and collected more than what was required. With a sense of haste, he hoisted the bags and began his trek back.
However, as he neared his home, an ominous scent of blood tainted the air, making him wrinkle his nose.
