The Guardian's Tale;

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

"I still can't believe you're here," Elly said softly.

I pulled my grandmother's old knitted blanket tighter around my shoulders and let out a long breath. The weight I'd been carrying since the funeral suddenly felt as though it could be shared. Throughout this ordeal, I had to be 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 honoring her memory. But the truth is... I'm scared. She was all I had. And now she's gone, and I'm in this place where everyone looks at me as if I'm cursed, as if I carry death with me."

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

I laughed bitterly, wiping at my eyes. "Courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which."

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

A moment later, a deep laugh burst from within me. "You know what? I think I'm actually losing my mind," I said, shaking my head. "Since childhood, I've been dreaming of a man with fire in his eyes, and I just compared him to a wolf."

Elly's expression shifted. "What do you mean?"

I took a sip of my coffee before continuing. "Just before you arrived, I was getting firewood from the shed. And I swear, Elly... I saw something. A wolf. But not a normal wolf. This thing was massive, like bear-sized. It had reddish-brown fur and those glowing eyes..." I paused, remembering the intensity of that gaze. "Its eyes were exactly like the man in my dreams, like shimmering light, glowing amber. It just stood there, staring at me. Then it vanished."

The moment the words left my mouth, Elly's face went pale. She set down her cup with trembling hands and moved toward me quickly. Before I could react, she grabbed the edge of my sweater and pulled it aside, exposing my collarbone and upper chest.

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

Her shoulders sagged with what appeared to be relief, and she released my sweater, sitting back on her heels. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I just... needed to check something."

I stared at her, bewildered. "Check what, exactly?"

"Well..." She bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable. "Do you have a fever? High fevers can cause hallucinations, you know. I was checking to see if you felt hot."

Despite myself, I burst out laughing. "Elly, I'm a nurse. I think I'd know if I was running a fever high enough to cause hallucinations. Besides, 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."

But I could see it clearly now the fear lingering in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. She was scared of something, and it had to do with what I'd told her.

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

I shook my head, laughing. "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 house in the middle of winter. It's the perfect setting."

I sighed dramatically but settled deeper into the couch. "Fine. But if I have nightmares, I'm blaming you."

Elly's expression grew serious as she began. "They say that long ago, in this valley, blood-drinking demons lived. Not metaphorical demons, but real ones. They hypnotized people, enslaved them, tortured and killed them for entertainment. The demons built their kingdom on human suffering."

Despite my earlier sarcasm, she had captured my attention. I focused and began to listen. "Go on."

"The witches, a sacred lineage of women with ancient magic, couldn't defeat the demons alone. So they created something new, something powerful enough to protect both themselves and humanity. They combined three elements: the soul of a demon, the body of a wolf, and a witch who willingly gave herself to complete the transformation."

I couldn't help myself. This story felt so clichéd. "Let me guess in every story like this, there's always some foolish girl sacrificing herself for a man."

Elly gave me a look, but I just shrugged. "What? Why is there always a woman throwing herself into danger to keep a man or some Frankenstein creature alive? It's basically sexism," I said, laughing.

Elly rolled her eyes but continued, undeterred by my mockery. "The wolf-kind was born. Each wolf had a witch-woman bound to him. They were connected by both a curse and a love so powerful it transcended death. Together, they overthrew the demons. Humanity was saved. The witches became the wolves' mates, and the wolves became everyone's protectors."

She paused, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "But then... one of the wolves' women committed betrayal."

Now she had my full attention. "Really? Wow! I didn't expect a Lilith to emerge from this story. What did they do ostracize her? Burn her at the stake? How very progressive for enlightened supernatural beings."

"Eva, please," Elly said 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 seal that gave the wolves their immortal forms and their ability to shift was shattered. The wolves became trapped, imprisoned in their immortal wolf bodies, unable to die but unable to truly live. The witches were scorned by humanity because of the betrayal."

"So what about the man she loved? The hunter? What did he do?" I asked.

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

A chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold. An inexplicable sadness settled over my heart. Something about this story wounded me in a way I couldn't understand.

After seeing that wolf earlier, my sharp mind kicked into gear. "You didn't tell me this story just for fun, did you?" I asked.

Elly swallowed hard and nodded with a confirming expression.

"Rose's daughter," I said slowly, the pieces clicking together. "That's why they call me Rose's daughter with such hatred. Because of some stupid old fairy tale?"

Elly reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Eva, listen to me. People can be shallow, narrow-minded, cruel. But legends... they don't always tell lies. Promise me something. If you see anything, anything at all that might prove this story is real, you'll come to me. You'll ask for help."

I studied her face, seeing the genuine fear and concern there. Finally, I smiled. "Okay. I promise. But tell me something, what are you in this story?"

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

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

"I'm glad you're here, Elly," I said softly. "Even if you are a little crazy."

She laughed, the tension breaking. "Same to you, Eva Rose," she said.

An hour later, Elly's taillights disappeared down the mountain road, leaving me alone with the crackling fire and my swirling thoughts. I poured myself a glass of my grandmother's homemade wine, I'd found several bottles in the cellar and settled into the velvet armchair by the fireplace.

I closed my eyes and let the memories wash over me. My grandmother would always hum a Turkish song. She hummed it as she hung ornaments on the Christmas tree. As her weathered hands braided my hair. It was as if... her voice was always filled with love and longing.

That song... I never knew what it meant, but I'd learned the sounds, the melody. It was hauntingly beautiful, melancholic and passionate all at once.

Now, with the wine warming my blood and the fire casting dancing shadows on the walls, I found myself murmuring those same words:

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

'' Death by my beloved's hand will be my end 

This has no end, this love is apocalypse 

Whether you take it or throw it to the ground 

This heart yearns for you, is your servant. 

Look, my pain never ends, it cannot be without you... ''

My voice faded into the quiet crackling of the fire. The wine made my limbs heavy, my eyelids heavier. I didn't even try to make it upstairs to bed. The velvet chair was comfortable, the fire was warm, and I was so, so tired.

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

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

The midnight seal had begun to awaken...