The rain poured down in torrents, drenching the already darkened landscape. The forest, once teeming with life, now lay in eerie silence, devoid of any sound save for the relentless downpour. Not a single creature stirred, as if the world itself held its breath.
All but one.
A lone figure stood beneath the storm, his black cloak blending into the shadows, the hood obscuring his face. He was the man who had turned the dark portal red.
Still and unmoving, he stood before a splintered tree—one that Kael had broken just the day before. His gaze, cold and calculating, lingered on the point of impact, studying it as though searching for something unseen. The wind howled through the branches, but he remained unfazed.
