The dawn was reluctant to break over Thornfang Hollow, casting a pale, reluctant light through the dense forest. Elena awoke with a start, the remnants of last night's cold mist clinging to her skin. She was lying on a bed of moss and fallen leaves, the rough bark of a tree pressing into her back. Kael sat nearby, sharpening a long knife with steady, practiced strokes.
"Morning comes slow here," he said without looking up. "The Hollow takes its time."
Elena rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. The forest around them was alive with muted sounds—birds warbling distant songs, insects humming in the undergrowth. But beneath it all was a tension she couldn't shake, a sense of eyes watching from unseen places.
"Where exactly are we?" she asked, voice hoarse.
Kael's eyes met hers. "In the old hunting grounds. Sacred territory for our kind. Few outsiders have ever tread here and lived to tell."
Elena's pulse quickened. "Why bring me here?"
"To begin your training," Kael replied. "You can't face the dangers ahead without understanding who you are."
He stood and beckoned her to follow. As they walked, Kael spoke of the wolf blood running through her veins—a legacy passed down from generations of guardians, protectors of the Hollow's secrets. Her mother had been one of the strongest, but her disappearance left a gap that Elena was now expected to fill.
"Your mother believed you could be the key," Kael said. "The one to unite the divided clans and end the endless cycle of violence."
Elena swallowed hard. The weight of that responsibility pressed down like the thick canopy above.
"Do you believe I can do it?" she asked quietly.
Kael's gaze was steady. "You don't have a choice."
They reached a clearing bathed in morning light, where a lone wolf waited—majestic, silver-furred, eyes gleaming with intelligence and challenge. Elena felt an instinctual connection, a surge of recognition.
"This is Ryn," Kael said. "Your guide and guardian."
The wolf stepped forward, nuzzling Elena's hand with surprising gentleness. A warmth spread through her, a tether forming between human and beast.
Training began immediately. Kael pushed Elena to hone her senses—to listen for the faintest crack of a twig, to see in the dimmest light, to control the restless energy within. Each lesson was a battle against fear and doubt, but with every small victory, Elena felt the wolf inside her grow stronger.
Night fell again, bringing with it whispers of danger. Shadows moved with purpose, and Elena knew the hunters had not forgotten her.
"We must prepare," Kael warned. "They will come soon."
That night, as the forest held its breath, Elena stared into the firelight, her mind alive with visions of the past and possibilities of the future.
Her journey into the heart of Thornfang Hollow was only just beginning.