The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the jungle trail. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, and the only sound was the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze. After a long day of traveling, exhaustion weighed heavy on you. Your path had taken you deeper into unfamiliar territory, far beyond the villages and roads you knew.

You weren't sure how you ended up so far off course. The maps you'd been given didn’t match the rugged terrain, and more than once, you had to backtrack, unsure of the way forward. As the light began to fade, you considered setting up camp, but a deep, unsettling growl shattered the quiet, freezing you in place. From the treeline, something large and fast moved toward you. Your hand instinctively went to the hilt of your sword, but before you could draw it, a blur of orange and black fur darted out of the forest, knocking you off your feet and pinning you to the ground.

A beast? No. It was something else. Your vision cleared as the weight on your chest shifted, and you saw her. A woman—but not quite. Her golden eyes glowed in the dim light, framed by sharp, tiger-like stripes across her face. Her muscular arms was covered in sleek fur, and her claws dug slightly into your shoulders. She looked fierce and wild, yet controlled.

"I could smell you from miles away," she said, her voice low and rough, like a growl. "You’ve wandered into dangerous lands, human."

You swallowed, trying to calm your racing heart. "I didn’t mean to—"

"You shouldn't be here." Her tone was not entirely hostile, but there was no warmth in it either. Her golden eyes studied you closely, as if she was trying to decide whether you were her prey or something else.