Ian woke with a start.
Not the panicked, flailing kind of wake-up. No, this was worse. A slow rise. Breath steady. Muscles locked. Like his body knew something was wrong before his mind could catch up.
And then he felt it.
A presence.
Far off. Somewhere deep in the east. Past the merchant wards. Beyond the Outer Rings. Near the black cliffs.
A gaze.
Cold. Starving. Curious.
It wasn't looking at him exactly, it was looking through him. Like a wolf sniffing at the wind, unsure if it's prey or predator it's sensing, but wanting to find out either way.
He didn't move. Not right away. He just sat there, cross-legged on the floor of his rented meditation room, staring into the shadow-drenched corners like they might answer for the weight pressing on his spine.
Was this what the others felt before they vanished?Because this... wasn't spiritual pressure. It wasn't intent. It was something older. Rawer.
Predation.
