In a little village tucked between the trees and the hills, there lived a quiet girl named Elira.
Elira didn't laugh like the other children. She didn't run or sing or shout. She liked to sit by herself under the big tree near the river, where the moonlight touched the grass.
Elira had a secret.
She had a small scar on her hand. It was shaped like a flame. Nobody knew where it came from. Some people in the village whispered that it was from a fire long ago—a fire that burned her home when she was very small.
Elira didn't remember everything about the fire. She only remembered the heat, the smoke, and the sound of someone calling her name. After that, she had come to this village to live with Old Nana, who made sweet berry pies and soft blankets.
Even though Nana was kind, Elira often felt a little bit… strange. Different. She could hear the wind talking when no one else did. She could smell the rain before it came. And sometimes, when the moon was big and round, her heart would beat very fast, like it wanted to run far, far away.
One night, the stars were twinkling, and the moon was bright and full. Elira tiptoed out of bed and walked to the river. She liked the way the moon shimmered on the water. It made her feel safe.
But that night, something was different.
She heard a soft sound—crack—like a twig breaking in the woods.
"Who's there?" Elira asked, her voice small.
Then she saw them—two glowing eyes in the darkness. They were golden like sunshine, but they didn't scare her. They felt… familiar.
Out of the shadows stepped a big, silver wolf. Its fur sparkled like stardust, and its eyes looked right into her heart.
Elira didn't run. She didn't scream. She just watched.
The wolf spoke.
"Don't be afraid, Elira."
Her eyes grew wide. "You know my name?"
The wolf nodded. "I've been watching over you. You are special."
Elira's hand moved to her scar. "Because of this?"
"Yes," said the wolf. "That scar is not just from a fire. It is from your past. You are part of something magical."
Elira didn't understand, but she listened.
"There is a little wolf inside you," the silver wolf said gently. "It sleeps now, but one day, it will wake. You will run, and howl, and feel the wind in your fur."
"Me? A wolf?" Elira whispered.
The wolf smiled. "Yes. And when the time is right, you will remember everything. The fire. The past. The truth."
Elira looked at the moon. She felt her heart beating fast again.
"Will it be scary?" she asked.
"Maybe," said the wolf. "But you won't be alone. I will help you."
Elira nodded. She didn't know what the wolf meant, not yet. But for the first time, the scar on her hand didn't feel heavy. It felt like a key. A key to something big, something waiting in the trees.
She took a step closer to the wolf.
"Okay," she said softly. "Let's go."
The moon smiled down from the sky as the little girl and the silver wolf walked into the forest, side by side.