The Rebuked Forest
600 Words
Chapter 3: The f*******n Forest*
Lyra stared at Kael. His jaw was clenched, hands trembling at his sides, golden eyes glowing like twin suns in the dark. For a split second, she could see the change ripple through him—fangs, claws, something *not human* just beneath the surface.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. He turned and walked into the trees, the crowd parting around him like waves. No one dared to follow.
“Who was that?” Lyra whispered, still on the ground.
“Kael Draven,” Selene said quietly. “Top of the Lupin House. Doesn’t talk to anyone. Doesn’t *like* anyone. Especially not people with unknown marks.”
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“No one does,” Selene replied. “But now… the school won’t ignore you.”
***
Later that night, Lyra couldn’t sleep. The crescent mark on her wrist glowed faintly under the moonlight.
She wrapped a scarf around it and slipped out of the dormitory.
She didn’t know why—but something was pulling her toward the western woods. Toward the place Kael had disappeared into.
The school grounds were quiet, and the path to the f*******n Forest was lined with warnings.
*“STUDENTS ARE NOT TO ENTER AFTER SUNSET.”*
*“DANGER: SHAPESHIFTERS AND WILD MAGIC.”*
She stepped over the signs.
The trees were ancient—twisted, whispering. Mist hovered near the roots. Owls watched silently from high branches.
Then she heard it.
*Crunch.*
Footsteps. Behind her.
“Didn’t anyone teach you how to listen?”
She spun around.
Kael stood just a few feet away, arms crossed, still barefoot. No sound, no warning. His voice was quiet but sharp.
“I… I needed answers,” Lyra said. “And something is pulling me here.”
“You shouldn’t be pulled anywhere,” he growled. “That mark on your wrist—whatever it is—it doesn’t belong in this world.”
“Then what am I?”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. He stepped closer, and for the first time, his voice softened. “You felt it, didn’t you? When the moon touched you. You heard the howl.”
Lyra nodded. “Was that… you?”
“No.” He looked away. “It was older. Stronger. It only howls when a Celestial is near.”
Her breath caught. “A what?”
“You don’t know.” He looked almost amused. “Then you’re more dangerous than I thought.”
Suddenly, a loud rustle erupted behind them.
Kael stepped in front of her instinctively. “Stay behind me.”
From the trees, a creature emerged—low, hunched, shadowy, with red glowing eyes. Its limbs moved wrong, like bones had been twisted the wrong way. It wasn’t a wolf. It wasn’t anything natural.
“A wraithbeast,” Kael hissed. “Drawn to magic. Especially yours.”
He transformed in an instant—his body lengthening, muscles flexing, fur spreading across his arms. Not fully wolf, not fully human. His claws slashed the air as he leapt at the beast with a feral roar.
Lyra stood frozen, watching the boy who had warned her… now *protecting* her.
In minutes, the creature dissolved into ash under Kael’s final blow.
He turned to her, still part-wolf. “You should leave. Now.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said.
He smirked, the glow in his eyes fading. “You should be.”
Then he disappeared into the forest, leaving her alone—heart racing, wrist still glowing, and the moonlight watching.
- Writer
