Stepping onto the alien world, Umbra felt the shift immediately. The air was thick, almost oppressive; the skies above seemed to be unnaturally dark. Every step he took sent a pulse through the ground beneath his feet, a vibrating, almost electric power that he could feel in subtle tinglings. Something was off here, and he could feel it, deep inside the bone. His senses had always been sharp-skinned, quick to pick up on even the slightest disturbance. His eyes cut through surroundings-anything from movement to a whisper in the air told him that something was wrong.
Suddenly, he heard running footsteps. Turning around, he saw six young girls run up to him. Their faces were flushed, and eyes wide with fear. Their breaths came in ragged gasps as if they'd been running for their lives. Without much ado, they dropped to their knees in front of him, their voices breaking with desperation.
"Please," the eldest cried, "can you save us?"
