Obsidian Eyes

Elara had always known the Whispering Woods held secrets. The villagers called them cursed, full of shadows and strange whispers, but she never felt afraid. She felt drawn to them, as if something inside the trees called to her. Everbrook, her home, was everything the woods weren’t—warm, safe, predictable. The wheat fields glowed golden in the sun, the river ran smooth and steady, and people lived simple, content lives. But Elara? She never felt like she belonged. She wasn’t like the other girls with their golden hair and easy laughter. Her dark hair and stormy eyes set her apart. So did her silence. So did the way she listened to things no one else seemed to hear. That evening, as the sky burned orange and violet, she wandered deeper into the woods than usual. The trees stretched taller here, their branches weaving together to block the fading sunlight. The air felt different—thicker, charged. Even the usual sounds of birds and rustling leaves had vanished, leaving only silence. Then, something moved. Elara froze. It wasn’t the wind or a small animal. This was something bigger. Something aware. She took a slow step forward, pushing past thorny branches. The air turned cold. A faint glow pulsed from deep within the thicket. It wasn’t fire. It wasn’t moonlight. It was something else entirely. And then she saw it. A wolf. Not an ordinary one, not the kind that skulked around the village outskirts, lean and hungry. This one was different. Magnificent. Its fur was the color of polished obsidian, catching the light in shifting waves of shadow. Its eyes burned gold, bright and knowing. Elara’s breath caught. She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. The wolf turned its head, meeting her gaze. Everything stilled. The wind, the trees, even time itself. The air between them hummed, charged with something she didn’t understand. A pull, like invisible strings connecting them. The glow around the creature deepened, shifting between shadow and light, flickering like it belonged to both. Elara took a step closer. The wolf didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. Its golden eyes searched hers, like it was looking for something, measuring something deep inside her. Then, it blinked. The world snapped back. The sounds of the woods rushed in, the whispering leaves, the distant river, her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. And just like that, the moment was gone. But something lingered. Something unfinished.