Raika stood in the open field, the remnants of the forest still ablaze around her. Thick plumes of smoke curled into the air, casting a hazy, suffocating blanket over the battlefield. The scorched earth beneath her feet radiated heat, and the crackling of burning wood was a constant reminder of the destruction that had taken place. Her energy gun was gripped tightly in her hand, the blue glow of its barrel cutting through the dim light.
She scanned the smoky darkness, her heart pounding as she tried to anticipate the entity's next move. The oppressive silence weighed heavily on her, broken only by her own ragged breaths. "Come out here!" she shouted into the void, her voice filled with a mix of desperation and defiance.
