I forced myself to stand despite the pain flaring in my body. The ruins were silent now, save for the distant growl of the wolf recovering from my last attack. But something else was here—I could feel it.
A presence, cold and ancient, watching from the shadows.
The wolf hesitated. Its ears flattened, its golden eyes flickering toward the darkness within the ruins. Fear. Not of me—but of whatever lurked in the depths of this place.
That wasn't a good sign.
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat drumming against my ribs. If something could make a beast like this hesitate, then I had no business standing here. But running wasn't an option. My body was too weak, and the wolf was still a threat.
A whisper brushed against my mind.
"You do not belong here."
The voice wasn't spoken aloud. It was inside me, wrapping around my thoughts like a serpent. Cold. Hollow.
I turned sharply, scanning the darkness beyond the crumbling stone archways. Shapes moved—shifting just out of sight. Eyes gleamed like distant stars, watching. Studying.
"Leave."
A command.
The wolf let out a low whimper, stepping back toward the tree line. It knew better than to challenge whatever was speaking. But I… I had no choice.
I clenched my fists, pushing through the exhaustion. "I don't take orders."
The air grew heavier. The pressure pressed against my chest, against my mind, like unseen hands trying to force me to kneel. My vision blurred. My legs trembled.
Then the voice laughed.
A deep, resonant sound that sent shivers down my spine.
"Interesting."
The shadows shifted. A figure stepped forward, its body wrapped in tattered robes, its face hidden beneath a hood. It moved without sound, gliding over the broken stone as if it were weightless.
Magic pulsed around it—strong, suffocating.
I was in no condition to fight.
But it seemed… amused.
"You are not of this world," it said. "And yet, you wield power."
I didn't answer. I couldn't afford to show weakness.
The figure tilted its head. "Perhaps you are worth something after all."
The pressure vanished.
The wolf, sensing the shift, let out a sharp bark before turning and disappearing into the woods.
I exhaled, my knees nearly giving out.
"Come, child of another world," the figure said, turning away. "If you wish to survive, you will follow."
I hesitated.
I didn't trust them.
But I had no other choice.
With one last glance at the darkened forest, I stepped into the ruins, following the stranger deeper into the unknown.