The first light of morning crawled through the shutters of Luther's room, streaking stripes across the wooden floor. He had been awake for a while, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling with a scowl that could curdle milk. His mind refused to settle on the mundane beginnings of the day, staying instead with Alisa's words from the dream world, echoing like an insistent drumbeat. "Enferi Forest. the emerald crystals. the connection to the black crystal."
Groaning, he rolled onto his side only to hear the cutting, metallic voice of his ever-loyal demonic sword.
"And what, pray tell, are you thinking? That you'll just stroll into the forest alone? HA! You really think so?"
Luther rolled his eyes and dragged himself to sit up. "I'm thinking that if I don't go, nobody else will. So yes… I will go… alone-ish."
