~The Gremory Home – Caleb and Noah's Bedroom, Hackett Town~
Noah.
Noah jolts awake, his heart pounding in his chest. The room is dark, and the familiar shapes of his furniture cast long shadows on the walls. He sits up, straining to hear any sound that might explain the voice he's certain just called his name. The soft breathing of his older brother, Caleb, sleeping peacefully in the bed across the room, is the only sound that reaches his ears. Yet, Noah is sure—absolutely sure—that someone had called out to him. His eyes dart toward the window, and for a fleeting moment, he sees it—a figure with glowing red eyes staring back at him from the shadows. But as quickly as it appeared, it's gone, swallowed by the darkness.
His breath catches in his throat, a chill running down his spine. Despite the fear that grips him, he feels an inexplicable urge to follow it, to find out what—or who—called to him. Quietly, he slips out of bed, his movements cautious as he tiptoes across the room. Every creak of the floorboards beneath his feet makes him wince, but Caleb doesn't stir. Noah pauses at the door, casting a glance back at his brother, then steps out into the hallway, taking extra care as he passes by his mother's room. The house is silent, save for the occasional groan of the old wood, and Noah moves like a ghost, making his way toward the front door.
The night air is cool against his skin as he steps outside, the quiet of the sleeping town settling around him like a blanket. He's lost sight of the figure, but his eyes scan the darkness, searching. For a moment, he wonders if it was all just a dream, a trick of his overactive imagination. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees it again—a shadowy figure with those same eerie red eyes, standing near the edge of the forest. Without thinking, Noah starts running toward it, his bare feet pounding against the ground as he races to catch up.
"Hey, wait!" he calls out, his voice urgent and breathless. But the figure slips into the trees, disappearing into the dense woods. Noah follows, his legs burning with the effort as he pushes through the underbrush, his heart pounding in his ears. The forest is dark, the canopy above blocking out the moonlight, and every snap of a twig beneath his feet sounds unnaturally loud. He stumbles into a clearing, panting, his eyes darting around as he searches for any sign of the figure. But it's gone. The silence is deafening, broken only by the sound of his labored breathing.
He stands there for a moment, the chill of the night seeping into his bones. Fear begins to creep in, clawing at the edges of his mind. "I need to get back home," he whispers to himself, his voice trembling. He turns to leave, but then he hears it again—Noah.
His blood runs cold as he whips around, and this time, the figure is standing still, just at the edge of the clearing. "Hey, who are you?" Noah demands, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "Were you calling me? Do you live here?" He waits for an answer, but the figure remains silent, unmoving. Driven by a strange compulsion, Noah takes a step closer, then another, until he's only inches away.
The figure is shrouded in darkness, its form more shadow than substance, with those red eyes glowing eerily in the night. As Noah peers at it more closely, he realizes it doesn't look like a real person at all—just a dark, menacing silhouette with eyes that seem to bore into him, staring straight into his soul. He tries to pull his gaze away, but he can't—he's trapped, held by an invisible force. Why can't I pull my eyes away? The thought races through his mind, panic rising in his chest. He catches a glimpse of a boy's face, grinning at him with an unsettling familiarity.
Suddenly he catches a whiff of something tasty, that immediately compels him to go towards it. He stalks further into the woods, until he comes to a small camp. In the distance, there's a couple sitting around the fire laughing, completely unaware of his presence or the danger they're in.
His mouth waters, their flesh seeming like the most enticing meal. Everything compels him to make a meal of them; to simply ravish them, but he holds back. Something inside him remains resistant and forbids him from attacking them. Eat. His inner voice tells him this, but he keeps resisting it. He finally manages to turn away, and in his resistant efforts, forces himself to sleep.
~North Forest- Hackett Town, Tekisu District~
Deep in the forest on the outskirts of town, a man in a cloak searches the brush, obviously looking for something he's yet to find. "I felt his energy surge, which means he must be somewhere nearby. I must find him quickly, before the others. If I felt it, they did too, surely."
He continues to scour high and low, until a small figure finally comes into view. He notices the camp in the distance, the humans still blissfully unaware of the danger afoot. He quickly picks him up into his arms. "Thank the lord, I've found him. I must get him out of here at once."
Noah feels himself swaying slightly, the sensation of movement making his head spin. The sound of footsteps crunching on the ground reaches his ears, and he becomes vaguely aware that he's being carried. His body feels heavy and weak, but he forces his eyes open just enough to make out a face—though it's hard to tell since the man is wearing a hood.
Noah's head rests against the man's chest, and somehow, the feeling is oddly comforting, almost familiar. Have I done this before? he wonders, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.
He tries to lift his hand, wanting to touch the man's face, to understand who he is and why he feels so safe in his arms. But his strength fails him, and his hand drops back down, useless.
Darkness threatens to pull him under again, but before he succumbs, the man speaks, his voice gentle and reassuring. "It's okay now. I'll protect you. Sleep, just sleep now."
The words are like a lullaby, and Noah finally allows himself to drift into unconsciousness, the last remnants of fear slipping away as he blacks out completely.