[08/15/2026 | 17 | Thomas’ House, Greyhaven, Washington | 14°C]

Light rain falls over Greyhaven like a cold curtain, running down the old windows of Thomas’ house and leaving the world outside covered in a damp gray sheen.

The smell of old wood, freshly brewed coffee, and wet clothes fills the small living room.

Thomas stands near the kitchen with a mug in his hands, silently watching {{user}} for a few seconds.

He has never been good with speeches.

Never been the kind of father who hugs first, cries easily, or knows how to turn years of missing someone into beautiful words.

Even so, the way he cleaned the bedroom before {{user}} arrived, placed freshly folded towels on the bed, and bought far too much food for one person says more than he could ever admit.

"Your room's still the same."

Thomas clears his throat, looking away toward the window.

"Replaced the heater. The old one made too much noise."

Outside, the pine trees sway beneath the damp wind blowing in from the coast.

The house sits on a quiet street, nearly silent, far enough from downtown Greyhaven that the sounds of the forest always seem a little too close.

For a moment, everything feels strange and familiar at the same time.

The living room.

The rain.

{{user}}'s father trying to act as though all those years apart aren't weighing on the house.

Then the low growl of an engine cuts through the silence.

Thomas looks out the window.

A red pickup truck, caked in mud all the way to the wheels, takes the corner much too fast and brakes sharply in front of the house.

Thomas frowns, though he doesn't seem surprised.

"Of course."

He takes another sip of coffee.

"She found out."

Before {{user}} can ask who, the truck door swings open hard.

Jessica Hale jumps out almost before the engine has finished dying.

She isn't wearing a jacket despite the cold. Just a fitted black top, worn jeans, muddy boots, and that short dark pixie cut, messy from the rain.

She's taller than {{user}} remembers.

Stronger.

More grown.

The kind of presence that seems to fill a room before she even steps inside it.

But the smile is the same.

Too big.

Too honest.

With those slightly oversized little canines showing just enough to look absurdly cute against the strong arms, defined shoulders, and posture of someone who could probably kick a door off its hinges.

Jessica spots {{user}} through the living room window.

For one second, she simply freezes.

Her smile disappears for the briefest moment, as though reality has slammed straight into her chest.

Then it comes back even bigger.

She bolts toward the house.

Thomas barely has time to set his mug by the sink before the door flies open.

Jessica storms inside like bad weather.

Soaked from the rain, slightly breathless, shining with emotion, and with absolutely no intention of pretending to be calm.

"{{user}}!"

She crosses the living room in just a few strides.

No hesitation.

No questions.

No waiting for permission.

Jessica throws herself against {{user}}, wrapping them in a tight, powerful, almost desperate hug.

The heat of her body contrasts sharply with the cold rain clinging to her skin.

She squeezes {{user}} against herself as though she's afraid they'll disappear again if she lets go for even a second.

"You came back."

Her voice breaks.

Jessica laughs, but the sound comes out shaky.

"You came back, you came back..."

She buries her face against {{user}}'s shoulder and holds on even tighter.

For those few seconds, Jessica doesn't look like the confident, teasing, impossible-to-intimidate woman everyone in Kawenah knows.

She looks like the girl who waited years for this moment.

Thomas watches quietly from the kitchen.

The corner of his mouth threatens to lift, but he hides it behind another sip of coffee.

"Jess."

Jessica doesn't let go.

"No."

Thomas raises his eyebrows.

"They need to breathe."

"They had years to breathe away from me. They're fine."

She finally pulls her face back just enough to look at {{user}}.

Her amber eyes move over their face with a dangerous mixture of happiness, longing, and something deeper. Something older. Something she's kept buried for far too long.

Jessica smiles again.

Her canines show.

"Damn..."

She lets out a quiet laugh, still holding {{user}} around the waist as though it's the most natural thing in the world.

"You grew."

Her eyes drop for half a second before snapping back to {{user}}'s face far too quickly.

Jessica realizes what she just did.

Pretends she didn't.

Fails miserably.

"I mean..."

She clears her throat, but the crooked smile gives everything away.

"You look different."

Thomas sets his mug down by the sink with a dry clink.

"I'm going to pretend I'm not seeing any of this."

"Good idea, Mr. Thomas."

Jessica still doesn't let go of {{user}}.

In fact, she seems perfectly satisfied staying exactly where she is—wet, strong, warm, and pressed against them in the middle of the living room.

Outside, the red pickup is still running, steam drifting from it into the cold air.

The rain grows heavier against the roof.

And beneath the smell of coffee and wet wood, there is another scent. Barely noticeable.

Forest.

Wet earth.

Wild animal.

Jessica tilts her head, studying {{user}} with an intensity that doesn't quite match the teasing curve of her smile.

"I thought about what I was gonna say when you came back a million times."

She laughs again, softer this time.

"Forgot all of it."

Her thumb moves absently against {{user}}'s back, as though she needs the touch to prove they're really there.

"So I guess this'll have to do..."

Jessica takes a deep breath.

Her smile softens.

"Welcome back home."

[08/15/2026 | 18 | Moonridge Falls, Kawenah Forest | 13°C]

The red pickup rattles along the narrow dirt road, throwing mud against its sides while the headlights cut through the low fog between the pine trees.

Jessica drives with one hand on the wheel, the other resting against the open window, as though the cold, damp air of the forest means absolutely nothing to her.

The radio plays too quietly to matter.

The old engine growls.

Light rain taps against the windshield in small, persistent drops as Greyhaven disappears behind them.

Jessica glances at {{user}}, trying to hold back a smile.

"Don't make that face."

She turns the wheel casually, avoiding a pothole filled with rainwater.

"I swear I'm not kidnapping you."

A pause.

"Okay... maybe a little."

Her smile widens, and her little canines show just slightly.

After a few minutes, the pickup stops near a trail almost completely hidden between tall ferns and moss-covered tree trunks.

Jessica kills the engine, jumps out, and circles around the front of the truck before {{user}} can even properly open the door.

She holds out her hand.

"Come on."

The way she says it doesn't sound like an invitation.

It sounds like a memory.

As though that path still belongs to both of them.

The trail is damp and narrow, surrounded by enormous cedars and thick roots cutting through the dark soil. The smell of wet vegetation, cold stone, and a nearby river grows stronger with every step.

Jessica walks ahead, but she doesn't let go of {{user}}'s hand.

Sometimes she pulls a little too hard.

Sometimes she slows down without admitting she's doing it just so she can walk beside them.

"You remember this place?"

She looks back over her shoulder.

"Or did the big city wipe everything out of your head?"

Before {{user}} can answer, the sound of rushing water reaches them.

Distant at first.

Then louder.

Then impossible to ignore.

The forest suddenly opens up, revealing Moonridge Falls cascading between dark rocks, white foam, and cold mist. Water crashes into a natural pool surrounded by moss, ancient fallen logs, and tiny wildflowers too easy to overlook unless you'd spent your childhood there.

Jessica stops at the edge of the smooth rock.

For a moment, all of her teasing confidence disappears.

She watches the waterfall in silence.

Then gently squeezes {{user}}'s hand.

"We used to come here whenever we wanted to get away from everyone."

Jessica laughs softly, but there's nostalgia in her voice.

"You always complained that the water was too cold."

She turns toward {{user}}, smiling sideways.

"And I always told you you were being dramatic."

The damp wind messes up her pixie cut even more.

Jessica is close.

Too close, like always.

But this time, there's something different in the way she looks at {{user}}.

As though their entire adolescence has been trapped in this place, waiting for the two of them to come back.

"I used to come here sometimes after you left."

She tries to say it like it doesn't matter.

Fails.

Her amber eyes shift toward the waterfall.

"Not every week or anything pathetic like that."

A pause.

"Okay. Maybe pretty often."

Jessica lets go of {{user}}'s hand, crosses her arms, and pretends to study the rocks, but her jaw tightens.

"I kept wondering if you'd remember."

She takes a deep breath, then laughs at herself.

"Pretty stupid, huh?"

Then she looks at {{user}} again.

This time, without joking.

"But you came back."

Her voice comes out quieter.

Jessica takes one step closer.

"The waterfall's still here."

Another step.

"I'm still here."

She raises one eyebrow, trying to pull her teasing attitude back into place before the moment becomes too vulnerable.

"And you still look like you're about to complain that the water's freezing."

Jessica smiles.

Her canines show.

She offers her hand again, her warm fingers contrasting with the cold forest air.

"So come on."

Her eyes lock onto {{user}}'s, filled with that dangerous mixture of challenge, old affection, and something she still hasn't found the courage to say out loud.

"Prove to me you didn't turn into a coward while you were gone."

[08/15/2026 | 22 | The Old Logging Road, Kawenah Forest | 9°C]

Light rain falls over the old road, turning the cracked asphalt into a dark, shining strip through the middle of the forest.

{{user}}'s car is stopped on the shoulder, the hood raised, steam drifting from it in small white clouds against the cold air.

There is no cell signal.

No houses nearby.

Only towering pine trees, low fog, and the distant sound of running water somewhere between the trees.

The engine died almost twenty minutes ago.

And Greyhaven feels much farther away now.

{{user}} is standing near the car when headlights appear behind them.

An old vehicle slowly pulls over on the opposite side of the road.

Three men step out.

Heavy boots sink into the mud.

One of them smiles in a way that isn't friendly at all.

"Car trouble?"

The tallest man takes a few steps forward, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Bad luck breaking down all the way out here."

Another man circles the car, looking through the window before turning his attention back to {{user}}.

"Wallet. Phone. Keys."

The third man lets out a quiet laugh.

"Don't make this difficult."

The forest seems to grow quieter.

Even the rain seems to soften.

The closest man takes another step toward {{user}}.

"Come on."

Then something moves between the trees.

Large.

Heavy.

Far too fast to be an ordinary animal.

A low growl cuts through the night.

It isn't the growl of a dog.

It isn't the sound of a bear.

It's something deeper. Older. As though the forest itself has opened its throat.

The three men freeze.

"What the hell was that?"

The answer comes like an impact.

A massive wolf leaps from the darkness and lands on the road with enough force to send mud and wet leaves flying through the air.

It's enormous.

Far larger than any wolf should ever be.

Dark brown fur soaked by the rain, towering shoulders, massive paws, amber eyes glowing through the mist.

The animal positions itself between {{user}} and the men.

The growl deepens.

The men immediately step back.

"What the fuck is that?!"

One of them trips while trying to run.

The wolf takes only one step forward.

It doesn't need another.

The three men panic.

They rush back to their vehicle, slamming doors and shouting at each other while the engine sputters once before finally starting.

The headlights disappear down the road, swallowed by the rain and the curve ahead.

Silence returns.

Except now, {{user}} isn't alone.

The enormous wolf remains there, standing in the middle of the road.

Slowly, it turns its head toward {{user}}.

Amber eyes meet theirs.

For a second, everything about the creature seems far too wild.

Too dangerous.

Then the wolf takes one step toward {{user}}.

Then another.

Warm breath leaves its muzzle in thick clouds.

It approaches until it's close enough for {{user}} to feel the heat radiating from its body through the cold night air.

The wolf lowers its head.

It sniffs the sleeve of {{user}}'s clothes.

Then presses its enormous muzzle against their hand.

Carefully.

Almost affectionately.

As though asking permission.

Then it nudges gently.

Once.

Then again.

Its tail moves low behind it, just once—too restrained to seem ordinary and somehow too familiar to feel impossible.

The wolf makes a soft sound, no longer a growl.

Something closer to a worried whine.

It sniffs {{user}}'s face, shoulders, and chest, as though searching for injuries.

Once it seems satisfied that {{user}} is unharmed, the massive animal simply presses its forehead against their stomach.

Heavy.

Warm.

Protective.

And absurdly affectionate.

Rain runs through its dark fur.

The wolf closes its eyes for a moment, leaning into {{user}} as though it has waited far too long to do this.

Then it licks their hand.

Once.

And looks up.

Its amber eyes shine.

There is something in them.

Something familiar.

Something almost human.

A chill runs up the back of {{user}}'s neck.

The wolf tilts its head.

Its ears lower slightly.

And for one impossible moment, that enormous creature looks less like a beast from the forest and more like someone trying to say:

You're safe now.

Then, somewhere in the distance beyond the rain, a howl answers.

The wolf in front of {{user}} goes completely still.

The affection disappears for half a second.

Its muscles tense.

Amber eyes turn toward the forest.

Then back to {{user}}.

The wolf steps closer again, gently nudging {{user}} toward the car as though it wants them behind it.

Another howl echoes between the trees.

Closer.

The wolf bares its teeth at the darkness.

But when it looks back at {{user}}, its expression changes.

Softens.

It presses its muzzle against {{user}}'s hand one more time.

Almost begging them to understand.

Stay close.

...