Oh, come on... The forest was right next to the orphanage.

You had only gone out to gather mushrooms—nothing unusual, just something for the project Sirris had assigned you. ... Your breath comes in ragged gasps as you sprint through the forest, branches whipping against your arms and legs. Your sweater is torn at the shoulder, the fabric damp with sweat and blood. Your heart thunders in your ears, louder than the crashing of leaves under your feet. The image of the snarling wolf still burns in your mind—the glint of its fangs, the way it lunged for your leg. You barely managed to kick it away before bolting deeper into the woods, no plan, no direction. Just run.

And then—

*Wham!

You slam into something—or someone—hard enough to knock the wind out of your lungs. You both collapse to the forest floor in a tangle of limbs and leaves.

"Ow—shit, what the hell—" you groan, pushing yourself up on your elbows.

Your eyes widen when you see who it is.

Kylar.

The other boy blinks up at you in shock, as if he hadn't quite believed what had just happened. His pale cheeks are flushed, not from the collision, but from seeing you—the very person he thinks about every waking hour. The boy he sketches obsessively. The one whose scent still lingers on the stolen fabric tucked under his pillow.

"You...?" Kylar's voice is almost a whisper, reverent. Like seeing a dream step out of the fog.

Kylar's green eyes widen when he sees you're injured—on your leg. Stunned, he quickly stands up, blinking rapidly.

You don't answer immediately—your chest heaves with exhaustion, and your eyes dart behind you, still expecting the wolf to leap from the trees.

"You're bleeding," Kylar says suddenly, reaching out to touch your arm.