The nightmare always began the same way.
Cold water.
Darkness.
And screaming.
Yan's small body sank deeper beneath the surface while bubbles escaped from her mouth. Tiny hands reached upward desperately, but something heavy dragged her down.
Her chest burned.
The freezing water entered her lungs.
Above her, blurred shadows moved violently.
A woman's terrified voice echoed through the chaos.
"YAN!"
The child stretched her fingers toward the sound.
Then—
An explosion shook the water.
Fire.
Metal.
Blood.
Something large crashed above her.
And suddenly—
Everything went silent.
Yan shot awake with a gasp.
Her body trembled violently while sweat covered her skin despite the cold night air.
For a few seconds, she couldn't breathe.
The cave around her slowly came into focus.
Dark stone walls.
Dying fire.
Rain outside.
Reality.
Yan pressed a hand against her chest, trying to calm the violent pounding of her heart.
Same dream.
Always the same.
Yet tonight felt different.
More real.
More painful.
A small sleepy voice mumbled nearby.
"Bad dream again?"
Yan turned toward the bundle of blankets beside the fire.
Her nephew blinked at her with tired golden eyes.
The child looked so much like his father it made her chest ache.
Yan crawled beside him and gently rubbed his hair.
"Sleep, little cub."
The boy frowned.
"You sad."
Yan remained silent.
The little boy reached for her hand and hugged it tightly before drifting back to sleep.
Watching him made the storm inside her chest quiet slightly.
Only slightly.
At sunrise, Yan left the den alone.
She needed space.
Needed air.
Needed silence.
The forest greeted her with cold mist and damp earth beneath her feet.
Birds scattered as she moved swiftly through the trees.
But today—
Something felt wrong.
Her instincts remained restless.
Like danger was approaching.
Suddenly—
SNAP.
Yan instantly turned.
A broken branch.
Not animal.
Human.
Her golden eyes narrowed dangerously.
The scent reached her a second later.
Cedar wood.
Ocean salt.
Him.
Without warning, Chen Guanlin stepped out from between the trees.
Dark coat.
Black gloves.
Calm brown eyes.
As if he belonged there.
Yan froze.
For the first time in years—
Something inside her panicked.
Why did he come back?
Chen Guanlin studied her quietly.
"You disappeared."
Yan frowned.
"You followed."
His lips curved slightly.
"Yes."
The honesty startled her.
Humans usually lied.
A lot.
But this man looked directly into her eyes without fear.
It unsettled her more than any predator ever could.
"You should not come here," Yan warned.
"And yet you didn't leave."
Silence.
The forest around them became strangely still.
Chen Guanlin slowly stepped closer.
"You've been living in these mountains your whole life?"
Yan immediately became guarded.
Too many questions.
Dangerous questions.
She took a step back instinctively.
Chen Guanlin noticed.
Interesting.
This wild woman who fought wolves without fear—
Was afraid of being known.
"I'm not here to harm you," he said quietly.
Yan stared at him suspiciously.
Humans harmed everything.
Animals.
Forests.
Each other.
Even their own young.
Her body suddenly stiffened.
Fragments flashed through her mind again—
Cold water.
Hands grabbing her.
Screaming.
A woman crying.
Yan's breathing became uneven.
Chen Guanlin noticed instantly.
"What happened?"
Yan turned away sharply.
"Nothing."
But her voice sounded strained.
Weak.
That alone made Chen Guanlin's expression darken.
Before he could speak again—
A deep growl echoed nearby.
Both of them froze.
Then another growl answered from the trees.
Chen Guanlin's eyes sharpened immediately.
Wolves.
At least six.
Yan clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Troublesome."
Chen Guanlin glanced at her.
"You can tell how many?"
Yan looked at him strangely.
"Can't you?"
The wolves slowly emerged from the shadows, circling them carefully.
Large.
Hungry.
Aggressive.
Chen Guanlin subtly shifted his stance.
Ready to fight.
Yan noticed immediately.
Then—
To his surprise—
She laughed softly.
Not mocking.
Excited.
The wolves lunged.
Everything happened in seconds.
One wolf charged directly toward Chen Guanlin—
But Yan intercepted it instantly.
CRACK.
She slammed the animal into the ground with terrifying strength.
Chen Guanlin's eyes narrowed sharply.
Not human.
No normal woman moved like that.
Another wolf attacked from behind.
Yan twisted unnaturally fast, driving a blade into its throat before kicking a third wolf away hard enough to break bone.
Blood splattered across her face.
And she smiled.
Chen Guanlin watched her silently.
Beautiful.
Violent.
Wild.
Like something born from the mountains themselves.
The remaining wolves whimpered and retreated.
Silence returned.
Yan exhaled slowly before wiping blood from her cheek carelessly.
Then she noticed Chen Guanlin staring at her.
Not with fear.
Not disgust.
Something worse.
Fascination.
Dangerous fascination.
Yan suddenly felt trapped.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
This man looked at her as though he wanted every hidden piece of her.
And a part of her—
Wanted to let him.
Chen Guanlin stepped forward slowly.
"You're hiding something."
Yan's golden eyes met his.
"So are you."