The girl sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her reflection in the small mirror placed on the table. The night was late, but her eyes were not heavy enough to fall asleep. On the contrary, she felt her heart full of energy. Something was different, something that made her restless.
She leaned closer to the mirror, trying to make sure what she saw was real. Her usually dark brown eyes now glowed with a faint yellow hue. She swallowed hard, her heart racing faster. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping that when she opened them again, everything would go back to normal.
But when she slowly opened her eyelids, the color was still there. Yellow.
"What’s happening to me?" she whispered quietly, almost inaudible. Her hands trembled as she touched her own face, as if to confirm she was still the same as her.
Outside her room, the sound of footsteps from Mrs. Santi could be heard faintly. Reflexively, she turned off her desk lamp and quickly lay down, pretending to be asleep. Her breath hitched as the door to her room creaked open slightly. Light from the hallway streamed into her room, casting a shadow across part of her face.
"Aira? Are you asleep, dear?" her mother's gentle voice called.
The girl didn’t answer. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping Mrs. Santi wouldn’t come in any further. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the door slowly closed, and the sound of footsteps faded away. She opened her eyes, exhaling in relief.
But that relief lasted only a moment. When she glanced back at the small mirror beside her bed, the yellow hue in her eyes seemed even more pronounced. She quickly covered the mirror with a small towel, as if that could hide what she saw—even from herself.
---
The next morning, she sat at the breakfast table with Mrs. Santi. She tried to act normal, though her chest was still pounding from what had happened the night before. Pancakes and warm tea were placed in front of her, but her appetite had vanished.
"Are you okay, dear? You seem a bit down," Mrs. Santi asked, looking at her daughter with a concerned gaze.
Aira flinched slightly. "I’m fine, Mom. Just... didn’t get enough sleep," she replied, forcing a smile.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Mrs. Santi guessed.
Aira shook her head quickly. "No, Mom. I just... I guess I studied too much yesterday."
Mrs. Santi nodded slowly. She didn’t ask further, but her gaze remained on Aira with an unspoken worry. She could tell something was wrong, but Aira was too stubborn to admit it.
After finishing breakfast, Aira excused herself to go to the small garden behind the house. She needed some fresh air to calm her mind. But as she stepped outside, she immediately stopped at the threshold. The air felt... different. Sharper. She could smell the wet earth, even hear the rustling of the leaves more clearly than ever before.
Aira placed a hand on her head, feeling dizzy from all the stimuli. "What is this..." she muttered.
---
A few hours later, Aira decided to venture further than the backyard garden. She walked into the small forest at the edge of the village, a place she usually went to find peace. But this time, the atmosphere felt different. The forest, which usually felt calm, now made her skin crawl. Every bird sound, every crack of a broken twig, all seemed too real.
She sat on a large rock, trying to calm her heart. But then, the sound of heavy footsteps grew closer. Aira turned quickly. From between the shadows of the trees, Fenrir appeared.
"I knew you’d be here," Fenrir said in a low, calm voice. His large body and silvery-gray fur appeared intimidating as always, but there was a softness in his bright yellow eyes—just like the color of Aira’s eyes she saw last night in the mirror.
"You again?" Aira asked, her voice wavering, but there was an unmistakable hint of fear.
Fenrir nodded. "I have to make sure you're okay."
"What do you mean? I..." Aira paused, eyeing Fenrir suspiciously. "You know something, don’t you? About what’s happening to me?"
Fenrir stared at her seriously, then sat on the ground. "Yes," he answered briefly. "What you’re experiencing now is part of the bloodline inheritance that runs through your veins."
Aira furrowed her brow. "Bloodline inheritance? What do you mean? I’m just Aira. A normal girl who lives in this small village. I don’t have—"
"You’re not just any girl, Aira," Fenrir interrupted calmly. "You are the last descendant of Queen Kaela’s bloodline."
Aira’s eyes widened. "Queen Kaela? Who is she? I’ve never heard of her."
Fenrir sighed softly. "Of course you haven’t heard of her. Because the history of Kaela and her people has long been forgotten by humans. But her blood runs in you, and that cannot be denied."
Aira shook her head, trying to reject what she had just heard. "No. This doesn’t make sense. I’m just... I’m just Mrs. Santi’s adopted daughter. I don’t even know who my real parents are. So how could I have any connection to... whoever that is?"
Fenrir stood up and slowly approached Aira. "You feel something changing within you, don’t you? Your eyes, you're hearing the strength that’s beginning to grow inside you. Those are all signs of Queen Kaela's bloodline awakening."
Aira stepped back one step, feeling scared. "So... this is all your fault? You’re the one who made me like this?"
"It’s not my fault," he replied calmly. "This is your destiny, Aira. You can’t run from who you truly are."
Aira looked down, trying to process everything she had just heard. But the more she tried, the more confused she became. "I don’t want to be anything you say. I just want to live normally. That’s it."
He watched her for a long moment before speaking again. "I understand how you feel. But we don’t have much time, Aira. There will come a time when you have to accept who you really are. If not, you and those you love will be in danger."
Aira looked up, her eyes beginning to well with tears. "Danger? What do you mean?"
The man didn’t answer immediately. He just stared at her with a look full of sadness before finally saying, "You’ll find out soon enough, Princess."
With that, the man turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest, leaving Aira standing frozen, her mind in turmoil.
---
That night, Aira stood again before the mirror. She stared at her reflection, trying to find answers there. But all she saw was the same girl as yesterday—except now with glowing yellow eyes in the darkness.
"I... who am I really?" she whispered.
She touched her face, then clenched her fist in frustration. How could she accept all of this? What was she supposed to do? And more than that, how was she supposed to explain all of this to Mrs. Santi?
Suddenly, a loud sound came from outside the window. Aira ran to the window, pulling the curtain aside a little. But all she saw was the darkness of the night. There was no one out there.
Or so she thought.
As she was about to close the curtain again, the sound came once more. This time closer. Her heart raced. She held her breath, trying to listen more carefully. And that’s when she saw them—two glowing red eyes among the shadows of the trees.
Aira froze, unable to move. The eyes stared at her sharply, full of hatred, as if ready to pounce at any moment. She stepped back slowly, but her body felt weak. Her eyes couldn’t look away from the terrifying gaze.
Then, a booming voice echoed inside her head. It was the man's voice.