The Guardian's Tale;

That evening, the crackling of the fireplace filled the silence between us.

"I still can't believe you're here," said Elly in a soft voice.

I pulled my grandmother's old crocheted blanket more tightly around my shoulders and let out a long breath. The weight I had been carrying since the funeral suddenly felt like something that could be shared. Throughout all of this, I'd had to stay strong against the townspeople. But here, with Elly, I could finally let my guard down.

"I'm barely holding on, Elly," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I keep telling myself I'm fine, that I can do this, that I'm keeping her memory alive. But the truth is... I'm scared. She was the only person I had. Now she's gone, and I'm in this place where everyone looks at me like I'm cursed, like I'm carrying death with me wherever I go."

Elly moved closer to me immediately, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "You're not cursed, Eva. You're brave. You came back here knowing full well what kind of reception you'd get. That takes real courage."

I laughed bitterly and wiped my tears. "Courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which."

"Courage," Elly insisted firmly. "Definitely courage."

The happiness I felt at her presence wrapped itself around me. A moment later, a deep laugh burst out of me. "You know what? I think I'm genuinely losing my mind," I said, shaking my head.

"Ever since childhood, I've been dreaming of a man with eyes like flames, and just now I compared them to a wolf's eyes." I laughed.

Elly's expression changed in an instant. "What do you mean?" she asked.

I took a sip of my coffee and continued. "Right before you arrived, I was getting firewood from the woodshed. And I swear, Elly... I saw something. A wolf. But not a normal wolf. This thing was enormous, literally the size of a bear. It had reddish-brown fur and those glowing eyes..."

I paused, remembering the intensity of that gaze. "Its eyes were just like the man in my dreams, glowing, amber-colored. It just stood there, looking at me. Then it vanished," I said.

The moment the words left my mouth, Elly's face went pale. She set down her glass with trembling hands and quickly reached out toward me. She suddenly grabbed the hem of my sweater and pulled it aside, exposing my collarbone and upper chest. She touched it gently, as if searching for something beneath my skin.

"Hey! What's going on, Elly?" I cried out, instinctively pulling back.

Her shoulders dropped now with what looked like a relieved expression, and she let go of my sweater, settling back down onto her heels. "Sorry, I apologize," she said quickly. "I just... needed to check something."

I was frozen in bewilderment. "Check exactly what?" I asked.

"Well..." She bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable. "Do you have a fever? A high fever can cause hallucinations. I was checking your temperature," she said.

I couldn't help suppressing a laugh. "Elly, I'm a nurse. I think I'd know if I had a fever high enough to cause hallucinations. Also, wouldn't checking my forehead be more effective than looking at my chest?"

Elly smiled. "You're right. Of course. That was silly of me," she said, averting her eyes.

But I could see it clearly now: the lingering fear in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. She was afraid of something, and it was connected to what I'd just told her.

Then she turned to me with a forced cheerfulness. "Hey! Let's play a game. How about... scary story time? I'll start," she said.

I shook my head and laughed. "Seriously? Aren't we a bit too old for that?"

"Come on," Elly insisted. "It'll be fun. Besides, you're in a creepy mountain cabin in the middle of winter. It's a perfect setting for this game."

I sighed dramatically and settled more comfortably into the couch. "Fine. But if I have nightmares, I'm blaming you," I muttered.

Elly's expression turned serious and she began: "They say that long ago, demons who drank blood lived in this valley. Not metaphorical demons, real ones. They hypnotized people, enslaved them, tortured and killed them for sport. The demons built their kingdom on human suffering."

Despite my earlier sarcasm, the subject had captured my attention as I listened. I focused and began to listen closely. "Go on."

"The witches, an ancient bloodline possessing sacred magic, could not defeat the demons on their own. So they created something new, something powerful enough to protect both themselves and humanity. They merged three ancient forces: the power of a demon, the body of a wolf, and a witch who gave herself willingly to complete the transformation."

I couldn't help myself. This story seemed far too clichéd. "Let me guess, like in every story like this, there's always a foolish girl who sacrifices herself for some man," I laughed.

Elly shot me a look that clearly said *shut up*. But I just shrugged.

"What? Why is there always a woman throwing herself into danger to keep some man or Frankenstein creature alive? That's basically sexism," I said, laughing.

Elly rolled her eyes but carried on, undeterred by my teasing. "The Börü lineage was born. The wolf clan... Every wolf was bound to a witch woman. They were connected by both a curse and a love powerful enough to transcend death. Together, they overthrew the demons. Humanity was saved. The witches became the mates of the wolves, and the wolves became the protectors of all."

Then she paused, her voice dropping nearly to a whisper. As if what she was about to say next was difficult for her. "But then... the woman of one of the wolves betrayed him," she said.

Now she had my full attention. "Really? Oh wow! I wasn't expecting a Lilith to come out of this story. What did they do, shun her? Burn her at the stake?" I asked. "They definitely punished her. How progressive for enlightened supernatural beings."

"Eva, please," said Elly seriously. "The wolf's woman fell in love with a human man. But she was deceived. The man she loved was a hunter. She betrayed her own kind for him. She broke the ancient magic that bound the witches and wolves together. The midnight seal, the one that gave the wolves their immortal forms and their ability to shift, was shattered. The wolves became trapped in their immortal wolf bodies, unable to die but unable to truly live. The witches were scorned by humanity because of this betrayal."

"And the man she loved? The hunter? What did he do?" I asked.

Elly's voice grew even darker. "The hunter... after getting what he wanted, he and his hunter lineage began systematically destroying the witch bloodline. They slaughtered them. Hunted them down one by one. They also killed the ordinary people who supported the witches and wolves. Their goal was never love. It was only power."

A chill that had nothing to do with the cold began to creep through me. An inexplicable sorrow settled over my heart. Something in this story was wounding me in a way I couldn't understand.

Having just seen that wolf before Elly told me this story, it had seemed strange, and suddenly my sharp mind clicked into gear. "You didn't tell me this story just for fun, did you?" I asked.

Elly swallowed hard and nodded in confirmation.

"Rose's daughter," I said slowly, the pieces falling into place. "That's why they call me Rose's daughter with such hatred. Because of some ridiculous old legend?"

Elly reached out and took my hand. "Eva, listen to me. People can be shallow, narrow-minded, and cruel. But legends... don't always lie. Promise me one thing. If you ever see anything that could prove this story is real, you'll come to me and ask for help," she said with a smile.

I studied her face, she was smiling, but beneath it I could see the genuine fear and worry. Finally, I smiled too. "Alright. I promise. But tell me one thing, where do you fit into this story?" I asked.

"I'm a guardian," said Elly simply. "My family has always been guardians. We protect the ancient bloodlines, both the wolves and the witches. We believe in the balance, the peace, and the harmony they bring. We remember their sacrifice."

I wanted to dismiss all of it as too much history and the superstitious nonsense of a small town. But looking at Elly's sincere face, I noticed something important: she believed it. Completely. And whether the legend was real or not, I trusted her.

"I'm glad you're here, Elly," I said softly. "Even if you're a little crazy, it's wonderful to have you beside me."

The tension on Elly's face dissolved into laughter. "Same goes for you, Eva Rose!" she said.

An hour later, Elly's rear lights disappeared down the mountain road, leaving me alone with the crackling fire and my tangled thoughts. I poured a glass of my grandmother's homemade wine , I had discovered the wine stash in the pantry while cleaning. I took my glass and settled into the velvet armchair by the fireplace.

I closed my eyes and let the memories of this house wash over me. My grandmother always had a Turkish song she used to sing. She would hum it while hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree. While her worn hands braided my hair. It seemed as though... her voice was always filled with love and longing.

That song... I had never known what it meant, but I had learned the sounds, the melody. It was hauntingly beautiful, a melody both sorrowful and passionate.

Now, with the wine warming my blood and the firelight casting dancing shadows on the walls, I found myself humming those same words.

"Yar elinden ölüm, olacak benim sonum. Sonu yok bu, Aşk-ı kıyamet..."

(Death by the hand of my beloved shall be my end. This love is endless, a love of apocalyptic ruin...)

My voice faded into the quiet crackling of the fire. The wine weighed down my limbs and my eyelids even more. I didn't even try to move to the bedroom. The velvet armchair was comfortable, the fire was warm, and I was exhausted.

While all of this unfolded inside...

Outside, hidden in the pitch black of the winter night, a pair of amber eyes watched the house. Eyes that carried centuries of pain, longing, and perhaps even love.

The wolf had heard every word of the song. And deep within his cursed form, something ancient and powerful stirred.

The midnight seal had begun to wake...