The clamor of battle seemed a distant memory as an eerie hush enveloped Johan. It was as if the swamp itself held its breath, acknowledging the victory of a determined intruder. A thick canopy overhead allowed only fragmented rays of light, casting ethereal patterns over the stagnant water. Every droplet that fell from the overhanging foliage resonated like a chime in a vast cathedral of silence.
'I'd expected the aftermath of a battle to be... different,' Johan's thoughts meandered, 'more like the hum of victory or the weight of defeat. Not... this.'
His eyes, always observant, caught subtle inconsistencies in the water. In areas where there should be calm, the water seemed to play tricks, with tiny ripples and shifts, betraying some unseen force beneath.
"Something's off," Johan whispered to himself, his voice a low rumble in the silence.
