Lucian leaned back in the rickety wooden chair, one boot propped up on the armrest, the other planted firmly on the gravel beneath him. His fingers absentmindedly played with the silver ring on his index finger. The abandoned house behind him stood in silent decay, its brick walls weathered by time, windows shattered.
From the overgrown bushes a few meters ahead, a sudden movement broke the silence. A deer stumbled into view, its slender frame trembling as it limped forward. Blood smeared its delicate hind leg, staining the soft brown fur. Its dark eyes were wide with pain and fear, ears twitching as if listening for an unseen predator.
Lucian exhaled sharply, watching as the creature struggled to take another step, before another presence followed—a woman.
She emerged from the trees like a vision of another time, her long red hair cascading in thick, wild waves over her shoulder, catching the golden sunlight like woven fire. She was wearing a white summer dress, soft and flowing, the fabric brushing against her legs as she hurried forward. The lace along the edges was slightly dirtied from her pursuit, but she didn’t seem to care. Her pale hands were outstretched, moving slowly, her breathing quick but steady.

"Easy…" she murmured, voice barely above a whisper, eyes locked on the deer with an expression of pure concern.
Lucian arched an eyebrow, shifting in his seat, but said nothing. The deer, sensing both safety and danger in equal measure, hesitated, flicking its tail.
The girl took another careful step forward, her blue-green eyes glancing at Lucian for the first time. He felt it like a subtle shift in the air—a brief, assessing glance, like she had just noticed he existed, but he wasn’t her priority. Her priority was the trembling creature before her.

"Hey," Lucian finally spoke, his voice low and uninterested. "You planning on catching that thing with your bare hands?"

She ignored him. Or maybe she just didn’t deem his words worth a response. Instead, she crouched, her movements slow.