A Chance Encounter

The night air is crisp against my skin as I slip through the fortress gates. My heart pounds, but not from fear. From hunger.

I shouldn't be doing this.

Yet, here I am, moving through the forest like a shadow. The scent of damp earth and pine fills my lungs, but it does nothing to quiet the gnawing hunger clawing at my insides. My body is restless, my mind clouded by thoughts I don't want to acknowledge.

Lucian's warning echoes in my head. If you don't control it, the clan will control you.

Maybe I need this. A moment to breathe, to be away from all the expectations, the judging eyes, the weight of my own failures. I tell myself this isn't about the hunger. It's just a walk.

Lies.

I hear it before I see him.

A heartbeat.

Steady. Unaware.

I freeze, my body locking up. My fingers twitch at my sides, instincts screaming for me to move—toward it, toward him.

I take a slow step forward, my breath shallow. The trees thin ahead, revealing the riverbank bathed in moonlight. And there he stands.

A human.

He's alone, facing the water, his hands dipped into the cool surface as if lost in thought. The moon casts a soft glow on his features—sharp jawline, tousled dark hair, a quiet intensity in the way he carries himself. There's something different about him, something that holds me still.

I shouldn't be here.

I should turn around. Leave.

But I don't.

I step closer, careful, silent—

CRACK!

A twig snaps beneath my boot. The sound rips through the quiet night like a blade. The human tenses, his shoulders stiffening before he turns.

Our eyes meet.

Time slows.

His breath catches, just a flicker of movement in his throat. His eyes, deep and unreadable, lock onto mine. There's no fear in them. Only curiosity.

I don't move. Neither does he.

Seconds stretch between us, thick with unspoken tension. The hunger in me stirs, twisting through my veins, whispering dark temptations.

One step. That's all it would take.

I clench my fists, grounding myself.

Then he does something unexpected. He tilts his head, studying me, as if I'm the strange one here.

"You're not from around here," he says in a smooth voice.

I blink, caught off guard. He isn't afraid. Most humans would run. Scream. Beg.

But he doesn't.

He waits.

I wet my lips, searching for words. "Neither are you."

A corner of his lips quirks up. Not quite a smile, but something close. "Fair point."

The wind shifts, carrying his scent toward me. Warm, alive, intoxicating. My jaw tightens. I need to leave. Now.

But my feet stay rooted to the earth.

"What's your name?" he asks.

I hesitate.

Names hold power. Names create connections.

"I shouldn't be here," I say instead.

His brows pull together slightly. "But you are."

I exhale sharply, stepping back. "Go home, human."

He watches me for a long moment before nodding, as if understanding something I don't.

But I know I shouldn't have said. I shouldn't have called him that. 

Now he maybe knows what I am or something strange about me. Maybe not.

"See you around," he says, turning back to the river.

I don't move until I'm sure he won't follow. Then I spin on my heel, disappearing into the night.

His scent stays, wrapping around me like an unwanted memory.

I don't even know his name.

But I know this:

I won't forget him.

...

The walk back to the fortress is longer than it should be. My legs feel heavier as I walk, my mind refusing to quiet. I keep replaying the encounter, over and over. The way he looked at me. The way I couldn't look away.

Why didn't I leave the moment I saw him? Why did I stay?

I don't have an answer.

By the time I slip past the guards and into the safety of my room, the hunger has settled into a quiet hum beneath my skin.

Not gone, but different. Muted. Changed.

I had used my new powers again, suddenly grown accustomed to it. Or maybe it just happens on instincts. But it's handy nevertheless.

I sit on the edge of my bed, fingers tracing the cool metal of my dagger. I could've killed him. I should've killed him. And yet…

I press my lips together, shaking the thought away. It doesn't matter. He's just a human. Insignificant.

So why can't I stop thinking about him?

A soft knock at my door jolts me upright. My senses sharpen. I school my expression before opening it.

Lucian stands on the other side, arms crossed. "Where were you?"

I hold his gaze. "Walking."

He studies me, his expression with the same stillness. Then he exhales, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. "You're restless."

I lean against the wall, arms folding over my chest. "Tell me something I don't know."

Lucian tilts his head, eyes narrowing. "Something's different."

I shrug. "Nothing's different."

He doesn't believe me. I can see it in the way his jaw tightens. But he doesn't push. Not yet. "You need to get this under control, Aria. If anyone else saw you sneaking out—"

"They didn't."

His eyes flash. "This isn't a game. The hunger—"

"I know," I snap, pushing off the wall. "I know, Lucian."

Did he know about my new power?

All I can think at that moment as silence stretches between us.

Lucian watches me for a moment longer, then sighs. "Get some rest."

I nod, but neither of us moves.

After a moment, he turns and leaves, the door clicking shut behind him.

I sit back down, exhaling slowly. The weight of the night settles over me, but sleep doesn't come.

Because when I close my eyes, all I see is him.

And I don't know why.

I stare at the ceiling for what feels like hours, my thoughts looping in endless circles. The hunger isn't the only thing keeping me awake now. It's something else. Something deeper.

I exhale, running my fingers through my hair. Maybe Lucian is right. Maybe something is different. I just don't know what.

I close my eyes again, forcing myself to rest, but the image of the human's face holds behind my eyelids. The curiosity in his gaze. The way he didn't flinch.

I should forget him.

But I know I won't.