The fog over Mount Narhild still hung thick, like the battle that had just taken place never happened. Morvhex's body, reduced to ash, left behind a slick black residue that seeped into the rocky ground, melting like acid, hissing as it sank. The air reeked of blood and sulfur, heavy and suffocating.
Reiner wiped his sword clean of the creature's remains. He was lucky—his blade hadn't shattered like Randal's. There was some rust, sure, but it hadn't dulled the edge. Still, his face stayed tense.
"I don't like this place," he muttered, eyes scanning the fog that slithered like it had a mind of its own. "That thing… it was just one piece of something bigger, wasn't it?"
Because in a place like this, monsters didn't just show up, they thrived.
Void, trailing behind, lit a small torch made of fire crystal. The orange glow sliced through the mist, revealing a narrow path that climbed toward the summit.
