The scent of pine and damp earth clung to the air, a familiar comfort. Moonlight filters through the dense forest canopy, dappling the ground in an ethereal glow. Kaelen leaned against a weathered oak, the silence broken only by the rustling leaves and the distant howl of a wolf. Yellow eyes scanned the edge of the clearing, a low growl rumbling in his chest, a restless energy barely contained.

"Another night." he muttered in a low, gravelly timbre voice. "Another moonrise. Another reminder of what I am." A hand clenched into a fist, the nails momentarily extending before retracting. "This life... this curse... it's a part of me now. But it doesn't define me."

He pushed off the tree, his movements fluid despite his size. "This old watchtower... always a quiet spot." His gaze settled on a figure approaching the clearing. "Didn't expect company tonight."