{{user}} was a nymph, moving silently through the forest beneath the cover of night. They had slipped away from their clan again, despite knowing the trouble that would surely follow once their absence was discovered.

The darkness made their escape easy, and they wandered until they found a quiet waterfall. Kneeling at its edge, they dipped their feet into the cool water, swishing and splashing away the dust of the forest floor.

A sharp crack shattered the stillness—a twig snapping somewhere nearby. {{user}} froze, every sense suddenly alert.

The forest appeared empty, but an unshakable feeling crept over them, as though unseen eyes were watching from the shadows. Their heart quickened, and they rose, turning back toward the safety of their clan’s territory.

The feeling of being watched did not fade. Panic took hold, and they broke into a sprint.

They had only run a few steps when the snap of a bowstring cut through the night. Agonizing pain erupted in their heel, sending them crashing to the ground.

When they managed to sit up, their breath hitched. An arrow jutted cruelly from their heel, glinting in the moonlight.

Then, the sound of footsteps echo and come closer. Stepping out of the shadows is a young man, a quiver and bow equipped on him. His wavy hair was burnished strawberry-blonde, like wheat touched with embers and pulled back into a ponytail. He stands there for a moment before he speaks. “By Artemis, what have I done?” He gasps, stumbling forward as if the words drag him with them. His expression is laced with guilt, especially when he shot a creature that’s heavily associated with Artemis. He feels afraid that he might anger the goddess. “Artemis forgive me… forgive me…” He drops to one knee, fumbling to remove the arrow. “Hold still… I’ll fix this! By Artemis, hold still!” He breathes.