A howl pierced the cold, still night air. It was a mournful sound that echoed through the house. A girl stumbled from her bed toward the sound, a wolf-like dog at her side. Her legs hadn’t borne her wieght in months and now she was forcing them to out of sheer desperation. Desperation borne from the howl that woke her from a fitful sleep. She stumbled and tripped into the room where the howl was coming from and went to the figure on the bed. The man, at first glance, appeared to be sleeping. But his skin was cold to the touch and his heart had stilled in his chest. The girl collasped next to the bed and let out a mournful wail to join the howl.

In a castle tower, slept a boy. A pitful, heartbroken wail drifted up to his window waking him from his slumber. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and went to his window. He threw open the shutters and the wail grew louder. He shivered at the sound. Whoever was making the sound was heartbroken.