The snow had only just melted when Lyra and Kaelen returned with their parents. The small village of Brimhold, nestled between pine forests and jagged cliffs, greeted them not with cheers but with silence. Doors closed, shutters drawn, eyes watching from cracks.
Lyra frowned. "It feels colder here than it did in the mountains."
Kaelen tightened the strap of her pack. "They're staring. Like we've dragged the storm back with us."
Their father tried to smile, but it was a strained expression. "Give it time. The people have always been cautious."
Yet as the family walked through the narrow dirt paths, the whispers grew louder.
"They brought them back."
"The ravens followed."
"It's an omen."
The villagers avoided their gaze. Only children peeked out, eyes wide before being yanked back inside.
---
That night, the unease broke into anger.
Kaelen, hot-tempered and quick to defend, stormed into the square where Lyra—the baker's shy daughter—was being harassed by a man with too much ale in his breath.
"Keep your distance, girl!" the man barked, waving a crooked finger. "It's your friends—the wolf-blood sisters—who called the black wings down on us! You'll share their curse!"
Lyra flinched, backing away, but Kaelen stepped in. Her fists were clenched, her jaw set.
"Leave her alone," she growled.
The man sneered. "Defend them, will you? Then you're no better—"
Kaelen's punch landed before the insult finished. The fight spilled into the square, drawing villagers into a tense circle. Lyra rushed to her sister's side just in time to pull her back before things went too far.
"You're all blind," Kaelen shouted, blood on her lip but fire in her eyes. "We didn't bring this! Blame fate, not us!"
But the damage was done. The whispers became sharper, heavier.
---
It was then that the stranger appeared.
Wrapped in a weathered cloak, his staff tapping against the stones, the man's presence silenced the crowd. His hair was streaked silver, his face marked by old scars.
"Enough," he said, voice calm yet carrying weight. His eyes, dark and knowing, swept across the villagers before fixing on the twins.
"You must be Lyra and Kaelen."
Lyra's ears twitched. "Who are you?"
"A man without a home. Cast out for speaking truths others refused to hear." He lowered his hood, revealing the faint glow of runes etched across his temple. "An exiled sorcerer. You may call me Elrin."
Kaelen's tail bristled. "Why are you here?"
Elrin's expression darkened. "Because your parents' disappearance is not the end. It is only the beginning. Shadows are stirring beyond the mountains. The ravens were a warning… and you are at the heart of it."
The villagers recoiled. Some muttered prayers, others fled into their homes.
Lyra stepped forward, defiant despite the chill crawling up her spine. "If you know something, tell us."
Elrin's gaze softened, though his words were heavy.
"You seek the truth? Then be prepared. The prophecy has been set in motion, and blood will answer blood."
The fire crackled in the square, casting long shadows on the walls of Brimhold. And for the first time, the twins felt the weight of a world that would not let them remain children any longer.