The sun had dipped below the horizon as Elyra and Dain made their way home from school, the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel road the only sound in the evening quiet. The forest that bordered their path felt unusually oppressive tonight, the shadows deeper and the silence unnerving. "Do you feel that?" Elyra whispered, glancing over her shoulder.

Dain nodded, his eyes scanning the treeline. "We're not alone."

The hair on Elyra's neck stood on end. She quickened her pace, clutching her bag tighter. Dain, walking slightly ahead of her, slowed down deliberately, his body tense like a coiled spring.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the trees, blocking their path. It was the private investigator, his sharp features illuminated by the faint glow of a streetlamp in the distance. There was something predatory in his stance now, his casual demeanor replaced by something far more dangerous. "You've done a good job hiding, but you can't keep running," the man said, his voice low and menacing.

Elyra instinctively stepped back, her breath hitching. Dain moved in front of her, shielding her with his body. "Leave us alone," he growled.

The man smirked, taking a step closer. "You think you can protect her from what's coming? The King sees all. And he wants what's his."

"What are you talking about?" Elyra demanded, her voice shaking.

Instead of answering, the man lunged. Dain reacted instantly, shoving Elyra aside and meeting the attack head-on. The man was stronger than he looked, his movements almost inhuman as he grappled with Dain.

But Dain was stronger.

With a roar, Dain pushed the man back, slamming him against a tree. The sheer force of the impact made the trunk shudder. Elyra watched in stunned silence as Dain's strength seemed to surge, his fiery orange eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

The investigator grunted in pain but managed a chilling smile. "There it is," he hissed. "The beast inside. You can't hide it forever."

Dain tightened his grip on the man's collar, his fists trembling. For a moment, Elyra thought he might kill him.

"Dain!" she cried, snapping him out of his rage.noveldrama

With a growl, Dain released the man, shoving him to the ground. The investigator staggered to his feet, brushing dirt from his coat. "You can't escape the King," he sneered before disappearing into the shadows. Elyra rushed to Dain's side, her heart pounding. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, his hands still shaking.

"We need to tell Matthew," Elyra said, her voice urgent.

Dain shook his head. "No. We don't tell him anything. This is our problem now."

Elyra looked at him, worry etched across her face. She opened her mouth to argue, but the determination in Dain's eyes stopped her. Instead, she nodded reluctantly, the man's parting words echoing in her mind. "The King sees all."