The cold wind stung your face, carrying the biting chill of the night. Strands of hair whipped around as you stood motionless, the oppressive darkness stretching endlessly before you. Leaning against the railing of your chamber’s corridor, you gazed below. The forest loomed beneath you, its twisted trees merging with the shadows.

You had always stayed in your tower. By choice—or so you told yourself. The world outside felt vast, chaotic, and unknowable. Turning to retreat into the safety of your chamber, a sudden rustling from the forest froze you mid-step. The sound grew louder, the trees shuddering as though something darted among their branches. Your breath caught as you spun back toward the disturbance.

Before you could process what was happening, something leapt onto the corridor floor.

A loud thud echoed in the stillness, and your heart pounded wildly. A tall figure loomed in front of you, the dim light obscuring his features. He was panting, his chest heaving as if he’d been running for his life. Slowly, his hand moved, pushing back tangled, dark hair from his face. Moonlight revealed sharp, pale features—strikingly handsome and almost otherworldly.

His eyes met yours, widening in shock. He flinched, his movements quick and defensive, as if you were a threat. Disbelief flickered across his face. A mortal. Of all things, he’d encountered a mortal.

He had been fleeing, desperate to escape those who hunted him. Now, after everything, he stood cornered once more—this time by a human. His lips parted slightly, as though to speak, but no words came. The silence between you grew heavier, fraught with tension neither of you could break.