The morning sun filtered through the cabin's windows, casting a golden glow over the simple wooden floors. Matthew sat at the small kitchen table, sipping his coffee as Elyra and Dain groggily joined him. Elyra's silver hair shimmered in the light, a striking contrast to Dain's fiery orange eyes, which still carried the haze of sleep.

"Rough night?" Matthew asked, his tone light.

Elyra shrugged, rubbing her arm absently as she reached for the cereal. Dain slumped into the chair beside her, silent as usual.

That's when Matthew noticed it a thin, jagged mark on the back of Dain's hand.

"Hey," he said, setting his mug down. "What happened there?"noveldrama

Dain pulled his hand back quickly, shoving it under the table. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing." Matthew's voice was firm but calm.

Elyra froze mid-bite, her golden eyes darting toward Dain. Her silence was more telling than any explanation.

Matthew stood and walked around the table. "Let me see."

Reluctantly, Dain extended his hand. The scar was faint, but its shape was unnatural-jagged and almost deliberate, like a claw mark.

Matthew turned to Elyra, who was now pulling her sleeve down over her wrist. "You too," he said softly.

"No," she said quickly, but the hesitation in her voice gave her away.

Matthew gently grasped her wrist, pulling back the sleeve to reveal a similar mark, already fading.

"What's going on?" Matthew's voice was low, a mix of concern and frustration. "How did you get these?"

"We don't know," Elyra blurted, her voice trembling.

"They just... showed up," Dain added, crossing his arms defensively.

Matthew studied them both, his eyes narrowing. He'd learned to read their subtle tells-Elyra's nervous fidgeting, Dain's defiant tone-but this felt different. They weren't just hiding something; they were scared. "Listen," Matthew said, kneeling to their level. "I'm not mad. I just need to know what's going on. Are you in trouble?"

Both children shook their heads, their expressions guarded.

Matthew leaned back, exhaling deeply. He didn't want to push them too hard, but the marks unnerved him. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were connected to whatever had brought these mysterious children into his life.

That night, after they'd gone to bed, Matthew sat by the fireplace, staring into the flames. His thoughts swirled with questions he couldn't answer. Who were these kids? What were they hiding? And what was he supposed to do now?