Rain hammered against the wooden stilt house, the wind carrying the scent of wet earth… and blood.Arian woke with a start, his heart pounding. Through the gaps in the floorboards, flashes of lightning revealed his father's figure standing in the yard.
But this was not the father he knew.His body hunched, trembling, then… grew larger. Muscles bulged, skin split, and white fur with black stripes spread rapidly across him. His jaw elongated, fangs glinted, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes burned in the darkness.
"Oh God…" Arian whispered, his mouth dry.The figure — his father — roared. The thunderous sound sent night birds scattering from the towering trees.
Lightning struck again, revealing fresh blood dripping from his father's claws.And on the ground… the carcass of a deer, its neck torn as if by a wild beast.
Arian staggered back, his breath quickening. But the wooden floor creaked beneath him.The tiger's eyes snapped toward the window.
Eyes filled with rage… and hunger.
The sound of the rain seemed to fade. All Arian could hear was the slow, deliberate breathing of the beast outside.His muscles tensed. Every instinct screamed at him to run, yet his body refused to move.
The glowing eyes narrowed.One paw stepped forward, sinking into the mud with a soft squelch. The beast's whiskers twitched. It was smelling him.
Arian stumbled back from the window, his heartbeat loud in his ears. He almost tripped over the woven mat on the floor.This isn't real… this isn't real…
Another flash of lightning illuminated the yard — and this time, the beast was gone.Arian froze. His eyes darted from shadow to shadow. Where—
A loud thud hit the roof above him, shaking the rafters.Arian's breath caught. Slowly, he tilted his head upward. Claw marks scraped against the bamboo ceiling. The beast was on the roof.
The wooden boards creaked. Rainwater dripped through the cracks. Then… silence.
Arian took one cautious step backward—
CRASH!The ceiling split apart as the tiger's massive paw tore through, splintering bamboo like paper. Arian barely rolled aside before the claws ripped into the spot where he had stood.
The beast roared, deafening in the enclosed space, hot breath reeking of blood.Arian scrambled toward the back of the house, his bare feet slipping on the wet floor. He didn't dare look back.
But before he reached the door, a deep voice rumbled through the storm — a voice that made the beast stop.
"Arian… run."
He turned.The tiger's eyes softened for the briefest moment — just enough for Arian to realize something impossible.That voice… was his father's.
The moment Arian heard that voice, the world seemed to tilt.His father's words echoed in his head, cutting through the storm, but the beast's massive frame was still there — muscles rippling, claws digging into the floorboards.
"I said… run!" the voice thundered again.
Arian's body finally obeyed. He spun toward the back door, shoving it open. Cold rain slapped his face, and the humid night air burned his lungs as he stumbled into the darkness.
Behind him, the roar exploded like thunder, shaking his bones. The sound was not entirely human, not entirely animal — something in between.
Through the downpour, he saw shadows moving at the edge of the jungle.Not animals.People.
Figures cloaked in black, masks glistening with rain, each carrying weapons that gleamed faintly in the lightning. They were already spreading out, blocking his escape.
Arian's bare feet sank into the mud. His mind raced. If I run into them, I'm dead. If I stay, the beast…
"Over here!" one of the masked figures shouted, raising a long spear. The tip glowed faintly, like cold fire.
A flash of movement — the tiger leapt from the house, landing between Arian and the masked men. Its roar was pure fury, and the hunters hesitated, their formation breaking.
For a moment, the beast glanced over its shoulder at Arian.Those glowing yellow eyes seemed to say: Go.
Arian turned and ran into the jungle, branches whipping against his skin, heart pounding like a war drum. Behind him, the clash of roars, shouts, and steel filled the night.
He didn't dare look back.
Arian ran blindly, his lungs burning, the mud sucking at his feet with every desperate step. The jungle swallowed him whole — thick trunks, twisted roots, and the endless hiss of rain against leaves.
But the sounds of battle didn't fade.They were getting closer.
Through the downpour, he could still hear the beast's roar, deeper now, almost pained. Then came the hunters' chants — low, rhythmic, and filled with a strange power that made the hairs on Arian's neck rise.
He stumbled over a root, crashing into the ground. The cold mud smeared across his face, the metallic taste of fear on his tongue.
Lightning tore the sky open.For a split second, he saw something ahead — a tall, shadowy figure standing perfectly still between the trees. No mask. No weapon. Just… watching him.
"Who—?" Arian began, but the words died in his throat. The figure was gone.
A sudden roar shattered the moment. This time it was much closer — too close.Branches snapped behind him. Heavy footfalls splashed through the mud.
Arian forced himself up and ran again, heart pounding, every instinct screaming that whatever was chasing him was not the beast… and not the hunters.
Then, from the depths of the storm, came a whisper.A whisper that somehow cut through the thunder, the rain, and the chaos:
"Arian… your blood belongs to the forest."