A heavy fog hung over the town. Every street of Black Hollow seemed woven with a secret spilling from the past. Stone houses with moss-covered roofs, wooden doors creaking with the wind, and those ominous whispers that never stopped at night… For Lyra Graves, this was not a home, but more like an unhealing wound.
"I will leave one day," she muttered to herself. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed the fatigue rings under her eyes. "One day I will leave this cursed town. Away from my mother's shadow, from my father's silence, from all of it."
Lyra's mother had died mysteriously ten years ago. No gravestone, no proper funeral. One night she disappeared, and the next morning she was found at the edge of the town forest. Her eyes were open, lips marked with blood, but there was nothing to explain her death. Since that day, Lyra had had the same dream every night: her mother reaching out to her from the fog, whispering, "Run from here, Lyra!"
But running was not easy. No one could leave Black Hollow. Those who tried either lost their way, or their bodies were found years later in the forest.
Lyra left home early in the morning. Her father was probably still at work. He was the town's only doctor and often she didn't see him at all. She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked through the narrow cobblestone streets.
The town square was empty. Most shops had pulled down their shutters. Only the old bookstore owned by the Crowe family was open. Lyra couldn't help but glance at it.
Ethan Crowe stood in front of the door. Lyra's childhood friend, tall, with black hair falling on his forehead, always carrying a strange sadness in his gaze.
"Lyra," he said, taking a step toward her. "Sleepless again?"
Lyra shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. The dreams don't give me peace."
Ethan's gaze deepened. "You still see your mother, don't you?"
Lyra turned her head, avoiding his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."
A silence fell. The stillness of the square rose like an invisible wall between the two. Then Ethan took a deep breath. "Look, I'll be at the bookstore tonight. My father wants me to examine some old records. If you want, you can come too. Maybe it will distract you."
Lyra bit her lip. There were moments of peace with Ethan, but there was always a void inside her. Even being with him, something seemed missing.
"I'll think about it," she said softly and continued on her way.
By evening, the fog over the town had grown even thicker. Lyra, looking out the window of her house, heard a howl from the depths of the forest. Was it a wolf, or just the wind playing tricks? She didn't know.
She got into bed but could not sleep. Her mother's whisper echoed in her ears: "Run from here, Lyra!"
Suddenly she stood up, peered out the window. A shadow was moving at the edge of the forest. It was not human. Very tall, sharp-featured… eyes glowing.
Lyra felt her heart pound. Her feet led her to the door unconsciously. She grabbed her thin jacket and stepped outside without thinking.
Passing the cobblestone streets, she approached the forest. The shadow was still there, leaning against a tree trunk, watching her.
"Who's there?" Lyra called, her voice trembling.
The shadow stepped forward with heavy steps. Lyra's breath caught when she saw his face. Black hair blended with the night, eyes glowing amber. The black coat he wore seemed to cut the very air.
"You… who are you?" Lyra took a step back.
The man tilted his head, a faint smile spreading across his lips. "Adrian," he said, his voice like a whisper echoing in the dark. "Adrian Dusk. And you must be Lyra Graves."
Lyra's heart raced. "How do you know my name?"
Adrian stepped closer. Only a few steps separated them. "Because you are the heart of this town, Lyra. And what's hidden inside your heart is far more precious than you realize."
Lyra stepped back. "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't even know you!"
Adrian's eyes glimmered. "Not yet."
At that moment, a howl rose from the depths of the forest. This time, Lyra shivered. Adrian raised his head, pricked his ears, and whispered with a teasing smile:
"Apparently, we are not alone."
Lyra wanted to turn and run, but Adrian grabbed her arm. His grip was not harsh, but it shook her.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said in a low voice. "But now it's too late."
Lyra opened her eyes, a single word escaping her lips: "What… is happening?"
Adrian's answer was the first sentence that would change Lyra's entire life:
"The night reveals its true face."
Lyra's breath caught, her eyes fixed on Adrian. In the darkness, his shadow blended with the trees, every movement seeming observed by some invisible gaze.
"Let me go," Lyra said, trying to add anger to her trembling voice. "Go away from here. I don't trust you!"
Adrian smiled faintly. "Trust? Lyra, you still haven't realized what this is. Everything about you is beyond the rules of the town you know."
Lyra stepped back, heading toward the trees. Suddenly, a howl echoed from the forest. But this was not just a wolf; it carried an ancient power, a warning, a threat. Lyra's hairs stood on end.
Adrian raised one step, hand lifted, and in the silence of the night, whispered: "Vargr…"
Lyra turned her head and saw in the dark corners of the forest two pairs of glowing eyes. They were not ordinary wolves; larger, more frightening, standing between human and wolf. Every step made the ground tremble slightly.