At this moment, deep within a forest cloaked in thick fog and moonless night, the air was damp and heavy with the scent of moss and earth.
A black-haired girl with lightly tanned skin crouched low amid the underbrush, her back pressed against the gnarled bark of an ancient tree.
Her clothes were torn and frayed, the most ruined being her leather shoulder pads— shredded beyond recognition.
Yet strangely, no wounds marked her exposed skin; it remained unscathed, save for a thin sheen of sweat glistening in the dim light.
Around her, the forest pulsed with tension.
The trees loomed like silent sentinels, their tangled branches creaking faintly in the wind.
Mist slithered between the trunks, clinging to every root and rock.
The only movement came from the swaying bushes and tall grass stirred by the cold night breeze.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly— each heartbeat like thunder in her ears.
Rustle—Rustle—
Leaves crunched softly under approaching footsteps.
