The Shadow Vale looms ahead, a jagged scar in the landscape. The trees are gnarled and twisted, their branches reaching like skeletal fingers toward the darkened sky. Mist coils around the ground, thick and unnatural, shifting as if it has a life of its own.
A deep unease settles over me, heavier than before. The encounter with the Shade left my skin tingling with residual energy, but it’s more than that. The closer we get, the more I feel... watched.
Selene stops abruptly. “We’re here.”
Damien exhales slowly. “Great. I was hoping for something more welcoming. Maybe a sign that says ‘Certain Death This Way’.”
I force a smirk, but my fingers tighten around the hilt of my blade. “We can still turn back, you know.”
Damien scoffs. “Oh, sure. And let Reven sink his claws deeper int
