Participants took their turns stepping forward with their teams and bags of stones. A quick, almost routine gesture over the bags, a nod of confirmation, and then the next group would approach.
As this process continued, Ivan's gaze seemed distant, lost in his own thoughts. His mind raced with a chaotic mix of emotions—fear, disbelief, and haunting memories.
Among the things he couldn't quite grasp was the overwhelming bloodlust he had felt moments ago, an urge to indiscriminately slaughter anything in his path. He had to muster all his willpower to resist it.
Even more unsettling were the memories that seemed to be creeping into his consciousness. For a long time, he had rejected the Time Merchant's words as nonsense, but now he could almost vaguely recall these things. They were fragmented, mere glimpses, and they puzzled him.
