Seth's steps faltered as a sudden, inexplicable chill coursed down his spine.
It wasn't the icy terrain beneath his boots or the bitter wind brushing his skin, it was something deeper, primal, a feeling that settled in his gut like a coiled snake ready to strike.
He froze, scanning his surroundings.
There was no visible threat, no movement among the icy expanse, yet the sensation persisted.
His breath misted in the frigid air as his heart quickened.
"Zera," he said, his voice low and tense.
"Something's wrong."
[Describe it,] Zera's voice was calm and analytical, but there was an undertone of curiosity.
Seth's hand instinctively hovered near his chest, where the parasite thrummed faintly, almost like a second heartbeat.
"It's like… I'm being watched. Not by something. By someone."
The chill deepened, accompanied by an inexplicable certainty that he wasn't sensing a threat, he was sensing an enemy.
