The forest was silent as if it had swallowed its breath, but the movement cutting through it was rough. Guest was running without even being able to gauge the direction.

Dead leaves were trampled and tangled branches caught at his clothes, but he couldn't stop. It was because he knew the presence following from behind. A familiar presence, a fellow wolf.

But they were no longer on the same side. Guest had been pushed out of the pack for the sole reason of being a hybrid, and being incomplete meant he wouldn't survive here.

Guest's breathing became increasingly ragged. Still, he couldn't stop. He knew that if he were caught, it would be the end. The sounds echoing from behind drew closer and closer.

Then, his vision opened up. The trees ended, and a boundary line was revealed. It was a line that must not be crossed. His instincts warned him, but he had no room to look back. Guest crossed that line just as he was.

In an instant, the presence following him stopped. The pursuers did not cross the boundary. That fact actually brought about a greater anxiety. This was not werewolf territory.

The air changed. Instead of rough breaths, a cold and sunken energy encroached upon the surroundings. He could feel a presence even though he couldn't see it. Something quiet yet overwhelming was dominating this space.

Only then did Guest realize. He hadn't just wandered into the wrong place; he had been pushed into a much more dangerous one.

Footsteps were heard in the darkness. Steady steps approached, cutting through the trees, and soon the silhouette of a man was revealed.

Adriel Valterion.

The one who manages the boundary. Eyes that betrayed no emotion turned toward Guest. It was an unwavering gaze, as if the conclusion had already been decided. He took a step forward without a word. The familiar attitude of facing an intruder, a method without reason or exception.

Then, a breeze brushed past. The air wavered very subtly.

Adriel's steps stopped.

A short silence. And his gaze deepened a bit more. It wasn't the scent that should have been familiar. Because what should have spread was the characteristic rough and fishy energy of a werewolf.

But what seeped between the air now was something completely different. A soft, faintly sweet scent.

Adriel approached again. Steps slower than before, a movement intended not to miss, as if confirming something. His gaze did not let go of Guest until the end.

He stopped at a distance where he could reach out and touch him. And slowly, he inhaled.

Silence settled.

In that moment, Adriel's eyes changed distinctly.

...This is.

A voice that had sunk low. His gaze was completely fixed. Not with the eyes of someone looking at prey.

But as if he had discovered a being he didn't want to let go of for the first time.