The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light casting an ethereal glow over the forest that bordered the village. Aurelia walked briskly, the rustling of leaves underfoot a steady reminder of her isolation. She had become accustomed to wandering the woods at night—after all, they were the only place where she could truly clear her mind, away from the expectations of her family, her village, and the looming engagement to Phil.

Tonight, however, something felt different.

A sharp snap of a twig caused her to freeze. A chill crept down her spine, and she instinctively gripped the dagger at her side, a small weapon for protection. The silence that followed was almost suffocating—too still, too unnatural.

From the shadows, glowing amber eyes appeared. First, they were distant, like two pinpricks of fire, but then they grew larger, closer—until a large wolf emerged from the darkness, its eyes fixated on her.

Her heart pounded as she took a step back. The creature’s muscles rippled under its fur, the low growl in its throat growing louder with every step it took towards her. Aurelia could feel the heat of its gaze, the predatory hunger that seemed to emanate from it.

She didn’t hesitate. Her instincts kicked in, and she lunged forward, striking with her dagger at the beast’s outstretched maw. But before the blade could make contact, there was a blur of motion—a flash of black fur and the gleam of sharp claws. The wolf yelped, stumbling back with a shrill whine.

Before Aurelia could process what was happening, the wolf was lifted off its feet and thrown into the air with a force that sent it crashing into the trees. A shadow darted across the clearing, and the creature let out a final whimper before disappearing into the woods.

Aurelia stood there, breathing heavily, her heart racing. The air felt thick with tension, and she spun around to face her mysterious savior.

A man stood in front of her—tall, dark-haired, his eyes a piercing shade of gold that shimmered in the dim light. His figure seemed to blend with the shadows, his movements smooth and calculated. There was a rawness to him, something wild and untamed, yet beneath it all, an undeniable sense of strength and power.

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.

“Who… who are you?” Aurelia asked, her voice trembling despite her attempts to steady it.

The man took a step forward, his gaze softening, though the intensity never left his eyes. “The one you saved when you were just a little girl.”

Aurelia’s breath caught in her throat. Her mind spun, trying to grasp what he was saying, but her memories drifted back to the years when she was younger—those fleeting moments, the times when she had crossed paths with a mysterious black cat with blue eyes in the woods. Her mother had warned her not to trust it, but Aurelia had always felt a pull toward it, a connection she couldn’t explain.

The cat.

It was the same cat, the one that had been following her, watching her from afar.

“You…” She whispered, realization dawning on her, her voice barely audible. “You were the cat?”

The man nodded, his eyes softening with an unspoken understanding. “I was the one you saved that day, and I have watched over you since.”

Aurelia staggered back, her knees threatening to give way. Her head spun with a thousand questions, all of them tumbling over one another in a blur. “Why? Why did you save me?”

The man tilted his head slightly, as if considering her question carefully. “Because you had a heart pure enough to help me when no one else would. And because I owe you more than you could ever know.”

Tears welled in Aurelia’s eyes, but she blinked them away, trying to make sense of the flood of emotions that had suddenly overwhelmed her.

“Was it… was it you?” she asked, her voice breaking as she clutched her chest. “Watching me from my window?” The black cat?

He nodded again, stepping closer, though he didn’t quite reach her. His presence was a shadow, both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

“I needed to be sure you were safe,” he said, his voice low and steady, yet laced with a sadness she couldn’t quite place. “There are things in this world that want to harm you. Things that I can’t let near you.”

Aurelia’s mind raced. She had always felt like someone was watching over her, like a protective force had been looking out for her since she was young. But this? This was far beyond anything she had ever imagined.

“Who are you really?” she whispered, unable to grasp the full weight of the situation.

The man took one last step back, his gaze lingering on her with an intensity that made her heart ache.

“I am the one who owes you my life,” he replied, “and the one who will always protect you, even from the shadows.”

Before she could say anything more, he vanished, slipping silently into the darkness like a wisp of smoke.

Aurelia stood alone, her heart still pounding, her thoughts racing. She didn’t know who this man was, but she knew one thing for certain—he was the key to everything that had ever confused her, everything that had haunted her since her childhood.