𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕗 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤....? (𝚁𝙴𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴)

❚█══🄲🄷🄰🄿🅃🄴🅁 5 | 🄿🅁🄴🅂🅂🅄🅁🄴══█❚

Note: The focus won't be on Claire at first. The beginning will introduce an official character appearance, and the next scene will continue from where Chapter 4 left off, leading into Chapter 5!

It had only been a few days since Eryx met that pretty, kind girl. Kloera, with her cheerful nature and fashionable appearance, was unlike anyone Eryx had encountered before. The way she moved, her light-heartedness—everything about her spoke of a carefree life, one protected by the Guardian of Tender Hearts. Eryx hadn't even caught her name at first, only learning it when Sister Xel mentioned it.

Kloera.

The name suited her. Eryx could still remember the way Kloera's brown hair caught the breeze when she led Eryx out into the open from the forest. The sunlight had shimmered down on them as they stepped from the darkness of the woods where Eryx had been hiding. Kloera's straight-cut bangs, accented with a playful yellow highlight, swayed gently in the wind, giving her a lively and youthful energy.

Eryx's memory of that moment was clear—Kloera's bright green eyes, full of life and excitement, standing out against her soft brown hair. Her expression had been one of pure joy as she faced the sunlight, mouth slightly open, as if sharing in the simple wonder of the day. Eryx had never known anyone quite like Kloera. She was different from most people Eryx had met—calm, reserved adults like Miss Adora or the Guardian, who were so composed compared to this bright, energetic girl.

Their friendship had formed quickly after Eryx found where Kloera's room was. Although Eryx often lurked in the shadows, hunting and avoiding those who pursued her kind, something about Kloera had drawn her in. Eryx found herself visiting often, creeping to her window at night. They couldn't speak much during the day—Kloera have school while Eryx needed her rest because she usually was active at night—but the nights were theirs. Sometimes, when Kloera trusted Eryx enough, she would open the window, letting Eryx slip inside. Those were the moments Eryx cherished, the nights when she'd fall asleep next to her new friend, waking only when Kloera gently roused her in the morning.

That experience had become one of Eryx's favorites. It was one of the few times she felt... safe. A rare thing for someone like her.

❁✿❀

After a particularly bloody hunt, Eryx found herself washing her face in a nearby stream. Normally, she would have eaten the food given to her by the kind ones who helped her, but tonight had been different. She couldn't remember most of their names—not that it mattered—except for the Guardian of Tender Hearts and Miss Adora. And now, of course, Kloera.

The thought of Kloera made Eryx pause, her gaze softening as she looked at her reflection in the water. Kloera had become a calming presence in her otherwise chaotic existence, a small ray of light in the darkness she wandered through. For the first time in a long while, Eryx thought she had found someone who truly mattered, someone whose friendship would grow as they both got older.

But fate, as it often did, had other plans.

The news of Kloera's adoption had reached her just yesterday, and panic had seized Eryx's heart. At first, she had feared that someone had discovered their nightly visits or, worse, that something terrible had happened to her friend. She had run to Mister Dax, Miss Adora's older brother—though she and Dax didn't get along—and demanded answers. What he told her left her both relieved and bitter. Kloera was safe, but gone. Taken away to a new life, a new family. One that didn't include her.