Raegar's entire body tensed at the sound of the voice, a chill running through him as he muttered the name etched deep in his memory. ''Maria.''
The darkness swelled around him, thick and suffocating, as the forest seemed to twist into a silent death trap. An eerie sensation crawled up his spine, he was being watched, stalked by something lurking in the shadows.
Moments later, a sharp snap of a twig pierced the stillness behind him. He whirled around, heart pounding, only to catch the faint rustle of a bush trembling in the gloom. That's when it hit him, the oppressive, unnatural aura of whatever creature lay hidden.
Without hesitation, he summoned the blades that appeared in his hands, steeling himself for battle as he called out. ''Step forward, monster. That voice doesn't belong in this world.''
