Nina, after making all her preparations, looks up at the tree line outlining the border of the Shadowfen. Clutching the amulet and map, she steps into the dark forest. The air immediately feels different - heavy, suffocating, filled with a palpable sense of dread. The vibrant greens and blues of the Porthaven countryside are replaced by a murky twilight, the trees twisted and gnarled, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out from the gloom. Even Rex walks with his head low, his ears pricked, and his senses on high alert. The path, though marked on the map, is barely visible, swallowed by the encroaching shadows. Whispers, barely audible at first, begin to weave through the air, insidious and unsettling, promising secrets and power, tempting her to stray from the path.
The first few hours pass without incident, the silence punctuated only by the crunch of Nina's boots on the soggy earth and Rex's soft panting. the amulet around her neck feels warm, a small comfort in the oppressive atmosphere. But as the sun begins to set, casting long, distorted shadows that dance and writhe like living things, the whispers intensify. They become voices, murmuring names, weaving tales of lost souls and forgotten magic, promising untold power if only she would follow their seductive calls. Nina, though armed with Kael's amulet, feels a growing unease, a creeping fear that threatens to overwhelm her.
Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes pierce the gloom ahead. A creature emerges from the shadows - a hulking werewolf, covered in shadows. Its form shifting and indistinct, its eyes burning with malevolent intent. It snarls, a sound that seems to echo the whispers, and lunges at Nina. Rex barks, launching himself at the shadow creature, teeth bared, but the shadow wolf is faster, stronger, its form flickering and twisting as it evades Rex's attack. Nina, her heart pounding, raises her hands, summoning a protective shield of shimmering light. The creature slams into the shield, its claws tearing at the shimmering surface, but the shield holds. For now.