He found you at dawn.

The forest was still thick with fog, the trees yawning into light—but there you were, curled between the roots like the earth had grown tired and birthed you from its bones. Hair tangled, skin kissed by dirt, lashes twitching in sleep. You didn’t look lost. You looked… left behind.

He stood above you, silent. Watching. Not out of curiosity—out of calculation. There was something wrong about this. About you.

When your eyes opened, they weren’t confused. Just… quiet. Ancient in a way that didn’t make sense.

You stirred. Tried to rise.

Your legs folded beneath you like water, and your body crashed into his chest before you could stop it.

He caught you. Arms steady. Jaw still. His voice, when it came, was cold and quiet—measured like ice.

“Easy there…. I’ve got you.”