A cold wind swept through the forest, carrying the damp scent of earth as it brushed across Ethan Carter's forehead.
He stared at the silver bloodstains on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed. The echo of the black wolf's roar still lingered in his mind—low, deep, and haunting, as if it had been carved into his very soul. It filled him with a sense of danger he had never felt before.
After the woman left, Ethan remained standing in the forest, unable to move for a long time.
His shoulder burned with pain, blood soaking through his clothes. But the questions in his mind tormented him even more than the wound.
What exactly was that thing?
No ordinary wolf could possess such intelligence or speed—nor could it evade his arrows so effortlessly.
Ethan took a deep breath and crouched down beside the bloodstains. He reached out and touched them with his fingertips.
Cold.
Thick.
Strangely viscous.
He brought his fingers closer to his nose and sniffed. A faint, metallic sweetness lingered in the air—completely different from the usual scent of blood.
This was not the smell of any beast he had ever known.
Wiping his fingers clean, Ethan hesitated for a moment before making his decision.
He would follow the trail.
The black wolf was injured—it couldn't have gone far. If he could find it, he might uncover the truth behind the recent mysterious disappearances.
But if it wasn't a wolf…
What would he be facing?
Suppressing the unease in his heart, Ethan gripped his knife tightly and moved silently into the depths of the forest.
The night grew darker. Under the pale moonlight, the shadows of the trees twisted like reaching claws. The occasional crack of branches echoed in the distance, as if warning him that he was walking straight into danger.
The blood trail appeared and disappeared, almost as if it were deliberately guiding him forward.
After an unknown amount of time, Ethan finally stopped near a small stream.
The water flowed gently, reflecting the bright moonlight in shimmering waves.
There, by the stream—
The black wolf lay quietly.
It lowered its head, licking its wound. Silver blood spread into the water, blooming like an eerie flower.
Ethan held his breath and hid behind a thick oak tree, watching carefully.
Then—
The wolf suddenly stopped.
It slowly raised its head.
Its deep blue eyes locked directly onto Ethan's hiding place.
As if it had known all along.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. He instantly realized he had been exposed.
He drew his knife, his gaze fixed on the wolf, not daring to relax for even a second.
But to his surprise—
The wolf didn't attack.
Instead, it slowly stepped back.
There was something strange in its eyes.
Something conflicted.
As if it was struggling.
Was it trying to leave?
Ethan was about to move forward when—
A sharp horn blast pierced through the night sky.
It echoed throughout the entire forest.
Ancient. Hollow. Oppressive.
The sound made one's heart tremble.
The black wolf jerked its head up, let out a low growl, and turned—
Then it bolted into the deeper forest.
Gone within seconds.
Ethan stood there, watching it disappear into the darkness, confusion growing in his chest.
What exactly was hidden in this forest?
He looked up at the night sky. The sound of the horn still lingered, echoing endlessly, as if announcing the beginning of some ancient and mysterious ritual.
Ethan knew—
This was far from over.
---
Morning. The town.
Sunlight streamed through the cracks of a wooden cabin.
Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, examining the wound on his shoulder. The claw marks left by the wolf had already scabbed over. Though the pain remained, at least there were no signs of infection.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door swung open as Jason Miller rushed inside, his face filled with urgency.
"Ethan, something happened!"
"What is it?" Ethan stood up quickly, pulling on his coat.
Jason took a breath and said, "Allen… Allen went missing last night!"
Ethan froze. His brows tightened instantly.
"Allen? I saw him drinking at the tavern yesterday."
"Yeah, but when he was heading home last night, he just disappeared. His family searched everywhere but couldn't find him," Jason said grimly. "All they found was a pool of blood outside his house."
Ethan's heart sank.
The black wolf from last night… and Allen's disappearance…
There was a connection.
"Let's go."
The two of them hurried to the center of town.
A crowd had already gathered outside Allen's house. The townspeople looked uneasy, whispering among themselves.
On the ground—
A fresh pool of blood.
Beside it, a broken dagger.
And several strands of black wolf fur.
Ethan crouched down and carefully examined them.
The moment his fingers touched the fur—
His heart skipped.
That same chilling sensation.
Exactly like the silver blood from last night.
"It's the same thing…"
Ethan slowly stood up, his expression dark.
He looked around at the crowd.
"Did anyone hear anything last night?"
Silence.
After a long pause, an elderly man spoke with a trembling voice.
"I… I think I heard a horn in the distance…"
Ethan suddenly looked up.
In that moment, everything clicked.
That was no ordinary horn.
It was a signal.
A call.
Allen hadn't simply gone missing.
He had been taken.
Ethan clenched his fists, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
If he wanted to save Allen—
There was only one way.
Find the black wolf.
And uncover the secret hidden deep within the forest.
Because all of this—
Was only the beginning of something far darker.