I watched the group of men, mostly I watched Bronlo.

After he was done thinking stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “Anir,” he said, his tone measured, “those that were here while we were hunting told us what happened, but how did you know? That child was almost taken, but you… you acted as if you’d seen it all along.”

I met his gaze, forcing myself to hold steady. “I could sense it,” I replied, keeping my tone calm and steady. “I was standing at the edge of the forest walking home far from that things magic, and in my aura the air felt… wrong. I followed my instincts.” I paused, letting the words sink in. “Instincts. Maybe that’s a skill we’ll all need soon, if creatures like this are going to keep coming.”

Bronlo’s eyes flicked to the hunters, each one gripping their spears tighter as they exchanged uneasy glances. The tension was a living thing, weaving through the crowd. My mother’s hand tightened on my shoulder, her fingers digging in, a silent reminder of my place, of the careful steps I’d have to take now that the tribe’s attention was on me.

The father of the child I saved approached, his face etched with a mixture of awe and gratitude. “You saved my boy’s life, Anir, You risked yourself for my son.” he said, and extended his hand. His voice trembling slightly. “For that, my family is in your debt. Whatever you need, you need only ask.”

I shook his hand, keeping my expression calm, letting a slight smile show as I spoke. “It was what had to be done.” allowing a slight, confident smile. “There’s no debt between us. Protecting the tribe is everyone’s duty.”

From behind him, others stepped forward, murmuring words of gratitude, admiration. Even the women, who’d been huddled close earlier, glanced my way with a new appreciation.

Then we all heard the low voice of Ilyana, shes young healer, murmuring to another tribe member. “If something like that got so close,” she said, her voice tinged with worry, “it won’t be the last. Spirits don’t just wander—they have purpose.”

Her words lingered, spreading a palpable tension that rippled through the others. Bronlo’s frown deepened, and he raised his voice, addressing the group.

“Tonight, we double the guard, and smoke.” he ordered, his voice steady but wary. “If one creature found its way here, more may follow and as for the day maybe we should use some of the smoke. We’ll be ready.”

A murmur of assent went through the tribe, but the surrounding faces held a mixture of fear and uncertainty. They glanced from the stain on the wall to the cave entrance and children then to me, as if wondering is I could save there kids the next time those things come. Let them think it. The more they believed I needed, the stronger my position here would become.

Bronlo turned back to me, his gaze sharp. “Whatever sense you have for these creatures, I hope it stays with you, Anir. We may have need of it.”

“I’ll do what I can to keep the tribe safe,” I replied, my voice even but with just enough weight to suggest that I understood more than I was saying. The aura of mystery suited me; it gave them reason to trust me, and fear the outside.

As Bronlo and the hunters moved away, discussing plans for the night watch, I felt my mother’s hand on my shoulder tighten once more. I turned to look at her, catching the flicker of worry in her eyes.

“Anir,” she said quietly, her voice laced with concern. “Be careful. Not everyone is happy with your raise today.”

I nodded, understanding her warning. “It’s the way of things, Mother. For one to rise other's must fall. Not everyone will understand. And not everyone wants to.”

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She sighed, brushing her fingers over my forehead, her face softening. “Be mindful, son. The wolves among us are just as dangerous as the ones in the forest.”

I smirked, nodding in agreement. Let them come. Wolves know only the hunt. But I know the game.

When the crowd finally dispersed, I could still feel the weight of the tribe’s wary glances lingering on me. This was no ordinary hunt, no simple victory; this was something deeper, something that changed things. The stain from the changeling remained on the wall near the entrance, a dark smear that seemed to throb faintly, like a wound that wouldn’t close. It was a reminder—a mark that something ancient, something hostile, had dared to cross into our space.

Bronlo and the hunters lingered near the fire, their voices low, faces etched with shadows as they discussed the day’s events. The older men’s faces were stony, with tension in the set of their jaws, while the younger hunters watched with awe and fear. They knew, as I did, that the changeling wasn’t just a creature; it was a message.

I kept my expression carefully neutral, listening to the fragmented pieces of conversation drifting my way.

“Attacking in daylight,” Bronlo muttered, his voice edged with anger. “The boundaries mean nothing to these creatures anymore.” His eyes flashed in my direction, and he studied me as if seeing me for the first time. “They’re getting bolder.”

One of the hunters, a broad-shouldered man named Tarek, nodded, his expression uneasy. “It’s almost like they’re… watching us. Testing us.”

I caught Bronlo’s gaze, holding it steady. “If it’s a test, they got their answer,” I said, keeping my tone calm but firm. “They know we’re not defenseless.”

The faintest flicker of approval passed through Bronlo’s eyes before he turned his attention back to the hunters. “Tonight, we double the watch. I don’t want another creature slipping past our eyes,” he said, his voice filled with the weight of command.

My status here just changed. I could feel it, in every glance and whispered word. This wasn’t just a small feat—they saw me as something more now. Strong, protective, perhaps even a bit mysterious. The kind of person who saw danger before it struck, the kind of person who acted.

Behind me, I heard the hushed voices of the women, their concern rippling through the air in quiet murmurs. I caught my mother’s gaze, her face unreadable but her eyes sharp as they studied me, as if trying to piece together something she couldn’t quite understand.

When I went to get some water in our home. She finally approached, her hand resting on my shoulder.

“Anir,” she said softly, her voice laced with a mix of pride and worry. “The tribe is watching. You’ve gained respect today—but you must be careful. Not everyone will understand… or approve of you taking the torch from them.”

I nodded, sensing the tension in her grip. “I know, Mother.” I let a slight smile play on my lips. “Respect is only as strong as what’s behind it. If I keep showing them what I can do, they’ll have little reason to fight me.”

But as I glanced back at the hunters, their serious faces still illuminated by the firelight, I felt a subtle shift in the air—a growing sense that my actions had carved a path I couldn’t easily step back from. The changeling’s arrival had stirred something within the tribe, a fear that lingered like a shadow, attaching itself to me. I could see it in their guarded glances, hear it in their hushed voices.

As night descended, the fire cast long, flickering shadows against the cave walls. Each silhouette felt darker, more ominous, as if the forest itself had shifted, growing hungrier, closer. I knew the tribe would sleep uneasily tonight, their dreams haunted by thoughts of changelings slipping past our guard, lurking at the edges of our safety, replacing our children.

With a final look at the dark stain on the wall, I let the whispers wash over me, noting each look, each word. Fear was useful. Let them be uneasy. Let them watch as I rise. Let them wonder just how much I understood, and how much more I might know.

Tonight, the changeling had been driven out, but its shadow still lingered. And if the creatures of the forest were testing us, then I’d be ready to answer.

I allowed myself to think about what this changeling really meant. A creature like that—slipping in unnoticed, blending with us until it found a chance to replace one of our own—was a new danger. And if there was one, there could be others.

I focused my mana-vision, stretching it out, my aura searching for any hidden energies, I looked slowly for any sign of a faerie trying to mask itself. One by one, I checked the tribe members, carefully looking for any hidden auras that didn’t belong.

I see now why my grandfather killed all the fay in his genocidal wars, if I get the chance, I am going to do the same, So where are you?.

Tonight, I’ll be sure. I’ll be thorough. Checking every face, No more surprises. No more fuck-ups.