I woke slowly, as if my body wasn't quite ready to return. Everything felt heavy. Sluggish. A dull throbbing pounded through my head and made me blink against the pale light in the hut.

  The roof above me was woven from thin branches, and I was wrapped in furs I didn't remember crawling into. For a moment, I lay still. Listening.

  Voices.

  Men's voices, muffled, outside the hut.

  I immediately recognized one of them—Will.

  "...I didn't have a choice," he said quietly, but with a kind of anger in his voice. "He wasn't Zaine anymore."

  "I know," answered the other voice. It sounded like Sac. Calm, soft-spoken. "But you still did it."

  A silence. Then Will again, more tense. "He raised the knife toward her. I... I saw it in his eyes. He wanted to kill her."

  "Will... he was your best friend."

  A sigh, almost a hiss. "Not anymore. He made his choice. I made mine."

  I closed my eyes again.

  Zaine? Was that his name?

  The image of the man in the forest came back—his eyes, the smile, how he leaned in and whispered that I was replaceable. The way the knife scraped against my side. The way he hit me.

  I shuddered, a cold tremble running through my whole body. And yet... what shook me the most wasn't that he had tried to kill me.

  It was that he had once been Will's best friend.

  The door to the hut creaked.

  I opened my eyes—slowly, cautiously—and there he was. Will. The shadow from the doorway fell across his face, but I could see how tired he looked. How pale he was. He held something in his hand—a damp cloth, probably soaked in something for the wound on my head.

  He saw that I was awake.

  "You heard," he said softly.

  I tried to sit up, but my head protested. He was by my side in an instant, placing a hand on my shoulder and gently easing me back down.

  "Lie down."

  "It was Zaine," I whispered. My voice trembled, as if it was still hard to say out loud.

  He swallowed hard, then nodded. "Yeah."

  "You killed him."

  His jaw tensed, but his gaze didn't waver.

  "He wasn't him anymore," he said at last. "He was... lost. And if I hadn't done it, you wouldn't be lying here. You'd be lying out in the woods."

  I knew he was right.

  But that didn't make it any easier.

  Will looked away for a moment, as if he couldn't bear to meet my gaze. His hands clenched around the cloth in his lap.

  "Zaine was my brother. Not just by blood. We grew up together. We laughed at everyone else. We broke the rules. We planned our future."

  He gave a soft laugh, but there was no joy in the sound. "He used to say that one day we'd leave this place. That we didn't need any curse, any clan. Just the two of us. Then he disappeared. And it turned out... he chose the darkness instead."

  I didn't know what to say. What could you say to someone who had been forced to kill his best friend?

  I reached out my hand. Not to comfort. Just to let him know I was listening.

  Will looked at me—and something shifted in his eyes. A shadow lifted, just a little.

  He took my hand. Held it.

  Nothing more.

  But it was more than enough.

  My heart beat a little faster. Not from fear this time. Not even from pain. It was something else. Something I didn't quite dare to name.

  His hand was warm.

  And he didn't let go.

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  And for a moment, it was just us.

  No curse. No shadow people. No old friends turned enemies.

  Just the two of us, in a cold hut, in a world turned upside down.

  But the moment shattered.

  A quick, hard knock on the hut wall made us both flinch. Will let go of my hand so abruptly it felt like he'd been burned.

  "Come in," he mumbled, without looking at me.

  Amelia poked her head inside. Her gaze flicked quickly between us, as if she already understood more than we wanted to admit.

  "Sorry to interrupt, but Sacra wants to speak with Tracy. When she's ready."

  I nodded, even though my heart was still beating too fast. "I'm okay."

  Amelia smiled kindly, though her voice held a note of seriousness. "She wants you to finish resting first. Take your time—then I'll come get you."

  Will stood up. "Give her a few minutes."

  Amelia nodded in understanding and closed the door curtain again.

  Silence filled the room.

  I lay still for a while, breathing slowly. Will remained, as if unsure whether to stay or go. But he said nothing more, and after a short hesitation, he left the hut.

  I leaned my head back. Closed my eyes, but sleep wasn't peaceful. It came fast, heavy, and dragged me down into something that didn't feel like a dream. More like... a calling.

  Everything was dark. The mist lay thick, heavy as velvet against my skin. The moon hung large above the trees, and despite its strong light, I could barely see. Sounds echoed in the distance—something was moving. I turned quickly when I felt it: a pair of eyes on me.

  A massive wolf stood there. Silent. Watchful.

  I froze. Wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't move.

  He took a few steps forward, stopping right in front of me. He looked up at the moon—and howled. A long, mournful, almost sorrowful howl.

  And then the others came. Wolves, large and silent, emerged from the shadows and formed a circle around me.

  The wolf that had howled stepped forward—and began to change. The body shrank, the shape shifted, and soon there stood a man. An older man, with deep black hair braided down to his shoulders. His eyes were dark, but kind. Steady.

  "You have great decisions ahead of you, my child," he said. His voice was deep, almost echoing. "But you must always listen to your heart. There will be obstacles, doubts—but the right path... it only reveals itself to those who dare to see."

  "How will I know it's the right one?" I whispered.

  "You will feel it," he said. "As long as you follow the light of the moon—and not the darkness of the forest—you will find your way."

  His gaze held mine for another moment—and then everything vanished.

  I shot upright from sleep. My heart was racing. The light in the hut had changed—it was later now. Stillness hung heavy in the air.

  Amelia was sitting on a stool by the door. She stood as soon as she saw me wake.

  "Are you ready now?" she asked gently.

  I nodded slowly, took a deep breath and straightened up. The pain in my head was still there, but it was duller now. Like an echo of what had been.

  "Yes," I said. "Let's go."

  Amelia gave a brief, almost relieved smile, and pulled aside the curtain. A cool breeze hit my face—night had fallen over the village. The darkness was thick, but pale moonlight filtered down between the trees above the rooftops

  We walked in silence. I staggered a little at first, but my legs held. The huts around us were quiet, with faint voices in the distance—like whispers carried by the wind.

  My thoughts drifted back to the dream.

  The first I'd had since coming here.

  And it had felt... more real than I dared admit.

  I didn't say anything. Not to Amelia. Not even to myself.

  We rounded a corner, and there—just outside a larger hut with red cloth draped over the entrance—Amelia stopped.

  "She's waiting for you inside," she said, nodding toward the entrance.

  I hesitated for a moment. Something in the air felt... thicker here. As if the tent itself knew it held more than just conversation.

  I stepped inside.

  Sacra sat on a cushion by the fire in the center. The flames cast shadows over her face, but her eyes shone clear as ever—dark, wise, almost piercing.

  "Tracy," she said with her soft, resonant voice. "Sit."

  I did as she asked. The ground was covered in warm furs, but despite the heat from the fire, I found it hard to relax. Her presence was calming—and yet almost too calm. Like the stillness right before a storm.

  "I'm glad to see you on your feet," she continued. "You've endured more than anyone should have to in such a short time."

  I nodded, but said nothing. There was an expectation in her voice, as if she wanted me to say more. But I didn't know what.

  Sacra leaned forward slightly. Shadows danced across her cheek.

  "You cried out for help. But you didn't call for me."

  I frowned. "I... I don't know why I would've."

  She smiled, almost sadly. "There's nothing wrong with that. But you do understand, don't you, that we are all on the same side?"

  I swallowed. The words felt right, but something inside me still held back. Something I couldn't quite name. Like an instinct, a small warning bell that refused to go silent.

  "How are you feeling?" she asked, her gaze seeming to see straight through me.

  I wanted to say I was fine. That I was strong. That I could handle it.

  But I didn't lie.

  "I'm... tired," I said. "And confused."

  "Good," Sacra replied unexpectedly. "That means you're awake."

  I looked up, surprised. She no longer smiled. But there was something soft in her expression, a shadowed understanding.

  "To be confused is to see that the world isn't as simple as you once believed," she said. "And that is where everything begins."

  I stared into the flames. Thought of the dream. Of Will. Of Zaine.

  "You don't believe everything we say yet," she said, as if reading my thoughts. "That's okay. Doubt is part of your path."

  I met her gaze. There was something honest in it. Genuine. And still... there was something behind her eyes. Something I couldn't read. Like a closed door.

  "I just want to understand," I said at last. It was the only thing I could say with certainty.

  Sacra nodded slowly.

  "And you will. But answers don't always come when we demand them. Sometimes, they must be lived."

  She stood.

  "Come back in a few days when you're rested. That's when your real journey begins."

  I didn't know what she meant, but I knew I wasn't done. Not yet.

  And even though she had given me kind words and a gentle smile—I still felt it.

  Something about Sacra made my heart beat a little harder.

  I walked slowly through the dark village. The fires that once lit up laughter and dancing had gone out. Now a silent calm rested over the place—as if the night itself had laid a blanket over every hut and every soul.

  My thoughts spun in my head. Sacra's words still echoed within me. She had been kind, showed care—but there was something about her. Something I couldn't quite place. A shadow behind the smile. I wanted to trust her. Wanted to believe she was the leader everyone looked up to. But something inside me held back.

  I didn't know if it was instinct or fear. But the feeling lingered.

  As I approached my hut, I saw the firelight flickering warmly from inside. Amelia stood outside, as if she'd been waiting for me.

  "How did it go?" she asked quietly.

  I shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure. She didn't ask anything difficult... but it still felt like a test."

  Amelia nodded, as if she knew exactly what I meant. "Sacra has seen many things. She sees deeper than most. But she means you no harm—I hope you understand that."

  I didn't answer. Instead, I pulled the blanket tighter around me and walked past her into the hut. The warmth hit me, but it didn't quite reach all the way in.

  I sat on the bed and stared out through the small opening in the wall. The darkness outside was still. Not even the wind stirred anymore.

  My thoughts drifted back to the dream I'd had earlier. It had felt so real—the wolf, the darkness, the feeling of being watched. It frightened me. Maybe more than anything else had.

  I lay down and pulled the blanket over me. Felt the weight of the fabric on my body. Closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come

  easily.

  And there in the silence, only one thought remained:

  I was no longer just Tracy.

  I was someone they counted on.

  Someone they were willing to die for.

  But I still didn't know if I was ready to live for their sake.