Far away from the mysterious lands of Blackvale, and away from the gods' scrutiny, lay a sea too quiet in a way that felt wrong.
The waves came in slow, deliberate motions, rolling toward the blackened shore. Each crest broke softer than it should have, the sound dulled, like the world itself had been muffled, such that the wind hesitated. It moved in thin, uncertain breaths, brushing across the surface of the water without daring to disturb it.
At the edge of the shore, where dark sand met the tide, a creature stood unmoving. The hem of his cloak trailed just at the line where the water touched land, yet it did not stir. Not with the wind. Not with the sea.
It simply… remained. His gaze rested on the horizon, but it didn't seem like he was either watching or searching. There was no urgency in him. No restlessness, or a sign that anything in the world could force him into motion before he chose it.
