The forests had long since given way to stone and shadow, and the jagged mountains behind us felt like they were watching, like black fangs biting into the horizon, reminding me there was no return. Every step forward pressed heavier on me—not from fatigue, but from restraint. It was a constant battle to keep my mana coiled tight within me, suffocated like a flame in a glass jar, while the dark energy seeped outward instead, masking my human presence.
It wasn't a clean mask. It was like tar oozing from my skin, thick and clinging, whispering every time I exhaled, gnawing at my thoughts in ways I was afraid to admit.
