The next morning, sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of Mia's room at the inn, painting golden streaks across the floorboards. The quiet was different from the deafening silence of her old home—a living, breathing kind of quiet that made her pulse jump.
She dressed quickly, trying to shake off the lingering unease from the alley. Even though nothing had followed her back to the inn, the memory of the man—how his body had fallen, the unnatural heat coursing through her when she touched him—refused to fade. She rubbed her arms, feeling both fear and fascination. Something had changed inside her, and she didn't know what to call it.
Breakfast at the inn's small dining room was muted. Mia nibbled on toast and fruit while keeping her gaze low, listening to the conversations around her. Locals murmured about town events, the pack that protected the woods surrounding Mystery Hollow, and whispers of strange occurrences. Mia felt a tug at the edges of her mind, a sense of being watched, but when she looked up, no one seemed to notice her.
After breakfast, she ventured out into the town more purposefully. Shops with hand-carved signs lined the cobblestone streets. The air smelled faintly of pine and rain, mixed with the faint, almost imperceptible scent of something older—something wild. Her steps slowed as she passed the forest's edge. The trees seemed to lean in slightly, shadows pooling thicker beneath their branches. Her pulse quickened as an unfamiliar sensation prickled her skin, a heat radiating from deep within her chest.
By mid-afternoon, she found herself drawn toward a clearing just beyond the outskirts of the town. The sunlight filtered through the trees in narrow beams, and the quiet was complete here, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the wind. Mia's hands trembled slightly as she lifted them, almost instinctively, feeling the air shift around her. Leaves lifted without her touching them, spinning lazily in the golden light.
And then it happened—a sudden jolt of power surged through her body, sharp and electric, and before she could think, the man from the alley—his memory seared into her mind—flashed before her eyes. Her breathing quickened. Heat and adrenaline mingled, and an involuntary growl escaped her lips. She stumbled backward, eyes wide with disbelief at what she had just done: the leaves, the wind, the sudden burst of raw energy—it had all come from her.
Mia's mind raced. This isn't just… magic. Something else. Something inside me. Her thoughts whirled, questions colliding with fear. What am I? What is happening to me?
She ran from the clearing, heart hammering, back toward the inn. Once inside, she bolted the door and sank to the floor, pressing her hands to her face. Every instinct screamed that she was different, that she had always been different—but she had no idea how much.
Three nights remained until the full moon, and an unshakable dread settled over her. A painful, restless energy throbbed through her body, like something clawing to escape. Mia hugged her knees, whispering to the empty room, "I don't know who I am anymore. But I'll figure it out. I have to."
Outside, the wind stirred in the trees, carrying the faint scent of a forest alive with secrets. Somewhere deep in the shadows, unseen eyes watched, patient and knowing, waiting for the tribred—the first of her kind—to awaken fully.