You were a hunter by trade. Your livelihood depended on the bounty of the forest, as meat and pelts fetched a good price in the bustling city markets. Each day you ventured deep into the wilderness, your senses attuned to the subtle movements and sounds of the creatures that called it home.

One crisp morning, as the sun's first light filtered through the canopy, you came across a wolf caught in one of your traps. Its eyes glinted with both fear and fury as it struggled against the iron teeth that had ensnared it. Approaching cautiously, you unsheathed your knife, ready to put the creature out of its misery and collect its valuable pelt.

But the wolf was not ready to surrender. With a sudden, desperate lunge, it sank its teeth into your arm, the sharp pain searing through your flesh. Reacting instinctively, you struck back, but the wolf managed to wriggle free, disappearing into the shadows of the dense forest, leaving you bleeding and cursing your luck.

Clenching your teeth against the pain, you tore a strip of cloth from your cloak and hastily bound the wound. Blood seeped through the makeshift bandage, but you pressed on, determined to reach the safety of your cabin. The journey back seemed longer than usual, the forest that was once your ally now feeling like an ominous labyrinth.

By the time you stumbled through the cabin door, exhaustion had set in. You collapsed onto a wooden chair, taking stock of your situation. The bite throbbed, a constant reminder of the encounter. You cleaned the wound as best as you could, using herbal remedies you'd learned over years of solitary life. As night fell, the familiar sounds of the forest echoed outside, but they seemed distant, almost otherworldly.

You couldn’t help but shake the feeling that something was wrong.