The Dragire

Adam gripped the steering wheel tighter as he drove down the winding road toward home, his mind replaying the moment over and over. The girl who had saved Ann—who was she? Her fiery hair, the intensity in her eyes, the way she moved with such grace yet seemed so distant. He had never seen anyone like her. And why had she run away so quickly? What was she afraid of?

The jeep screeched to a halt in the driveway. Adam barely took a breath before pushing open the door and rushing inside. His mother, Bela, stood in the hallway, sensing the shift in his demeanor the moment she laid eyes on him. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle yet laced with concern.

Adam hesitated for a second before nodding against her shoulder. "Yeah, Mom… I'm fine. Thanks."

But his tone lacked conviction. He kissed her cheek lightly and rushed upstairs, disappearing into his room before she could press him further.

Bela frowned. Adam was never this tense—not after training, not even after difficult hunts. Something had changed. She turned toward the front door when she heard another vehicle pull up into the driveway. Chace stormed inside, Ann trailing behind him, her small hand clutching his sleeve as if trying to calm him down.

"Adam! Adam!" Chace bellowed, his voice echoing through the house.

Bela stepped forward, trying to defuse the tension. "Chace, what's going on? Why are you yelling?" she asked, though she already felt the answer forming in the pit of her stomach.

Chace's glare burned with fury as he turned to his wife. "Your son wants to fail me," he spat. "One hundred years of family history, Bela. Every man in our bloodline has been trained to hunt, to protect humans from the filth that lurks in the shadows. And now Adam—my own son—dares to question me? To raise his voice?"

Bela swallowed hard. "Chace, he has never once defied you. He has always trained willingly. What happened out there?"

Ann, still gripping her father's sleeve, tugged gently. "Mom, there was a girl," she said softly.

Bela's gaze snapped to her daughter. "A girl?"

Ann nodded. "She saved me. I was about to step into one of Dad's traps, but she moved so fast, like the wind. Adam ran toward her when he saw she was walking straight into the traps. He didn't even think about Dad's orders. And then… she just left."

Bela's heart pounded. She glanced at Chace, who was seething. "She ran? Why?" she asked, keeping her voice calm, though her mind was racing.

Ann shrugged. "I don't know. She looked… uncomfortable. Almost scared. I even thanked her, but she left so fast."

Chace narrowed his eyes. "She was hiding something," he muttered darkly, his gaze shifting toward the staircase where Adam had disappeared. "And Adam—he was distracted. That girl did something to him."

Before Bela could respond, the front door swung open again. Adam stormed down the stairs, his face set in determination. He brushed past his father without a glance and walked straight for the door.

"Where are you going?" Chace demanded.

Adam didn't stop. "Out."

"You don't walk away from me!" Chace growled, grabbing his son's arm, but Adam yanked free, his jaw tight. "Don't touch me."

A tense silence fell over the room. Bela stepped between them before things escalated further. "Adam, just talk to us. What is this about?" she pleaded.

But Adam didn't answer. Instead, he turned on his heel, opened the door, and left, slamming it behind him as he jumped into the jeep and sped off into the night.

Chace clenched his fists. "He's weak. That girl—whoever she is—has clouded his judgment."

Bela watched the taillights disappear down the road, her chest tightening with worry. Something had changed in Adam today, something deeper than mere defiance.

And she had a terrible feeling it had everything to do with the girl Ann spoke of—the girl who had vanished as quickly as she had appeared.

Bela stepped into the backyard, her heart pounding with urgency. She cast a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching, then closed her eyes and whispered an incantation under her breath. The air around her shimmered, twisting like a mirage under the sun. And then—she vanished, leaving behind only a faint trace of energy in the air.

Meanwhile, Adam tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mind still consumed by the strange girl who had saved Ann. He could still picture her—the fiery hair, the intensity in her eyes, the way she had disappeared so quickly, as if she was running from something… or someone.

Determined, he parked the jeep near the spot where he'd first seen her. Stepping out, he scanned the area, his hunter instincts kicking in. The forest was dense, silent except for the occasional rustling of leaves. He crouched, eyes narrowing as he noticed a faint set of footprints leading away. He followed them, his heart beating in time with his steps.

The deeper he went, the more unnatural the air felt—almost charged, as if something otherworldly lingered just beyond his understanding. After several minutes of tracking, the trees parted, revealing a lonely hut nestled within the thick foliage. It looked old but sturdy, hidden from the world, as if it had been placed there intentionally, away from prying eyes.

Adam's breath hitched. This was it.

Something about the place unsettled him. It didn't look abandoned, but it didn't feel entirely lived-in either. He hesitated, debating his next move. Should he knock? Call out? He wasn't sure why, but a voice in the back of his head whispered caution.

Still, his curiosity won. Taking a step closer, he raised his fist to knock on the wooden door. Before he could make contact, however, the faintest movement behind the curtain caught his eye.

Someone was inside.

And they were watching him.