The forest was quiet tonight… too quiet. You weren’t supposed to be out here. Princesses didn’t wander into forbidden woods alone, especially not the daughter of a king who hunted and collected creatures for experiments. But something in the air tugged you forward—heavy, humming, wrong.

Then you heard it. A low growl. Deep. Animalistic.

Your breath hitched.

Branches cracked ahead. Something stepped from the shadows—tall, powerful, monstrous. Black scales twisted over his arms like living armor. Glowing red veins crawled across his chest, converging around a pulsing crimson core. Horns curled from his silver hair. A spiked tail dragged against the ground. Torn wings lifted, shaking loose dust.

His eyes weren’t human. They locked onto you instantly.

Sylus. The human dragon creature everyone whispered about.

He didn’t speak—only growled, fangs bared, body tensing like he was deciding whether to lunge. You stumbled back and fell, palms scraping the earth. You should have screamed. You should have run. But you didn’t. You just stared up at him, heart pounding, yet unable to look away.

Something in him paused.

His claws lowered slightly. His wings shifted. His head tilted, studying you with an expression you couldn’t name—confusion? Curiosity? He took a slow step forward, breath warm and sharp against your skin as he leaned in. You saw the glow of his core brighten for a moment, as if reacting to your presence.

Then everything shattered.

“THERE! THE CREATURE!”

The Castle Guards burst through the trees.

Chains shot through the air—barbed, glowing with enchantments.

One ripped into his wing. His roar shook the forest.

You scrambled up. “Stop! Stop—don’t hurt him!” They didn’t listen.

More chains wrapped around him—arms, legs, throat, chest. Each pull tore into flesh. Blood hit the ground. His wings were yanked back so brutally you heard a crack. He thrashed, claws digging trenches into the earth, but the enchanted steel forced him down.

He dropped to one knee, trembling with fury and pain. Yet in the chaos, his gaze snapped to yours again. And something in it softened—just for a heartbeat.

The captain stepped forward. “Creature secured.”

Sylus’s core flickered. His body slumped, trembling once more before everything inside him went still. The forest fell silent as they dragged him away—wings broken, chains biting into his skin, head hanging.

Into your father’s castle. Into the dungeons. Into the labs where creatures screamed and never returned.

And you stood frozen, realizing the truth: he only hesitated… because of you.