The warning
1325 Words
The word mate refused to leave her mind.
Aria Vale walked aimlessly across the academy grounds, her steps slow and unfocused as she replayed every moment from earlier.
Every word.
Every look.
Every cold expression from Kael Draven.
You are not my mate.
Her chest tightened.
She didn’t even understand what that meant, yet the way he said it…
The way he looked at her…
It still stung.
Aria exhaled sharply and ran a hand through her hair.
“Why do I even care?” she muttered.
She shouldn’t.
He was just another arrogant student in a school she didn’t even belong in.
And yet…
Her heart hadn’t stopped reacting.
That strange pull she felt when he was close—it wasn’t normal.
Nothing about this place was normal.
Aria kept walking, barely noticing where she was going.
The academy grounds stretched endlessly, with stone paths weaving between towering trees and open courtyards. Students moved in groups here and there, but the further she walked, the fewer people she saw.
The noise faded.
The laughter disappeared.
Until—
There was only silence.
Aria slowed.
Something felt… different.
She looked up.
The path ahead narrowed, leading toward a darker part of the academy grounds.
The trees here were taller.
Thicker.
Their branches stretched over the path like claws, blocking out most of the sunlight.
A faint breeze passed through, carrying a chill that brushed against her skin.
Aria frowned.
She hadn’t noticed herself walking this far.
But something about the place pulled at her.
Soft.
Subtle.
Almost like a whisper.
She took another step forward.
Then another.
The air grew colder.
Quieter.
Too quiet.
No birds.
No voices.
Nothing.
Aria stopped.
Ahead of her, just beyond the edge of the path…
Was the forest.
It stretched endlessly, dense and dark, the trees packed so tightly together that it was almost impossible to see beyond the first few rows.
Shadows clung to the ground beneath them.
The deeper parts of the forest looked almost black.
Unnatural.
Aria stared.
A strange feeling stirred in her chest.
The same one she had felt under the moon.
The same pull.
Stronger now.
Her heart began to beat faster.
She took a step closer.
Something inside her shifted.
Calling her.
Drawing her in.
Her breath slowed.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up.
One step.
Then another.
The closer she got, the stronger the feeling became.
Like the forest wasn’t just there…
It was aware.
Waiting.
Aria reached the edge of the trees.
A cold wind rushed out from within, brushing past her like a warning.
Or a welcome.
She couldn’t tell which.
Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides.
She should turn back.
She knew that.
Every instinct told her this place was dangerous.
But still…
She leaned forward slightly.
Trying to see deeper into the shadows.
That’s when she heard it.
“Stop.”
Aria froze.
The voice came from behind her.
Low.
Serious.
Not loud—but firm enough to cut through everything else.
She turned slowly.
A boy stood a few feet away.
He looked about her age, maybe slightly older.
Dark hair, calm eyes, and a posture that was relaxed but alert.
He didn’t look like the others.
There was no arrogance.
No mocking expression.
Just… quiet seriousness.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
Aria frowned slightly.
“I was just looking.”
“That’s how it starts.”
His tone didn’t change.
But something about the way he said it made her uneasy.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
The boy glanced briefly at the forest.
Then back at her.
“It means you don’t come this close unless you want trouble.”
Aria crossed her arms slightly.
“It’s just a forest.”
He shook his head.
“No,” he said. “It’s not.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“What’s in there?” she asked.
The boy was silent for a moment.
Like he was deciding how much to say.
Then he spoke.
“Things the academy doesn’t want you to know about.”
Aria’s brows pulled together.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
She exhaled in frustration.
“People keep saying things like that,” she muttered. “No one actually explains anything.”
The boy studied her for a moment.
Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
“You’re the new girl,” he said.
Aria stiffened.
“…Yeah.”
“The one they’re calling scentless.”
The word hit, but not as hard as before.
Still, she didn’t like hearing it.
“People talk too much,” she replied.
“They talk for a reason.”
Aria looked away briefly, then back at him.
“And what reason is that?”
The boy stepped a little closer—not threatening, just enough to lower his voice.
“Because you’re already standing out.”
His eyes flicked toward the forest again.
“You don’t want to make it worse.”
Aria hesitated.
“What does that have to do with the forest?”
“Everything.”
Her frustration grew.
“Can you stop talking in riddles and just explain?”
The boy’s expression hardened slightly.
“No.”
Aria blinked.
“What?”
“You don’t need to understand it,” he said. “You just need to stay away.”
His tone was firm now.
Final.
Aria looked back at the forest.
The pull was still there.
Soft.
Persistent.
Almost… inviting.
“I don’t get it,” she said quietly. “Why does it feel like…”
She trailed off.
The boy watched her closely.
“Like what?”
Aria hesitated.
Then said it anyway.
“Like it’s calling me.”
Silence fell between them.
The boy’s expression changed instantly.
Not shock.
Not confusion.
Something closer to concern.
“That’s exactly why you need to stay away,” he said.
Aria frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
She shook her head.
“You’re telling me there’s something dangerous in there, but you won’t tell me what it is, and now you’re saying I shouldn’t go because it’s calling me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“It’s not supposed to be helpful,” he replied. “It’s supposed to keep you alive.”
The words landed heavily.
Aria stared at him.
“People who go in there…” he continued quietly.
“…don’t always come back the same.”
A cold feeling settled in her chest.
“Or at all.”
The forest suddenly felt darker.
Closer.
Like it was listening.
Aria swallowed.
“Why would the academy allow something like that to exist?”
The boy gave a small, humorless smile.
“You really think this place is here to keep you safe?”
Aria didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t know anymore.
The boy stepped back slightly.
“I’ve said enough,” he said.
“Wait—” Aria started.
But he was already turning away.
“Just remember what I said,” he added over his shoulder.
“Stay away from the forest.”
And then he was gone.
Leaving Aria alone once again.
The silence returned.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
She turned back toward the trees.
The darkness inside them seemed deeper now.
More alive.
The wind shifted again, brushing against her skin.
That same pull returned.
Stronger than before.
Her heart beat faster.
Her instincts were divided.
One side screamed at her to listen.
To stay away.
To be careful.
The other…
Whispered something else entirely.
Curiosity.
Connection.
Something deeper she couldn’t explain.
Aria took a slow step back.
Then another.
But her eyes never left the forest.
Even as she turned away…
She could still feel it.
Calling her.
Waiting for her.
And one question lingered in her mind.
If the forest is forbidden… why does it feel like it’s calling me?
- Writer
