Long, original chapter begins now…
The night the Red Moon rose over Silverpine, everything changed.
Deep inside the forest, the wind howled like a warning, pushing through the ancient pines as if trying to wake the sleeping world. The moon glowed an unnatural crimson—beautiful, terrifying, and powerful.
Sixteen-year-old Ariella Thorn stood on her balcony, staring at the sky with wide, uncertain eyes. She always felt strange when the moon was full, as if a heartbeat echoed inside her bones… but this time, the sound was louder.
Stronger.
Impossible to ignore.
Her mother called from downstairs, "Ariella, close the windows! It's not safe outside tonight."
Ariella hesitated.
Something in the wind whispered her name.
Not imagination.
Not fear.
A call.
A warning.
A promise.
She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing—but a sudden cry tore through the night.
A growl.
A snarl.
Then… silence.
Her heart jumped.
Without thinking, she ran outside barefoot, sprinting across the grass toward the sound. She should've been afraid, but something in her chest pulled her forward.
Into the forest.
Into the dark.
Into danger.
Branches scraped her arms. Cold air bit into her skin. But she kept running until she reached a clearing bathed in red moonlight.
And there he was.
A boy—no, not a boy.
A wolf.
A massive silver wolf stood in the center of the clearing, fur glowing under the red moon like molten metal. His eyes—golden and fierce—locked onto hers.
Ariella froze.
Her breath caught.
The wolf growled, but the sound wasn't a threat. It was… familiar. Deep. Like a voice she somehow recognized.
Then he collapsed.
Ariella gasped and rushed forward, kneeling beside him despite her shaking hands. He was injured—deep claw marks across his flank, bleeding badly.
"Hey… hey, stay with me," she whispered, not knowing why she cared so much.
The wolf's golden eyes softened.
Then right before her—
his body shifted.
Bones cracked.
Fur receded.
A human hand grabbed her wrist.
A boy—around seventeen—lay before her, breathing hard, completely weak. His silver hair stuck to his forehead, and those same golden eyes stared up at her.
"Don't… be afraid," he muttered, voice rough but calm.
Ariella blinked, heart pounding.
"I should be," she whispered. "But I'm not."
He gave a faint smile.
"That's because you're not normal either."
"What are you talking about?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but the trees around them rattled violently—something massive moving between the shadows.
His grip tightened around her wrist.
"They're coming," he rasped. "Ariella… run."
Her heart stopped.
He knew her name.
"How—?"
Before he could answer, a monstrous howl split the night.
The clearing trembled.
The boy struggled to rise but collapsed again.
"I'm not leaving you," Ariella said fiercely.
"You don't understand," he gasped. "They want you. The Red Moon chose you."
"What does that mean?"
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the trees.
Then another.
And another.
The boy forced himself up, shielding her with his body.
"My name is Kaelan," he said, voice trembling with exhaustion. "And whether you like it or not… I'm your protector."
Ariella's breath caught.
The Red Moon pulsed above them like a heartbeat.
And the monsters stepped into the clearing.