I didn't realize how different this world was—
Until I started seeing it.
At first, it looked normal.
Just a city.
Tall buildings. Moving cars. People walking past like nothing was unusual.
But the longer I stood beside Cyris…
The more things began to change.
Or maybe—
They were always there.
And I just couldn't see them before.
"Stay close," Cyris said quietly.
"I am," I replied, though my eyes were already wandering.
We moved forward, stepping into a large open space just beyond the main buildings.
And that's when I saw them.
Men.
At least… they looked like men.
Strong. Built. Focused.
But then—
One of them dropped to his knees.
I froze.
His body shifted.
Not painfully.
Not violently.
But undeniably.
Bones adjusting.
Form changing.
Until—
A wolf stood where a man had been.
My breath caught.
"…You saw that too, right?" I whispered.
Cyris didn't even look surprised.
"Yes."
Another one followed.
Then another.
Some halfway shifted—eyes glowing, claws forming, strength radiating from them like heat.
And suddenly—
They noticed him.
"Alpha."
The word spread quickly.
One by one—
They straightened.
Lowered their heads slightly.
Moved aside.
Respect.
Immediate.
Unquestioned.
I glanced at Cyris.
He didn't react.
Like this was normal.
Like this was his place.
And maybe it was.
We kept walking.
But that wasn't all.
Further ahead—
There were others.
Not wolves.
They stood in a circle, their movements controlled, precise.
The air around them felt different.
Sharper.
Like they were training something I couldn't see.
Energy moved between them.
Subtle.
But real.
And when they noticed Cyris—
They stopped instantly.
"Sovereign."
The word hit differently.
Not like Alpha.
Deeper.
Heavier.
It carried weight.
Power.
I looked at him again.
Really looked this time.
And for the first time—
I understood something clearly.
He wasn't just part of this world.
He ruled it.
My chest tightened slightly.
Not in fear.
But in realization.
Who exactly did I walk into this world with?
We kept moving.
But then—
Something else caught my attention.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
Just… wrong.
At the far edge of the training grounds—
The air looked distorted.
Like heat waves.
But colder.
I slowed down.
"…Cyris," I said quietly.
He stopped immediately.
"I see them," he replied.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
At first—
I thought it was nothing.
Then—
They moved.
Shapes.
Not fully there.
Not fully gone.
Like silhouettes made of wind and shadow.
My heart started to beat faster.
"What are those…?" I whispered.
Cyris's expression didn't change.
But his voice lowered slightly.
"Windbound Wraiths."
The name sent a chill through me.
"They're not fully human," he continued.
"…and not fully spirit."
I stared at them.
They didn't walk.
They drifted.
Their forms flickered like something struggling to stay in one place.
And then—
One of them turned.
Not fully.
Not clearly.
But enough.
And for a split second—
I felt it.
Recognition.
My breath caught sharply.
"…They feel familiar," I whispered.
Cyris looked at me.
Quickly.
But I couldn't look away.
"They exist between worlds," he said carefully.
"Bound to wind… memory… and what was lost."
My chest tightened.
The wind around me stirred slightly.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
But in response.
The wraiths shifted again.
Closer this time.
And I felt it again.
That same pull.
The same one from the river.
The same one from the darkness.
"…Why do they feel like they know me?" I asked quietly.
Cyris didn't answer immediately.
And that silence—
Told me more than words.
Because for the first time since we arrived—
He looked… concerned.