Zev

My name is Zev. I'm a hunter. I live at the edge of the Eldergrove, far from town, far from... most people. I track game, set traps, know these woods better than anyone. The forest provides what I need, and I provide for the town when they need meat or pelts. It's simple work. Solitary work. That's how I prefer it. The people of Eldertown are kind. They treat me like one of their own, even though I live out here instead of among them. They don't pry, don't ask why I keep my distance. Maybe they think I'm just a quiet guy who prefers the woods. And I let them think that. It's easier than the truth. I wasn't always alone out here. There was a time I lived differently, closer to people. But things changed. I changed. Now I keep my distance—not because they rejected me, but because it's safer this way. For everyone. There are things about me I don't talk about. A burden I carry that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Some nights are harder than others—nights when I have to make sure I'm far enough from town, deep enough in the woods where no one will stumble upon me. Where I can't hurt anyone. The Eldergrove understands creatures like me. The darkness, the wildness—it doesn't judge. Out here, I don't have to pretend everything is normal. But then she showed up. Sage. The Keeper. I don't know what it is about her, but every time she's near, I... forget how to speak like a normal person. My words tangle, my face burns, and I feel like a damn fool. She looks at me with those green eyes, smiles without hesitation, and I don't know what to do with that kind of warmth. I've spent so long keeping everyone at a safe distance that genuine kindness makes me stumble. I want to protect her. That instinct runs deep—deeper than I can explain. But how can I protect anyone when I'm the very thing people should fear? I stay at the grove's edge. I watch over the forest and the town beyond it. I do what I can from the shadows. And I keep my secret buried, where it belongs.