The forest had grown quieter.
Too quiet.
Only the sound of leaves shifting softly in the wind and distant insects filled the dark night.
Lily walked carefully beside Henry while the small fox boy, Beau, moved ahead of them. His sharp eyes scanned the forest like he was reading the ground and the air at the same time.
Every few seconds he stopped and listened.
Then continued again.
Lily finally broke the silence.
"So… you told your name was Beau, right?"
The fox boy nodded slightly without turning around.
"Yes."
His voice was calm but focused.
He continued looking around, paying attention to every tree, every sound.
Henry followed behind him, but his expression had changed.
The playful confidence he usually carried was gone.
Now his eyes looked sharp.
Alert.
Almost animal-like.
He slowly glanced to the side.
Then behind them.
Then ahead again.
Lily noticed.
"You okay?" she whispered.
Henry didn't answer immediately.
He took a slow breath.
Then lowered his voice.
"Hey… did you both feel that?"
Lily frowned.
"Feel what?"
Henry rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't know exactly… it's like…"
He paused.
"Like something bad is nearby."
Lily looked around uneasily.
"If I say I didn't feel anything, would that be okay?" she muttered.
"Because honestly, there are already way too many strange things happening tonight."
Before Henry could respond—
Something moved in the woods.
A fast shadow flashed between the trees.
Henry immediately stopped walking.
Beau also froze.
"Freeze."
His voice was quiet but firm.
Lily instantly stopped moving too.
The three of them stood completely still.
The forest around them seemed darker than before.
Each of them slowly scanned the trees.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Ahead.
Nothing.
Then—
Rustle.
Something moved again.
Faster this time.
Henry slowly lowered his body slightly, ready to react.
"Did you see that?" he whispered.
Lily nodded slightly.
Beau's eyes narrowed.
Something else moved.
Even closer now.
Another flash of movement.
Then another.
It was circling them.
Faster each time.
Henry clenched his fists.
Whatever it was—
It was definitely watching them.
Suddenly—
CRACK!
A branch snapped somewhere behind them.
They all turned instantly.
For a split second—
Nothing.
Then a massive shape burst out of the darkness.
A large wolf.
Its fur was dark grey, almost black in the moonlight. Its glowing eyes locked onto a single target.
Henry.
Before anyone could react—
The wolf lunged.
"Henry!" Lily shouted.
The creature slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.
Its jaws snapped dangerously close to his shoulder.
"Leave him!!"
Lily rushed forward but stopped when the wolf growled violently.
Beau's eyes flashed.
His body began glowing faintly.
In seconds his small form began to change again.
His bones shifted.
His body grew larger.
Claws formed.
Fur spread across his skin.
Within moments the small fox boy had transformed into a powerful werewolf.
He roared and leaped forward.
The ground shook slightly as he collided with the attacking wolf.
The two creatures rolled across the forest floor.
Claws scratched.
Teeth snapped.
Growls echoed through the trees.
"Wait!"
Henry suddenly shouted.
"Don't hurt him!"
Beau froze for a moment.
That tiny moment was enough.
The wolf twisted away quickly.
It jumped backward, landing smoothly on its feet.
Then it turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
Gone.
The clearing fell silent again.
Beau slowly returned to his human form.
The glow faded from his body.
Within seconds he was standing there again as a small child.
But his face showed clear frustration.
"Why?"
He looked at Henry angrily.
"Why did you save him?!"
Henry slowly stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes.
But he didn't answer.
He simply looked toward the forest where the wolf had disappeared.
His eyes were distant.
Lily stared between the two of them.
Her brain was struggling to process everything.
First a talking fox.
Then that fox turning into a child.
Then turning into a giant werewolf.
And now a massive wolf attacking Henry specifically.
Nothing about tonight felt normal anymore.
She crossed her arms slowly.
"That wolf…" she murmured.
"It wasn't acting like a monster."
Neither of them responded.
Beau looked annoyed.
Henry looked thoughtful.
But before anyone could say more—
Far deeper in the forest…
The Silent Clearing
The masked warrior stood calmly in the center of a clearing.
Chris was sitting on a thick tree branch above him, watching everything carefully.
Around them…
The ground was covered in bodies.
Large monsters.
All of them cut into pieces.
Some had deep claw marks.
Others looked like they had been sliced cleanly apart.
The smell of blood filled the cold night air.
Chris stared at the scene in shock.
"How did he even…?"
She stopped speaking.
The masked warrior hadn't even looked tired.
He stood there quietly, sword resting loosely in his hand.
Almost bored.
He looked around the dark forest.
"Hm."
His voice was calm.
"Why are you playing games?"
No response.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Come on."
"Show yourself."
Chris blinked.
He was talking to someone.
But she couldn't see anyone.
She leaned forward slightly on the branch.
Scanning the darkness.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then something moved between the trees.
A shadow.
Not a monster.
A human-shaped figure.
The shape slowly stepped closer.
Chris focused her eyes.
The figure walked slowly into the faint moonlight.
It was a man.
He was wearing a long dark cloak.
The hood covered most of his face, hiding his identity from Chris.
But the way he walked…
The way he stood…
It felt strangely confident.
Relaxed.
Almost like he was meeting an old friend.
The man stopped several meters away from the masked warrior.
Then he chuckled softly.
"Well well."
His voice sounded amused.
"Long time no see."
The masked warrior didn't move.
The man tilted his head playfully.
"Not seen you for a long time… Haru."
Chris's eyes widened.
Haru?
Her gaze snapped toward the masked warrior.
So that was his name.
The masked warrior finally spoke.
"You're late."
His tone remained cold.
The cloaked man laughed quietly.
"Still the same personality."
He looked around the clearing.
At the dead monsters.
"Well… looks like you've been busy."
Haru didn't respond.
The cloaked man slowly stepped closer.
Chris instinctively held her breath.
Something about this man felt dangerous.
Even from far away she could feel it.
The cloaked man stopped.
Then he lifted his head slightly.
Chris still couldn't see his face clearly.
But she could feel his eyes looking around.
Scanning.
Searching.
Then his gaze slowly lifted toward the tree.
Directly toward Chris.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"…Interesting."
The man smiled faintly.
Haru's voice immediately cut through the silence.
"Don't."
The warning in his tone was sharp.
The cloaked man chuckled again.
"Relax."
"I'm just looking."
Then he turned back toward Haru.
"But seriously… you've been hiding for quite a while."
His voice became slightly darker.
"The Princess has been looking everywhere for you."
The air in the clearing suddenly felt heavier.
Chris's stomach tightened.
The masked warrior didn't move.
But his grip on the sword tightened slightly.
The cloaked man continued casually.
"You know… things are starting to move again."
"Old powers waking up."
"Squads returning."
"And you…"
He pointed lightly at Haru.
"You're right in the middle of it."
Silence.
Then Haru finally spoke again.
"What do you want?"
The cloaked man smiled under the hood.
"Nothing too serious."
His voice sounded almost playful again.
"I just came to give you a little warning."
He turned slightly toward the forest.
"Because tonight…"
His voice lowered.
"…is only the beginning."
Then the wind suddenly picked up.
Leaves swirled across the clearing.
For a brief moment Chris had to shield her eyes.
When she looked again—
The cloaked man was gone.
Completely vanished.
Only Haru remained standing in the center of the clearing.
Silent.
Still.
Chris slowly climbed down from the tree branch.
Her mind was spinning with questions.
"Haru…"
She stopped.
He was already looking toward the deeper forest.
His expression had changed.
For the first time…
He looked serious.
And concerned.