CHAPTER 1_THE GIRL WHO HATED THE NIGHT
Ravenwood was the kind of town that looked peaceful during the day.
Small cafés lined the streets, students filled the sidewalks with laughter, and the air always smelled like fresh coffee and pine trees from the surrounding forest. People described it as quiet, beautiful, and safe.
But at night… Ravenwood felt different.
The streets grew empty far too quickly. Lights in houses turned off earlier than usual. Even the forest surrounding the town seemed to breathe in the darkness, its tall trees standing like silent watchers.
Most people ignored that strange feeling.
But Lina Carter never did.
She noticed everything.
Lina had lived in Ravenwood for only three months. She had moved there to attend Ravenwood University, hoping to escape the chaos of the city she grew up in. She thought a quiet town would help her focus on school and maybe give her a fresh start.
But Ravenwood wasn’t as normal as it seemed.
There were rumors.
Students whispered about strange howling sounds coming from the forest at night. Some claimed they saw huge animals moving between the trees. Others said people sometimes disappeared near the forest trails.
The town always dismissed those stories as imagination.
Lina didn’t.
She had always trusted her instincts, and her instincts told her something was very wrong about Ravenwood.
Still, she tried to ignore it. After all, she had exams to worry about, assignments piling up, and a roommate who talked far too much.
Her roommate, Maya, was the exact opposite of Lina.
Maya was loud, cheerful, and completely fearless.
“You worry too much,” Maya said one evening as she sprawled across her bed scrolling through her phone. “It’s just a forest, Lina. Wolves live in forests. That’s normal.”
Lina sat at her desk, pretending to read her psychology textbook, though she hadn’t turned a page in ten minutes.
“Those aren’t normal wolves,” Lina muttered.
Maya laughed.
“Oh my God, don’t tell me you believe the werewolf rumors.”
Lina rolled her eyes but didn’t respond.
Truthfully, she didn’t know what to believe.
All she knew was that the forest made her uncomfortable.
Sometimes, when she walked near it during the day, she felt like something was watching her.
Not a person.
Something else.
Something patient.
Something dangerous.
Later that evening, Lina decided to take a walk. She needed fresh air after studying all day, and the campus path near the forest was usually quiet at night.
She grabbed her hoodie, slipped on her headphones, and left the hostel building.
The night air was cold and sharp.
A pale moon hung in the sky, lighting the empty pathway that curved along the edge of the forest.
At first, everything felt normal.
The wind rustled the leaves softly. Crickets chirped in the distance. Lina walked slowly, letting the music in her ears calm her mind.
But after a few minutes, the peaceful feeling disappeared.
The forest had gone silent.
Completely silent.
Lina frowned and removed one earbud.
The silence felt… wrong.
Even the wind had stopped.
She glanced toward the dark trees, her stomach tightening.
“Relax,” she whispered to herself. “You’re just being paranoid.”
She kept walking.
Then she heard it.
A low, distant howl.
The sound froze her in place.
It echoed through the forest, deep and haunting, sending chills down her spine.
Lina slowly turned toward the trees.
Her heart began to pound.
The howl came again.
This time it sounded closer.
Too close.
She stared into the darkness between the trees, her breathing growing shallow.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then she saw them.
Two glowing eyes.
Golden.
Watching her from deep within the forest.
Lina’s heart nearly stopped.
The eyes blinked slowly… then began moving toward her.
A dark shape stepped out from the shadows.
Huge.
Far larger than any normal wolf.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Fear rushed through her body like ice.
And in that moment, Lina Carter realized something terrifying.
The rumors about Ravenwood might not be rumors after all.
And whatever was coming out of that forest…
To be continued....
