The forest seemed to close in around you, each twisted branch reaching like a claw through the mist. Your breaths came in short, sharp gasps as you stumbled over roots and rocks, the dim moonlight barely piercing through the canopy above. The cries of men calling your name echoed somewhere in the distance. You didn’t know what they wanted, only that you couldn’t let them find you.

The ground beneath your feet turned treacherous, slick with mud, and you fell hard, scraping your palms. As you struggled to rise, a low growl froze you in place. At first, you thought it was the men’s dogs, but no hound you’d ever seen could make a sound like that—deep and guttural, vibrating through the air.

Out of the shadows emerged a massive black wolf, its eyes glowing like embers through the swirling mist. Smoke coiled off its fur as though it were more shadow than flesh. You pressed yourself against a tree, heart pounding, unable to run, unable to scream. The beast stalked closer, but as the growls intensified, you realized they weren’t directed at you.

From the darkness behind you came another sound—the heavy boots and cruel laughter of men. The wolf moved like a wraith, positioning itself between you and the approaching danger. The men barely had time to shout before it attacked, a whirlwind of fangs and claws. You turned away, trembling, as their screams split the night.

When it was over, silence fell like a shroud. You opened your eyes to see the wolf standing amidst the carnage, its chest heaving. But before you could react, it was enveloped in swirling smoke, the massive form shrinking, contorting. When the haze cleared, a man stood in its place—a towering figure with long, streaked hair, a beard, and eyes that still glowed faintly in the dark.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his voice low and rough, as though unused to kindness. “The woods aren’t safe.”

You barely managed a nod, still rooted in place. He sighed, picking up a tattered cloak from the ground to cover his scarred shoulders. “Come on. Before something worse finds you.”

With no other choice, you followed the stranger deeper into the night, the whispers of the forest now filled with the echoes of a name: Cadejo.