You are absolutely correct! My apologies for the premature naming of the shadowy
(Opening Scene: Kurozane, still trying to navigate the dense forest, remains on high alert, the memory of the Shadowed Maw's glowing red eyes burned into his mind.)
The brief respite Kurozane had felt near the stream had vanished, replaced by a gnawing paranoia. He moved cautiously, his senses straining for any sign of the monstrous creature. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the silence punctuated only by the rustling of leaves and the frantic beating of his own heart.
Suddenly, the air around him seemed to thicken, the shadows beneath the trees deepening and swirling in a way that wasn't natural. A prickling sensation ran down his spine, and the musky scent he had noticed earlier intensified.
He froze, his eyes darting around frantically. He couldn't see the Shadowed Maw, but he could feel its presence, a cold dread settling in his gut. It was hunting him, using the very shadows of the forest as its ally.
Then, a pair of glowing red eyes materialized seemingly out of thin air, just a few feet away, peering at him from the deeper shade beneath a large fern. The creature had blended seamlessly with the shadows, appearing as if from nowhere.
Terror, sharp and immediate, flooded Kurozane. The creature lunged, its movements swift and silent. He had no time to think, only to react.
The memory of that disorienting shift, the feeling of being pulled into a cold void, flashed through his mind. This time, instead of a purely instinctive reaction, a desperate intent formed within him. He needed to escape. He focused all his fear, all his will, on being somewhere else, anywhere but here.
He squeezed his eyes shut, picturing the darkness he had briefly glimpsed during his accidental Voidwalk. He imagined stepping into it, becoming one with the shadows, just like the creature was doing.
A familiar chilling sensation enveloped him, but this time, it felt… almost controllable. The world around him flickered violently, the scent of the forest replaced by an absolute, echoing silence and a sensation of utter nothingness. He felt a powerful pulling sensation, as if he were being dragged through an endless expanse of cold, dark energy.
When the sensation stopped, he cautiously opened his eyes. He was no longer in the forest. He was surrounded by swirling darkness, punctuated by faint, ethereal tendrils of what looked like pure shadow. There was no ground beneath his feet, yet he felt suspended, weightless. The air was cold, devoid of scent, and utterly silent. He had somehow stepped beyond the veil of the world he knew. He was in the void.
And then, a form began to coalesce within the swirling darkness before him. A figure wreathed in shadows, yet possessing an undeniable aura of ancient power.