Chapter 1

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...The storm tore through the forest like an angry beast, shaking the tall trees and sending rain slanting across the small fishing village that hugged the edge of the sea. Wooden huts lined the shore, their roofs dripping with water, while fishing boats rocked against the waves, tied tightly with ropes that creaked under the wind. The smell of salt and wet wood filled the air, mixing with the faint scent of smoke from the villagers’ hearths. Inside, families hurried to secure their belongings, calling to one another over the roar of the storm, while others waited anxiously for the next group of fishermen to return from the sea. Among them, a tall young man stood near the riverbank, drenched but unmoved by the cold rain. His dark hair clung to his forehead, his strong jawline set in a quiet, unreadable expression. Kian had grown accustomed to storms, to the silence of the sea, and to the loneliness that had followed him. He did not trust easily, and he did not care for the whispers of the villagers. Silence suited him, and storms were his only companions....

...Then came a sound unlike any the storm made—a splash, sharp and sudden, cutting through the roar of the wind and rain. Kian’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward the river, where a small figure flailed in the water. Without hesitation, he sprinted across the slick, muddy shore and dove into the icy waves. The current was strong, tugging at him with every stroke, but he was stronger, faster, and driven by something he did not even understand himself. He reached the struggling figure, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward the shore. The waves pounded around them, crashing violently, but he did not falter. When they finally collapsed on the muddy bank, both gasping for breath, the girl’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Her hair, soaked and plastered to her pale face, gleamed darkly in the flashes of lightning. For a long moment, she stared at him, her wide eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. Humans were foreign to her; the warmth of his hands, the roughness of his clothes, the strength in his arms—it was all new, yet somehow comforting....

...“So… this is what humans look like,” she whispered, her voice soft and uncertain, almost like a question. Her gaze lingered on him, taking in every detail, from his soaked clothes to the calm, unreadable expression that hid the storms of his own past. Kian’s expression did not change. His lips pressed into a thin line, eyes cold and assessing. “Then you should find another human,” he said flatly, his voice carrying the weight of warning rather than warmth....

...By now, the splash and commotion had drawn the attention of several villagers. Lanterns bobbed through the rain as they ran toward the riverbank, their faces a mixture of fear and curiosity. “What happened here?” one shouted over the wind. Another murmured, “ who is she??" Another murmured, "Did she fall from the sky?” They crowded around the two figures, some helping Kian drag the girl further onto the muddy shore, others standing back, unsure of what to do. The girl shivered violently, exhausted by the cold river and the storm, her legs unable to hold her. She fainted, her body crumpling into Kian’s arms, and the villagers gasped....

...“Carry her to the doctor!” someone shouted, and a few villagers stepped forward to help. They lifted her gently and ran toward a small hut near the edge of the village, a place the villagers used as a makeshift clinic. Inside, the smell of herbs and warm fire welcomed them. The village doctor, a kind-faced man with gray-streaked hair, immediately began examining her, checking her pulse and warming her with blankets. Kian stood silently in the corner, his clothes still dripping, his gaze fixed on her small, fragile form. She stirred slightly, blinking her wide eyes open, only to meet the eyes of Kian, who watched her with the same unreadable calm. She looked around at the unfamiliar faces, her heart racing. The warmth of the hut, the voices of the villagers, the strange human smells...........they were all overwhelming....

...When the doctor asked her name, her throat tightened. How could she explain who she really was? She had no memory here, no story to tell. “I… I don’t remember,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain and the crackling fire. Kian’s gaze lingered on her, still cold but with a flicker of something unreadable beneath it. The villagers nodded, accepting her answer for now, and decided she could stay in the village until she recovered. She would sleep under the care of the doctor, and in time, she would learn to live among them....

......Even as she drifted back into a shallow, uneasy sleep, the girl sensed something different about this place, and about Kian. There was strength in him, yes, but also a darkness she could not name. And though she did not know it yet, her life.......so far from the world she had known—was about to change forever. The storm continued outside, but inside the small hut, the girl’s heart began to stir with curiosity, wonder, and the faintest whisper of something that might one day be called hope.......

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