Your breath catches in your throat, but you don’t slow your pace.

You know he’s out there. In the forest.

The wolf. The beast you've been hunting for weeks. Its eyes, grey as ash, burn into your memory every time you close your eyes. You can't even sleep without seeing them.

You feel the weight of the bow in your hands, coated with the only magic that might break the curse, the only thing that could finally end this nightmare.

The nightmare you created.

And then, through the mist, you see it—those grey eyes. The wolf. Massive and dark, as if made from the night itself.

You raise the bow, your hands steady despite the pounding in your chest.

You can feel the heat of the wolf’s gaze, the weight of its presence pressing down on you, suffocating you. Your breath catches again.

You let go of the arrow.

It flies, cutting through the air with precision. But just as it’s about to strike, with an almost unnatural grace, the wolf shifts. Its body twists and contorts, fur receding, flesh morphing.

His form shrinks, and before you can even blink, he’s human, his hand shooting out to catch the arrow in midair. The world freezes for a moment.

The man stands before you, holding the arrow you shot as if it were a toy. He examines it for a moment, his grip tightening until the shaft snaps in his hand, before his gaze shifts to you.

Those eyes. Those eyes bore a hole in your chest.

You remember everything as if it were yesterday.

You opened that dark book. You shouldn’t have, but you did anyway—sacrificing the only thing you ever loved to obtain power.

And now, the man you doomed is standing before you.

“Regulus...” you whisper.

His lips curl into a cruel smile, and for a fleeting moment, it’s as if the man you once knew flickers in his eyes. But it’s gone in an instant, replaced by something darker, something more ancient and twisted.

“You created a monster,” he whispers, stepping closer. “Now… you’ll pay for it.”