The group journeyed deeper into the fragmented shadow world.
The terrain subtly shifted.
The ground beneath their feet grew more uneven, patches of cracked obsidian-like stone jutting out from the mist. The trees- if they could be called that, despite how unearthly, dark, and unalive they looked- began appearing more frequently.
Some even had hollow, gaping trunks that breathed out faint wisps of shadow, exhaling wisps of darkness poison. The farther they walked, the heavier the air became, not just from the cold but from something more… pressing.
It was the sensation of being watched- not by one, but by many.
"I can't tell if we're in a forest or a cemetery…" Aila whispered, tiptoeing between roots that snaked across the terrain like coiled serpents.
The air was dense, and they couldn't fly easily. They would have to expend more energy than usual.
"Same thing," Bylai quipped, arms folded behind her back, "Especially if we're the ones who are about to die here."
