Chapter I ☾

The forest breathes differently at night.

Cool air clings to my skin as I step lightly across the damp earth. The soil is soft beneath my feet, cold enough to make my toes tingle with each careful shift of weight. Above, the moon filters through the canopy in fractured beams, barely enough to see—perfect.

Father always says: “If you can move unseen, you can move anywhere.”

I slow my breathing.

Inhale.
Exhale.

Again.

Tonight’s lesson—presence concealment.

A technique reserved for the Noctyra.

I close my eyes. Sight dulls. The world sharpens.

The forest unfolds around me in layers—rustling leaves, the distant hum of night insects, the subtle sway of branches overhead. My pulse steadies as I sink into it, letting the sounds guide me.

Silence your thoughts.

My aura flickers faintly beneath my skin, a soft glow threatening to surface. I press it down—deeper, quieter—like smoothing ripples across still water.

This technique was once used by scouts during the Great War. Moving unseen among humans. Ending tyrants before they ever knew we were there.

Protectors… hidden in myth.

A faint sound cuts through the stillness.

Rustle.

My eyes snap open.

I freeze.

“…What was that?”

No—don’t look. Listen.

I close my eyes again, forcing myself back into stillness.

There.

Footsteps.

Heavy. Uneven. Too loud.

Not an animal. Not Noctyra.

Each step presses into the earth with careless weight—wide strides, unbalanced. Whoever it is… they’re not trying to be quiet.

Human.

I focus deeper.

A heartbeat—fast, erratic.
Breath—shallow.
And beneath it…

A thick, unfamiliar scent. Musk. Sweat. Fear.

A male.

My eyes open slowly.

There—just beyond the clearing. A shadow shifts behind the old elm tree near the edge of our home.

Too close. Instinct takes over. I lower myself into a crouch, slipping behind a cluster of brush without a sound. My body moves before thought can catch up—controlled, precise.

…When did I get this close?

My chest tightens. I tracked him with my eyes closed.

A small spark of pride flickers—

—and then I feel it.

My aura.

Too bright.

A faint glow hums beneath my skin, threatening to bleed into the darkness.

No… calm down. Suppress it.

I steady my breathing, forcing it inward, compressing the energy until it aches.

The man shifts suddenly.

Then—

He turns.

Our eyes meet.

“…A young woman…?” His voice trembles. “That glow—”

Too late.

I raise my hands quickly. “I’m not a threat,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “I was just out for a walk. I live nearby.”

The man stares at me, frozen. His fear is louder than his heartbeat now. “I know what you are,” he whispers. “The rumors… they’re true.”

Before I can respond, he stumbles backward—then turns and runs.

Branches snap under his weight as he crashes through the forest, clumsy and desperate. I listen as his footsteps fade, each misstep carrying him farther down the mountain toward the village.

…Gone.

Silence returns. But something lingers.

A sharp, twisting sensation settles in my stomach.

He was trespassing. So why do I feel like I was the one discovered?

“…That’s enough for tonight.”

I exhale slowly and turn toward home.

The warmth of the house greets me the moment I step inside.

Wood creaks softly beneath my feet, familiar and welcoming. I close the door gently behind me, careful not to let it latch too loudly.

My parents are light sleepers.

Each step down the hallway is measured. Controlled.

Silent.

Not a single board betrays me.

A small smile tugs at my lips.

I’m getting better.

My room waits at the far end.

Almost there.

Training is nearly complete. Just a few more months… and I’ll finally come of age.

I slip inside and close the door behind me.

The air is still—stuffy. “…I’ll open the window.”

Cool night air drifts in as I lift it slightly, brushing against my skin like a whisper.

Fresh. Clean. And yet…

I pause.

There’s something else in the breeze. Faint. Familiar.

My gaze lingers on the open window for a moment longer… before I shake it off.

Just my imagination.

I crawl into bed, pulling the blanket close as warmth settles around me.

My body relaxes. My breathing slows. And before long—Sleep takes me.

☾