Aria always hated how quiet the woods could be.
By day, the forest near Ravenhill looked almost ordinary patches of sunlight cutting through crooked branches, the rustle of leaves whispering with the wind. But by evening, when shadows stretched and the air cooled, the woods seemed alive in ways that made her skin crawl. Tonight was one of those nights. The sun had barely dipped below the horizon, and already she felt as though eyes were on her.
She walked faster, hugging her bag to her chest. She shouldn't have stayed late in town, but something had kept her lingering at the bookstore, running her hands over the spines of old novels as though they might give her comfort. Now she regretted it.
The path ahead curved sharply, where the woods grew thicker, the kind of place where moonlight struggled to reach. Every sound carried louder here: the snap of a twig, the call of a night bird, even her own breath.
"Lost, little lamb?"
The voice cut through the silence. Smooth. Mocking. And far too close.
Aria froze, clutching the strap of her bag. She scanned the trees, her pulse hammering. "Who's there?"
A figure stepped out from the shadows, tall and lean, with a lazy kind of confidence that made her stomach twist. The boy no, the man looked just a little older than her, maybe eighteen or nineteen. His hair was dark, catching the dim light with a faint sheen. His eyes, though his eyes were what froze her breath. They glowed faintly, golden in the dusk.
Aria's throat went dry.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, tilting his head. "Not with wolves roaming these woods."
Her pulse spiked. "Wolves?" she echoed, trying to sound steady. "That's just… town gossip."
He smiled, sharp and amused. "You think so?"
Something in his tone made her skin prickle. His gaze swept over her slowly, like he was peeling away every layer she had tried to wrap herself in every excuse, every denial. It felt intrusive, almost unbearable, and yet she couldn't look away.
"Go home," he said softly, though it sounded more like a command than advice. "Before you find yourself in over your head."
Aria's pride kicked in, stronger than her fear. "You don't get to tell me what to do."
He chuckled, low and dark, and stepped closer. She fought the urge to retreat, her nails digging into her palms. The air between them seemed to thrum, charged with something she didn't understand. Her senses sharpened, catching the faint scent of pine and smoke clinging to him, mixed with something wild something dangerous.
"Brave," he murmured, circling her slowly. "Or foolish."
Her heart thudded in her ears. She turned sharply to keep him in sight, but he moved like a predator, each step measured and silent. His presence filled the space, making the forest seem smaller, the night darker.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
He stopped just out of reach, and for a moment, the golden glow in his eyes deepened. He smiled again, though it didn't quite reach his expression it was too sharp, too knowing.
"Someone who knows what you are."
The words struck like a blow. Aria stumbled back, shaking her head. "What… what are you talking about?"
His gaze lingered on her face, then dropped briefly to her hands, clenched tight against her chest. He inhaled as if catching something on the air, and his smirk widened.
"You feel it, don't you? The change." His voice dropped to a murmur, almost intimate. "The nights growing louder. The pull of the forest. The way your skin burns when the moon rises."
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
She hadn't told anyone. Not Lila, not her mom. She barely admitted it to herself the strange surges of energy, the dreams that left her trembling, the way her body sometimes ached as though something inside was clawing to break free.
"How do you?"
He cut her off with a look, one that silenced her more effectively than words ever could. For the briefest second, she thought she saw something stir beneath his skin, a ripple of movement too fast to catch. Her stomach lurched.
"You're not ready," he said simply.
"Ready for what?"
He leaned closer, and though his voice stayed soft, it carried an edge that made her shiver.
"For the truth."
Aria swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at her to run. And yet, she couldn't move. She couldn't even breathe properly under the weight of his presence.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered.
"Want?" He looked genuinely amused by the question. "Nothing. Not yet." His eyes gleamed again. "But soon… everything."
The way he said it made her knees weaken.
He straightened suddenly, as though remembering himself, and the sharpness in his expression softened just barely. "Stay out of the woods at night," he said again, but this time his voice was quieter, less like a taunt and more like… a warning.
And then, before she could reply, he turned and melted back into the shadows. One blink, and he was gone.
Aria stood frozen, the forest pressing in around her, her chest heaving. Her mind spun with questions, each more terrifying than the last.
Who was he?
What did he mean by what you are?
And why did his golden eyes feel so familiar… like the ones she'd seen in her dreams?
She didn't remember walking home. Her body moved on autopilot, her thoughts tangled and fraying. Even when she shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it, the echo of his voice lingered in her ears.
"Not ready for the truth."
But deep down, Aria knew one thing with bone-deep certainty. Whatever that stranger had meant… it wasn't a lie.