When Ahcehera moved deeper into the woods, the atmosphere shifted. The vibrant hum of life faded, replaced by an eerie silence.
The trees here were twisted, their bark blackened as though scorched by an invisible fire. The ground beneath her feet felt cold and damp, even though no rain had fallen recently.
Ahcehera activated her scanner, the holographic display glowing faintly as it mapped the terrain and detected energy fluctuations.
The results were immediate.
Dark energy signatures spiked all around her, their intensity growing stronger the further she ventured.
"This place is saturated with it," she muttered, her eyes narrowing. "No wonder those beasts were drawn here."
The scanner's analysis provided further insight, the energy wasn't natural.
It bore the hallmark of artificial manipulation, likely the result of experiments gone awry or a catastrophic release of unstable power.
