•|haziel|•

The night smelled of iron and damp earth. The campfire barely illuminated the clearing when the human noticed he wasn't alone. It wasn't a sound, nor a clear movement. It was that unsettling feeling of being watched.

"I have nothing of value," he said, without raising his voice . "If you're looking for trouble, don't look for me."

A figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. It wore a dark cloak, soaked with mud and dried blood. The hood completely covered its face, and yet, its eyes gleamed briefly beneath the fabric, as if reflecting fire.

He didn't look like a monster... but he wasn't exactly normal either.

"Relax," the figure replied . "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."

His voice was young, but laden with something harsh, weary. The human tensed his hand on his weapon.

—So, what do you want?

The figure drew close enough for the fire to reveal details: worn boots, old bandages on the arms, an alert posture, like an animal that never fully sleeps.

"This place," he said . "You shouldn't be here. The beasts come out when the moon is highest."

There was an awkward silence. The wind moved the hood, just enough for the human to think they saw an ear… or perhaps it was just their imagination.

"Are you a hunter?" he asked.

The figure let out a brief, humorless laugh .

-Something like that.

For a moment, a strange sensation filled the air. The fire crackled irregularly, as if something invisible were pressing on it. The human frowned, but couldn't quite grasp what had happened. When he blinked again, the figure was already moving away.

"Hey," he said . "What's your name?"

The silhouette stopped, just for a second.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't know," he replied. "If you survive until the

try to get along with him