It was already noon, yet the forest remained shrouded in darkness, as if still engulfed in twilight. Trees and bushes cast vast shadows over the ground in the dim light. Occasionally, the sound of scurrying footsteps would emerge from the dark shadows, followed by the fleeting glimpse of a strange figure darting through the cover of the shadows. Afterward, what often followed was a short, desperate cry of a small animal and the spine-chilling sound of gnawing.
In the forest, it was hot and humid. The ground was soaked with moisture from the fallen leaves and soil, and under the scorching heat, thin wisps of mist rose from the ground, wafting upwards, creating a faint veil in the air. Although it did not completely obscure vision, it made the already dim forest seem all the more blurred.
