Chapter 1: The Haunting Dreams
The forest stretched endlessly before her, shrouded in silver moonlight that seemed to cling to the air itself. The trees were ancient, their gnarled branches reaching upward like skeletal hands, and the faint rustle of leaves whispered secrets Elara couldn't understand. She was barefoot, the damp moss cool against her skin. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled—a mournful sound that sent shivers rippling through her body.
Elara wasn't sure how she had come to be here. She only knew that the forest called to her, its voice tugging at her chest like an invisible thread.
"Elara…"
The voice was soft yet commanding, a low whisper carried on the night wind. She froze, her breath hitching in her throat. It wasn't just her name—it was the way it was spoken, with an edge of familiarity that sent a strange mix of dread and longing coursing through her veins.
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice trembling as she turned in circles, scanning the shadows. The trees seemed to lean closer, their trunks twisting unnaturally, as though they were alive and listening.
"Elara…" The voice came again, this time closer, more insistent.
"Show yourself!" she demanded, her courage bolstered by a growing sense of frustration.
And then she saw them—two amber eyes glowing in the darkness. They were sharp and piercing, filled with an intelligence that felt almost human. The eyes belonged to a wolf, but not an ordinary one. It stepped out of the shadows, its massive form illuminated by the pale moonlight. Its silver fur shimmered like liquid light, and its gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made her feel as though it could see into her very soul.
"Elara," the wolf said.
She staggered back, her hand flying to her mouth. "You can talk?"
The wolf didn't answer immediately. It took a step closer, its movements slow and deliberate, as if trying not to frighten her. "You have forgotten who you are," it growled, its voice deep and resonant. "But you will remember."
"Who I am?" she repeated, her voice shaking. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"
The wolf tilted its head, its amber eyes narrowing. "Liora," it said, the name rolling off its tongue like a command.
"Liora?" The name struck her like a thunderclap, igniting a flicker of something deep within her—something she couldn't quite grasp. "What does that mean? Why are you calling me that?"
Before the wolf could respond, the moonlight dimmed, and the forest grew unnaturally quiet. A chill crept through the air, and Elara's skin prickled as a new presence emerged from the shadows.
Behind the wolf, a figure began to form, its outline shifting and writhing like smoke. It was tall, cloaked in darkness, with skeletal hands that glowed faintly under the moonlight. The wolf turned, baring its teeth and growling low in its throat.
"Elara," it barked, its voice urgent. "Run!"
But she couldn't move. The shadowy figure's presence pinned her in place, and her limbs felt as though they were weighed down by invisible chains. The figure raised a hand, its skeletal fingers pointing directly at her.
"Elara…" it hissed, its voice a chilling echo that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
Her legs finally obeyed, and she stumbled backward, then turned and ran. The forest blurred around her, the trees twisting and warping as she fled. Behind her, the wolf's growls and the figure's hissing voice filled the air, growing louder with every step she took.
The ground beneath her feet began to crumble, and before she could react, it gave way entirely. She fell, her screams swallowed by the endless darkness.
---
She woke with a start, gasping for air as if she had been drowning. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and her body was drenched in sweat. She looked around, disoriented, and realized she was in her bed, the familiar surroundings of her room grounding her in reality.
The moonlight streamed through the window, casting pale light across the room. Her hands were trembling, and as she brought them to her face, her fingers brushed against the crescent-shaped birthmark on her wrist.
It was glowing.
The faint silver light pulsed softly, in time with her racing heartbeat. She stared at it, her mind reeling. "Liora…" she whispered aloud, the name from her dream lingering on her lips like a ghost.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the eerie silence. She fumbled for it, her hands still shaking, and saw Maya's name flashing on the screen. She answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Elara? Are you okay?" Maya's voice was soft but laced with concern. "I woke up for some water and… I don't know. I just felt like I should check on you."
Elara hesitated, glancing back at her glowing wrist. "Maya, I had the dream again," she said, her voice trembling.
"The one with the wolf?"
"Yes, but this time… it said my name. And it called me something else. It called me Liora."
"Liora?" Maya echoed, confusion clear in her tone. "What does that even mean?"
"I don't know," Elara admitted, glancing at the window where the moon hung high in the sky, brighter than it had any right to be. "But it felt so real. The wolf… it was protecting me from something. From someone."
"What happened?" Maya asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"There was this shadow," Elara said, her voice breaking. "It tried to… I don't know what it was trying to do, but I ran. And then the ground disappeared, and I fell, and—"
"Elara," Maya interrupted, her voice firm. "You need to breathe. It was just a dream. Okay? A really bad dream."
Elara wanted to believe her, but the glowing birthmark on her wrist said otherwise. "I don't think it was just a dream, Maya," she whispered, more to herself than to her friend.
She hung up shortly after, curling back into bed, but sleep wouldn't come. The name Liora echoed in her mind, and every time she closed her eyes, the wolf's amber gaze haunted her.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew the dream wasn't just a product of her imagination. It was a message. And the wolf—whatever it was—had awakened something within her that she couldn't ignore.