Ludwig hesitated for a moment before pressing his hand against the shelves. The moment his fingers made contact, the illusion shattered, the shelves dissolving into nothingness. The room beyond was revealed in its entirety, and Ludwig's breath caught in his throat.
The Umbral Hound was even more imposing up close. Its form was sleek and lupine, its body composed of shifting shadows that seemed to writhe and twist as though alive.
Van Dijk approached the book cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate. The Umbral Hound's growls grew louder, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the very air. But it didn't attack. Instead, it watched Van Dijk with a mixture of wariness and… something else. Something that Ludwig couldn't quite place.
