The suffocating fog that had shrouded the swamp for so long began to recede like a recalcitrant child slowly giving up its hold on a cherished toy. As the curtain of haze started to thin, a faint outline appeared on the horizon, suggesting the promise of escape. Sunlight seeped in, casting fragmented rays, painting glimmering patterns on the wet undergrowth.
Johan's footsteps, heavy from exhaustion, seemed to momentarily lighten. 'Just a bit more... so close now,' he thought, each step echoing his desperate wish to leave this accursed place behind.
However, the swamp had one last surprise in store. An unsettling laugh, more of a guttural chuckle, broke the near silence, causing Johan's heart to skip a beat. Emerging from the swamp's depths was an abomination. A massive skeletal toad, its bones slick with moisture, stood guard before the exit. Empty eye sockets stared back, save for twin lights that glowed with a malevolent amber.
