The forest went silent.
Not quiet — silent.
Every creature, every flickering mana-firefly, every breath of the glowing trees halted as the man stepped fully into the moonlit clearing.
Kanah clung to the back of Owain's coat, her pulse racing.
A human.
A real human.
Here.
That should have been impossible.
Kanah's voice trembled.
"…You said you're the one who brought me here."
The man nodded once, as if they were discussing something mundane.
"I did."
Owain snarled instantly.
"Explain. Now."
The man raised one calm eyebrow.
"You're protective. As expected of the Wolf King."
Owain's growl deepened.
Say that again, Kanah thought, and he will rip your throat out.
Yllas stepped between Kanah and Helion, swords drawn.
Helion cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing.
Gerrin tightened his grip on his staff, its runes flaring a warning glow.
The man remained unconcerned.
He looked only at Kanah.
"You survived the throne," he said softly.
"I am… impressed."
Kanah's skin crawled.
"How do you know about that…?"
"Because I'm the one who chose you."
Owain's claws extended instantly.
"BACK AWAY FROM HER."
The man didn't move.
He didn't even flinch.
He simply looked at Kanah with an expression she couldn't read.
"You were dying," he said quietly.
"In your world.
Heart stopped.
No one noticed for almost eight minutes."
Kanah's breath vanished.
Eight minutes.
Her last memories of the human world flashed:
A cold floor.
A shadowy figure.
Her father's voice — "You should've been someone else."
Pain.
Darkness.
Owain felt her heartbeat spike and gently shifted back, blocking more of her from the man's view.
The man continued:
"You didn't belong there. You were forgotten by your family, suffocated by your life, ignored by fate.
So I took you."
Kanah's stomach lurched.
"T—took me?"
"Yes."
He said it plainly.
"As one takes a stray from a burning building."
Helion stepped forward.
"This guy's insane."
Owain didn't take his eyes off the intruder.
"What are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
"That depends on who you ask."
He stepped closer — one slow, deliberate step.
Owain's entire body tensed like a bowstring about to snap.
"Don't," Owain growled.
"You take one more step and I'll bleed you."
The man paused.
Kanah whispered:
"Why… why did you pick me…? Out of everyone on Earth… why me?"
The man studied her, eyes serene.
"Because you had nothing left to lose."
Kanah flinched as if slapped.
Owain's growl turned feral.
"You don't know her."
"I know more than you think," the man said.
"I watched her for years."
Kanah's heart dropped.
Watched…?
Owain moved so fast the air cracked.
He was in front of the man in less than a heartbeat, claws inches from his throat.
"Say that again," Owain said softly, dangerously,
"and I'll tear your spine out."
The man didn't blink.
"Do you think I'm threatened by your violence, wolf?"
Owain's claws pressed to his skin.
"Let's find out."
Yllas spoke sharply:
"Owain — WAIT — something is wrong with him. His aura is… void."
Helion sniffed the air.
"…he doesn't smell like anything."
Gerrin swallowed.
"That's impossible."
Kanah stepped forward, voice shaking.
"What are you… if you're human… and yet… not?"
The man finally broke eye contact with Owain and focused on her again.
"I'm not from your world," he said calmly.
"And neither are you."
Kanah froze.
Owain stiffened.
Gerrin choked.
Helion went wide-eyed.
Yllas muttered, "Oh no."
Kanah whispered:
"…what…?"
The man took another slow step toward her.
Owain moved to block him—
But the ground beneath Owain's feet glowed gold.
Kanah gasped.
"Owain—!!"
A ring of golden fire erupted around him and sealed him in place—
a throne-based barrier.
Owain roared as it slammed shut.
"WHAT THE—!?
LET ME OUT—!!
KANA—!!"
Kanah reached for him.
"Owain—OWAIN—!!"
Owain threw himself at the barrier, slamming fists into it.
It didn't budge.
Kanah felt his panic spike through their bond—
raw, violent, choking.
She shuddered.
"Stop—STOP—!! You're hurting him—!!" she cried at the man.
The man ignored Owain's furious pounding and approached her.
Owain's voice broke.
"KANA—!! GET AWAY FROM HIM—!!"
She couldn't move.
The man's eyes dimmed slightly with something close to pity.
"You are not human, Kanah."
Her breath vanished.
Owain froze mid-roar.
Gerrin dropped his staff.
Helion whispered, "What the hell…?"
Yllas stepped forward, voice low and deadly:
"Explain.
Now."
The man continued softly:
"You were born in this world.
But stolen as an infant.
Taken through a dying portal into the human world."
Kanah trembled violently.
"N—no… no, I had parents—I had—"
"They adopted you," the man said.
"Your bloodline is not theirs."
Kanah staggered backward.
Owain slammed his body against the barrier again.
"KANA—!! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM—!!"
She shook her head in denial.
"My father—he—"
The man's voice sharpened.
"He sold you."
Kanah's knees buckled.
Owain roared, claws ripping sparks into the barrier.
"LET. ME. OUT—!!"
Kanah covered her ears.
"No—NO—YOU'RE LYING—!!"
The man stepped even closer.
"You never belonged to him. Or that world."
Tears spilled down Kanah's cheeks.
"STOP—PLEASE—STOP—!!"
Owain slammed the barrier so hard the golden fire cracked.
Cracks spiderwebbed across it.
"GET AWAY FROM HER—!!
SHE'S MINE—!! YOU HEAR ME—!?
MINE—!!"
The man's expression remained calm.
"And that is precisely the problem."
Owain froze.
Kanah trembled.
The man looked at them both.
"You were meant for a different prophecy.
Not the throne.
Not the Beast King.
Not the Wolf King."
Kanah sobbed.
"Owain—help me—please—"
Owain's voice cracked like thunder.
"IM GETTING TO YOU—!! JUST HOLD ON—!!"
He used his entire body this time—
And the barrier shattered.
Owain lunged forward with a roar that shook the forest.
The man lifted one finger.
Owain stopped midair.
Froze.
Suspended.
Helpless.
Kanah screamed:
"OWAIN—!!"
The man's eyes hardened.
"You were never meant to choose him."
Owain snarled, voice strained against invisible force:
"DON'T—TOUCH—HER—!!"
The man turned to Kanah.
"Come with me."
Kanah stared, horrified.
"No—NO—never—!"
"You are not safe with him," the man said softly.
Owain's vision went feral.
"YOU TOUCH HER AND I'LL RIP YOU APART—!!"
The man smiled.
"That instinct," he murmured.
"Is why you will destroy her."
Kanah froze.
Owain's rage died instantly.
"What…?"
The man lowered his hand.
Owain collapsed to his knees, coughing hard, grabbing the earth to steady himself.
Kanah rushed to him.
"Owain—!"
He grabbed her waist and yanked her close, shielding her behind him.
The man spoke calmly.
"You are soul-bound now.
If your instincts ever break free…
she dies."
Kanah's heart stopped.
Owain's breath caught.
The man stepped back into the shadows.
"I'll return when you're ready to learn the truth."
He vanished.
Just—
Gone.
No ripple.
No sound.
No scent.
Kanah stared at the empty space, trembling violently.
Owain pulled her into his arms.
She collapsed against him.
"Owain… O–O–wain…"
His voice broke as he held her face.
"Kana—listen to me—listen—
he's lying.
He's lying.
He's lying."
Kanah sobbed into his chest.
"He touched you—Owain—he froze you—he—he—"
Owain wrapped himself around her like a shield.
"I'm here.
I'm here.
I'm right here."
She clung to him.
But Owain wasn't okay.
His face was pale.
His hands shook.
And in his eyes—
A new fear lived there.
Something deeper than instinct.
Something he had never felt before.
"Owain…?" she whispered, terrified.
He swallowed hard.
"Kana…
if he's right…"
Her blood froze.
"No… Owain… don't—don't say it, don't—"
Owain whispered, voice shaking:
"…if he's right…
my instincts could kill you."
Kanah covered his mouth.
"NO.
NO.
Don't ever say that."
But Owain couldn't hide it.
Not from her.
Not anymore.
Not now that their bond had no walls.
And she felt it through him—
Fear.
Real fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
Kanah held him tighter, burying her face into his shoulder.
"We'll fix it," she whispered.
"We'll fix everything. Together."
Owain pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.
"Promise me something," he murmured against her hair.
Kanah blinked through tears.
"Anything."
"Don't you EVER leave me."
She tightened her grip.
"I won't. I promise."
Owain exhaled shakily, forehead pressed to hers.
"Then I'll fight every instinct, every throne, every prophecy…
before I ever hurt you."
Kanah kissed his jaw softly.
"You won't hurt me."
Owain whispered:
"But if he's right—"
Kanah grabbed his face.
"Then we make him wrong."
Her voice was steady.
Strong.
Certain.
Owain stared at her with something close to awe.
He rested his forehead against hers once more.
"Then we start now."