The brilliant autumn sunlight cast dappled shadows through the maple forest. Deep red leaves swayed in the breeze.

She walked alone along the secluded forest path, her anxious gaze searching among the towering maple trees for something.

The breeze lifted her long hair. She tucked a few strands behind her ear, then stopped and looked up at the thick branches of an ancient maple tree.

"Come down, I can see you," she commanded sternly.

A rustling sound came from the branches, and a black panther appeared out of thin air on the branch. It stretched its tail in annoyance but eventually, grudgingly, jumped down from the branch.

The moment it landed, the panther transformed into a black-haired, purple-eyed boy.

Pouting with dissatisfaction, he said, "Why is it that only you can see me when I'm invisible? That's impossible..."

"I can't see you when you're invisible, but finding a branch you like to climb is quite easy," the woman replied with a sly smile.

Realizing he had been tricked and that his habits and preferences were completely known to the woman before him, the boy became even more upset.

He decided to leave the woman behind and go off on his own.

"Trying to run?" The woman grabbed him by the back of his collar and landed a punch on his head. "Tell me, why did you skip class today!?"

He held his head, looking like he was afraid of getting hit again, but his mouth was unyielding. "Because I felt like it. It's none of your business!"

"I'm a teacher at the academy, after all. We've known each other for so long, and you don't even give me any respect? Skipping only my classes, huh? If you don't give me a good reason, I won't let you off today."

"Stop it, you cunning rat!"

Seeing that the woman's fist was about to fall on the boy's head again, the boy's response made her completely stop.

"Because today, Andrew and the others saw me transform. They threw stones at me, told me to get lost, and called me a monster!" the boy shouted. His childish voice was filled with unspeakable grievance.

The woman let go, allowing the boy to break free from her grasp and run towards the lake.

It wasn't until the boy had run far that she came to her senses, her bitter smile turning into a determined frown.

She quickly chased after him.

Soon, she found the boy's lonely figure on the rocky shore by the lake.

He sat on a large rock at the water's edge, curled up with his knees hugged to his chest, staring at his reflection in the lake.

A ripple passed by, and the reflection in the lake became two.

"What are you doing here?" the boy muttered, noticing her reflection in the water.

"Sunbathing," the woman replied bluntly, sitting down next to him.

The boy seemed reluctant to be close to her and scooted a bit away.

This small movement didn't escape her notice. Just as the boy was about to move a second time, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to lean against her.

"You are indeed different from us, and that's a fact. But you are not a monster. You should always be proud of your heritage, understand?"

She flashed a bright smile, causing the boy to look at her in a daze.

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"They called you a monster, which was wrong of them. Why punish yourself for their mistakes, and even dare to skip my class? You're young, but your courage is growing, huh?"

The bright smile instantly turned into an evil glare, catching the boy off guard.

He retreated nervously but still couldn't escape her grasp.

"Who said I'm young?" he finally stood up, defiantly pointing at the woman's nose. "If you count the years, I'm much older than you! Don't forget, when you were born, I was already fourteen."

"Oh? Is that so, little gentleman? But now I'm an adult, while someone still needs to wear children's clothes," she said, crossing her arms with a smug look.

"Even you treat me like a child?" The boy's voice was filled with disappointment and anger. After saying this, he suddenly transformed into a black panther, attempting to scare her as a small act of revenge.

The black panther looked down at her, his deep purple eyes reflecting her face.

But in the next second, he deeply regretted his actions.

The woman wasn't afraid of his black panther form at all. Instead, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the panther's neck.

"Cat petting technique number one—scratch your chin!"

Just one move was enough to subdue the arrogant panther, without any extra effort.

"Ah, stop... I'm a panther, not a house cat..."

"...Even house cats have dignity. Please, stop..."

"...I'm sorry, I was wrong. I won't skip class again... I swear..."

The woman smiled triumphantly, "Now you know you're wrong? Remember that essay you refused to write? Now tell me, are you going to turn it in or not?"

"I'll turn it in... I'll turn it in..."

"How many?"

"Two! I'll make it up with two essays, okay?"

"Good, that's more like it."

She gently patted the panther's round head and scratched its ears.

The big cat affectionately lay down beside her, its chin naturally resting on her lap.

The afternoon sunlight made the lake water sparkle brilliantly, and the red leaves drifting down from the maple forest by the lake gently settled on the surface, creating ripples.

The woman looked at the tranquil lake, but her eyes seemed to reflect the depths of the water.

"You're too kind," her voice was as soft as a breeze. "Even when they bully you, even when you know you could easily defeat them all, you still don't do it."

"I don't want to... I don't want to hurt them, I don't want to destroy the trust between us," the panther said, narrowing its eyes as it watched the shimmering reflections on the lake's surface.

"A wolf cub must eventually return to the pack; you can't live here forever. Besides, you're the most unique shapeshifter among the werewolves. Staying in the human world will only hinder your growth..."

The panther interrupted her, somewhat displeased, "Are you trying to drive me away?"

It lifted its head, looking at her with tension and unease.

She looked sad and remained silent.

"I'm tired. Let me rest by your side for a while, okay?" It buried its head, as if deliberately avoiding her gaze. "I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay by your side."

She placed her hand on its head, letting it rest comfortably on her lap.

She tilted her head back, gazing at the clear blue sky.

The late autumn sky was cold and clear. Red leaves rustled down behind them as she fell into melancholy thoughts—

[You're still young, you can live for another three hundred years, while I might not even live to see you come of age. Your dependence on me was a mistake from the start. One day, you'll understand...]

A thin mist spread around her, interrupting her thoughts. She looked down and saw the panther transforming into the boy right before her eyes.

He lay on her lap, head tilted, peacefully asleep.

She gently brushed her fingers across his cheek, filled with both affection and reluctance.

"I don't want you to leave either. I want to stay with you forever. But," tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke in the most restrained voice, "you can't stay by my side. You have to leave. You must leave."

***

At some point, Nicole fell asleep beside Kuro. When she opened her eyes, warm tears were sliding down her face.

She couldn't shake off the emotions from the dream, unable to convince herself it was just a dream.

She stared blankly at the young man lying on her lap. That familiar yet unfamiliar sleeping face overlapped with the boy in her dream.

If the boy in her dream grew up, he would look just like this, she thought.

For some reason, tears blurred her vision. She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tear stains on her face. When she opened her eyes again, she found that Kuro was already awake.

He looked at her with some concern, his warm hand touching her face.

"Why are you crying?"

"Who... who are you really? Why do I have memories of you as a child? Those shouldn't be my memories, but why do I remember... Who... am I... who are we... really..."

Nicole felt completely lost.

Kuro sat up and gently pulled her into his arms, soothingly stroking her back. "You'll remember slowly. Don't be afraid. I'm not going anywhere; I'll stay right here with you."

For the first time in her short fifteen years, Nicole deeply doubted herself. She questioned everything about herself, the past fifteen years, and her memories. She knew that somewhere deep inside, she was starting to waver.

Kuro's strong heartbeat felt so familiar and reassuring. She closed her eyes, her emotions gradually calming down.

After a while, Kuro gently pushed her away.

"Do me a favor," he said, moving his right arm a bit awkwardly, then touching the upper right part of his chest with his left hand. "A shard from the Razor Serpent's scales got lodged in the muscle near my collarbone. Can you help me remove it?"

"What... did you say?？"