Vereluna sings with the moon and shines with the sun.

Wonders flourish; secrets steep.

But where do dreams end, and reality begin?

Maya’s wolf-form sliced through the forest. Her mind still fixed on the woman at the museum. The same one she encountered the other night with the Chaneques. Worse, that pull was still there. Stronger. It confused even her nahual senses.

She shut her eyes, allowing her wolf instincts to re-center her. When she opened them again, she was suddenly on the town’s west side.

What? How?!

A half-open window caught her attention. The pull dragged at her, urged her forward. Her paws moved without her consent. None of this felt like hers.

Her snout nudged through the window. A woman’s scent filled her nostrils.

No! Stop!

Wolf ears flicked at the rustle of bedsheets. She’ll see me!

Suddenly, heavy pounding at the door. The woman jerked upright. Maya yanked her head back, almost getting stuck in the frame.

“NO!” Maya screamed.

She fell, thudding against a cold floor, tangled in blankets.

The pounding came again.

“Maya!” someone called from outside. “Are you ok?”

She massaged her temples, trying to ground herself. She groaned as she trudged toward the door.

“Yeah, I’m ok,” Maya said, opening the door.

MJ stood in the doorway. Her face equal parts concern and upset.

“Seriously, Maya? You sounded like you were dying in there.” Her arms were folded, and her voice soft but more stern than usual. “Listen, you scared me, alright?”

Maya hesitated, rubbing her eyes, caught off guard by MJ’s firm stance. MJ was usually full of jokes, but this was different.

“What happened to you last night?” MJ muttered sharply.

“Huh?” Maya stared at her, confused.

MJ leaned in, her side-eye slicing through the air. “Last night, after the patrol…you left me hanging at the south ward. I damn near waited for you the rest of the night.” 

She let out a frustrated huff. “I thought something happened to you. And now I find you here, screaming your head off under the sheets.”

Maya shook her head; memories of last night were clouded and jumbled.

“I’m…I’m sorry MJ. I’ve been having this pounding headache for the past couple of days. It’s making it hard to think and remember things.”

“A headache? You ditched me last night because of a headache? Since when?” MJ snapped, her voice piercing through Maya’s defenses. 

Then a sigh escaped and her sarcasm crept back in. “If you weren’t feeling well, it won’t kill you to tell me. You owe me all the coffee today.”

Maya winced; her headache still throbbed behind her eyes. She hardly ever saw MJ this upset. Not for a long time.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said, nodding. “I’ll owe you coffee today…and I’ll keep you in the loop better, if you promise not to yell so loud. I still have this aggravating headache.”

“Fine.” MJ spun and strode down the hall. “But I’m still not letting you off the hook for last night.”

A nervous smile spread across Maya’s face. What did happen last night? I don’t remember the patrol at all.

Her hands trembled. Cold sweat formed on her brow. Unless…that dream really happened?

She shuddered at the thought. No, it couldn’t have. I’d never risk exposure like that. Right?

Maya huffed. Best not mention it until I know for sure.

***

Ariel’s desk was a cluttered disaster. Stacks of dusty books on regional folklore, printouts of wolf and bear sightings, scrawled handwritten notes, and a long-cold cup of coffee occupied every inch of space. 

The scent of the forest and something she couldn’t quite name still haunted her memory. She sometimes thought she could smell it here, amongst the library’s musty shelves.

She looked down at her notes from that night, scratching her head in frustration as she re-read her shaky scribbles:

Large animal-like figure. Massive, yet swift. No noise…how? Made contact, almost knocked me over. Gave chase, lost trail. Cold rush, goosebumps, sense of being watched.

Two days had passed since the incident, and the details continued to elude her. Logic told her she imagined it all—her mind working overtime from the constant noise, overstimulation, and sleep deprivation in this new town.

But logic couldn’t explain her being knocked over. Nor did the smell of what seemed to be fur and mold that still lingered on her clothes that night.

Worse yet, this unshakable feeling of being watched. More than her typical stares from strangers. As if something was following her. For every possible answer, more questions popped up.

Cryptids are elusive. Why wolves and bears? Why here and now? Why would one bump into me?

Ariel sighed, reaching for her cup of coffee. She took a sip and nearly gagged from the cold, stale taste.

“Ughh yeah, that does NOT taste good cold.”

She frowned, disappointed she’d let her morning motivation go cold, and cupped her face in her hands. The frustration was only getting worse. 

Maybe I should go get some air. Fresh coffee at the Café can’t hurt.

Ariel glanced at her desktop planner. A note circled in red on today’s date:

Admin meeting – Exhibit updates.

More frustrations. A cryptid puzzle, cold coffee, and now…interacting with management. Definitely going to need hot coffee for this.

She tucked away her scribbles and almost slammed her notebook shut, then headed out for Café de Lago.

An hour later, sunlight slanted through the café’s windows, glinted off polished espresso machines and overcrowded tables. Café de Lago was as busy as ever; the heat from clustered bodies competed with the rich aroma of coffee and pastries.

Ariel had spent most of that hour waiting in line or standing off to the side, trying to collect her thoughts. Now, fresh coffee finally in hand, her mind felt a little less murky as she wove through the crowd toward the exit.

She checked the time. If she hurried, she could make it back before her meeting with the museum’s management.

She sidestepped a chattering couple and rushed out the door. The wave of fresh air crashed against her, relieving her of the café’s stifling atmosphere. Ariel adjusted her grip on her notebook, rehearsing her thoughts for the meeting.

Coffee splashed everywhere, hot and sharp against her skin. She crashed into someone on the sidewalk. Hard. The thud rattled her bones. Droplets scalded around her knuckles. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Ariel blurted, recoiling from the impact.

The woman blinked, startled. She was tall, copper-skinned, draped with long, dark hair. It was as if she was made of bronze. Ariel winced; it felt like running into a wall.

“Are you okay?” the woman replied. She grimaced. “Sorry. Bad headache. I wasn’t paying attention, and I didn’t notice you.”

“That’s refreshing, actually,” Ariel managed with a weak laugh. “I’m usually noticed for all the wrong reasons.”

They both bent to assess the coffee mess; the woman awkwardly offered to help, but Ariel brushed her off.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it. Just a thing about being touched. Don’t worry. This isn’t the worst thing that’ll happen to me today.”

A smile flickered across the woman’s mouth. Ariel gave a tight nod in return.

“Gotta run. I’m going to be late for a meeting.”

Ariel braced herself for management as she slipped past the tall stranger, hoping the rest of her day would stop spilling.

She glanced back. The woman’s eyes. There was something about them.

They burned bright. 

Unsettling. 

Fierce.

But more than that, something about them felt—

Familiar.