The night was heavy, blanketing a nameless wilderness in a deep silence.
The Moon hung high, its cold silver light cutting through the dense canopy of trees, casting scattered patches of brightness on the forest floor.
No stars filled the sky — only the lonely moon, like a forgotten lantern, hanging in the endless black.
The towering trees twisted and stretched their gnarled branches upwards, blocking most of the light, while the underbrush rustled softly with the movements of wild creatures.
A single path had been carved through the dense vegetation, just wide enough for a carriage to pass through. The jagged edges of the trail suggested it was made by human hands.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and wood, broken only by the faint crackling of a campfire nearby.
Around the campfire, ten soldiers sat in a defensive circle, their armor reflecting the fire's flickering light.
