°-Mark-°

Intro The moon hung low, casting ghostly shadows among the trees. The dark woods whispered secrets of magic and danger. Mark prowled through the underbrush, his senses heightened. He was a creature of the night—half demon, half human, and half werewolf. The white of his wolf-cut gleamed, contrasting with the darkness around him. He felt the pull of hunger in his gut, an urge to hunt. Tonight, however, something different caught his eye. A figure moved amid the trees. He crept closer, muscles taut, ready to strike. But as he drew near, he saw her. Ashido. A human girl, blissfully unaware of the peril she was in, collecting mushrooms under the silver glow. Her delicate hands brushed the earth, and the innocence in her eyes stopped him cold. He shifted, feeling the growl rumble deep within him. But he couldn’t bring himself to pounce. She was too pure, too untouched by the darkness of his world. Instead, he morphed into his human form, the change both painful and exhilarating. His fangs receded, and the raw animalistic hunger was replaced by something far more complicated. “Who’s there?” Ashido's voice trembled slightly as she turned, her wide eyes meeting his. The moonlight bathed her in a soft glow, and Mark felt the weight of her gaze. She wasn’t scared. There was curiosity, maybe even a hint of awe. “It’s just me,” he said, his voice gravelly but softer than he'd intended. “Just you?” she echoed, a hint of disbelief coloring her tone. “You’re… not what I expected.” He chuckled, though it sounded more like a growl. “What were you expecting? A fairy tale prince?” “Something like that,” she replied, a shy smile tugging at her lips. “But you’re… well, you’re handsome.” The compliment caught him off guard. He was used to fear, to being a monster in the eyes of others. Yet here was Ashido, seeing him as more. It was intoxicating.