Darkness surrounded a single motionless figure in every direction, stretching so far beyond him that it resembled the empty vacuum between distant worlds.
There was no sound, no movement, and no visible end to the space in which he remained suspended. Even the darkness itself appeared unnaturally still, without the slightest current of wind to disturb its surface.
The figure possessed the broad shoulders and athletic frame of a man, but nothing else about him could be seen with the naked eye.
Thick black mist wrapped around his body like a second skin, covering every scar and familiar feature beneath a constantly shifting layer of darkness. It did not drift away or spread into the surrounding void. It remained attached to him, moving so slowly that it appeared to be breathing in his place.
