At first, Althea couldn't believe her eyes. After so many years of believing that every last ghoul had been hunted to extinction, the undeniable presence of one now sent a jolt through her entire being. It was impossible to ignore—the sharp, distinct sensation of her own kind lingering in the air.
But what truly unsettled her wasn't just the overwhelming scent of a fellow ghoul. It was something far heavier, a suffocating aura drenched in death and decay.
Her breaths grew shallow as she moved cautiously through the muddy forest floor, brushing aside the damp pine branches that snagged at her clothes. A strange, unrelenting tension churned in her gut, tangling her thoughts and shaking her usually calm demeanor.
