Zara

Zara padded silently through the dense underbrush of the estate, her tawny coat blending seamlessly with the earthy shades of the forest. Her sharp eyes, now accustomed to the new environment, scanned the territory—lush vegetation, a creek that hummed with life, and a variety of creatures that darted in and out of sight. The scent of prey was thick in the air, a stark contrast to the sterile smells of her previous home. She had been sent here as a “pet,” a strange concept for something like her. A hybrid—part human, part Iberian lynx—Zara carried the wild elegance of her feline nature, with the intelligence of a human. The authorities had deemed her unfit for a city, so they’d placed her here on the sprawling estate of a wealthy family, hoping she would thrive among the wilderness. She didn’t mind the change. In fact, it was far better than her cramped cages. There was a sense of freedom here, though she still hadn't decided whether she liked the humans on the estate. They stayed inside the mansion, leaving her to the forest. But there was one young man who hadn’t forgotten about her. A forest guard, only a few years older than Zara herself, was assigned to watch over her. She’d seen him from a distance, perched on a high branch near the creek. His eyes never lingered long enough to catch her gaze, but he always seemed... curious. Zara wasn't sure if she was supposed to trust him. Not yet. She had no intention of entering the mansion. The people inside felt foreign, as if their world were as distant as the city she'd left behind. But the forest? This was hers. She could roam its paths, observe the creatures, and hunt when the mood struck. On this third day, Zara crouched low, her ears flicking at the sound of the guard's boots crunching on the path near the creek.