The cold weight of the corrupted soul's presence still lingered in the air, like the sharp edge of a blade ready to cut through the silence. Sera's heart had only just begun to calm when Damian moved forward, his eyes trained on the dark figure.
"It's not going to stop, is it?" she asked quietly, her voice tight with fear.
"No," Damian replied, his voice grim. "Corrupted souls are relentless. They've lost everything that made them human. They're driven only by rage and chaos."
Sera's stomach churned. "What do we do?"
Damian's hand twitched, as though he was preparing for a confrontation. "You stay back. I'll handle this."
But before Damian could take another step, the shadows around them rippled. From behind the twisted tree, a new figure emerged—tall, lean, and draped in tattered robes that fluttered in the still air. His movements were smooth, almost too graceful for this forsaken place, and his eyes glowed faintly beneath his hood.
Damian stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here?"
The newcomer's lips curled into a small, amused smile. "You always were quick to the point, Damian. No pleasantries anymore?"
Sera stood frozen, her eyes flickering between Damian and the stranger. She had never seen Damian look like this—tense, cautious. Whoever this person was, they clearly held power, maybe even more than Damian himself.
The newcomer turned his gaze to Sera, his glowing eyes softening as he tilted his head in curiosity. "And who's this? Another mortal lost in Limbo? My, my, it seems you've been busy, Damian."
"Leave her out of this, Kael," Damian snapped, his tone sharp.
Kael chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Always so protective of your little projects." He stepped closer, the shadows parting around him like obedient servants. "I am Kael, the Wanderer. You must be Sera."
Sera blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name?"
Kael's smile widened. "Limbo has a way of whispering its secrets to those who listen." He glanced at Damian, his expression smug. "And I'm a very good listener."
Damian's hand twitched again, but Kael raised a hand, his expression softening. "Relax, Damian. I'm not here to interfere with your… business. I've simply been wandering, as I always do."
Damian's eyes remained hard. "You always have ulterior motives."
Kael sighed dramatically, turning to Sera as though ignoring Damian's accusation entirely. "Damian and I go way back. We don't always see eye to eye, but I find myself drawn to the interesting things happening in Limbo. And you, dear Sera, are… quite interesting."
Sera shifted uncomfortably. There was something unsettling about Kael, though his manner was smooth and almost charming. It was the way he moved, the way the shadows seemed to cling to him as though they belonged to him, that made her wary.
"What are you?" she asked, her voice quiet but steady.
Kael's glowing eyes flickered, amusement dancing in them. "I am many things," he said cryptically. "But I suppose you could call me a wanderer of the shadows. I don't belong to any one place, not even Limbo. I simply… exist."
Damian stepped between them, his posture rigid. "You need to leave, Kael. Now."
Kael's smile faded slightly, but he nodded, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. "Very well, Damian. But I will be watching. I always am."
With that, Kael melted back into the shadows, his form dissolving into the mist as if he had never been there at all. The air around them grew still once more, but Sera could still feel his presence lingering, as though his eyes were watching from the darkness.
"Who was that?" Sera asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"An old… acquaintance," Damian replied, his tone tight. "Kael is not someone you should trust. He appears when it suits him and disappears just as easily. He's dangerous."
Sera frowned. "He didn't seem dangerous. Strange, maybe, but—"
"Don't be fooled by his charm," Damian interrupted, his gaze hard. "Kael is a manipulator. He enjoys chaos. He's been wandering Limbo for centuries, and no one truly knows why."
Sera's heart sank. Another enigma. As if Limbo wasn't already filled with enough mysteries, now there was Kael—someone who seemed to exist outside of the rules of this place, always watching, always lurking in the shadows.
Damian turned to face the corrupted soul once more, but the figure had vanished. The shadows where it once stood were still, as if Kael's presence had driven it away.
"For now, the threat is gone," Damian said quietly. "But it will return."
Sera swallowed hard. "And Kael?"
Damian's gaze darkened. "Kael will return as well. He always does."