Nothing moved.
Not the leaves.
Not the branches.
Not even the wind.
It was as if the forest itself had stopped breathing.
The wolves no longer circled.
They lowered their bodies slightly—
Not in aggression.
In submission.
Takemi felt it immediately.
That shift.
"…This isn't normal…"
Step.
It echoed.
Not loudly.
But unnaturally clear.
Step.
The ground didn't just react—
It sank slightly under the weight.
But the figure wasn't large.
That was the first thing that felt wrong.
From the deeper shadows—
Between trees where light refused to reach—
A figure stepped forward.
Humanoid.
But not human.
Its frame was tall—
Slightly hunched.
The right side of its body—
Whole.
Clothed in tattered dark fabric that hung like burned cloth.
But the left—
Gone.
Not missing—
Eaten.
Flesh torn open as if something had devoured it from within.
Ribs exposed.
But not clean bone—
Blackened.
Veined with pulsing, dark energy.
Something moved beneath the exposed structure.
Not organs.
Something… alive.
Shifting.
Breathing.
Its face was covered.
A mask.
White.
Smooth.
But cracked.
Thin fractures spread across its surface like spiderwebs—
And from those cracks—
A faint red glow leaked.
Where eyes should be—
Two hollow openings.
Deep.
Endless.
Watching.
"…So…"
Its voice echoed.
Not from its mouth.
From everywhere.
Layered.
Distorted.
"…This is where you've come."
Rauk stepped forward instinctively.
"…What the hell are you—"
"Don't."
The word came softly.
But it carried weight.
Rauk froze.
Not because he was afraid—
Because his body refused to move.
Takemi's grip tightened.
The handle reacted.
Faintly.
A flicker of light—
Then stillness.
The humanoid tilted its head slightly.
"…Ah…"
A pause.
"…So it's you."
Takemi frowned.
"…What are you talking about?"
The figure took another step.
The wolves shifted slightly behind it.
Perfectly aligned.
"…You may call me…"
A slight pause.
"…Veyrith."
The name lingered in the air—
Like something that didn't belong.
Without moving its hands—
Without giving a command—
The wolves repositioned.
Not randomly.
Strategically.
Blocking escape routes.
Creating pressure.
"…You control them…" Lira whispered.
"…Control?" Veyrith tilted its head.
"…No."
A faint sound escaped it.
Something between a breath and a laugh.
"…They understand."
Her hands trembled slightly.
"…This is different…"
Not like the others.
Not like the corrupted beasts.
This—
Was something else entirely.
Takemi stepped forward slightly.
"…You attacked the caravans."
"…Yes."
No denial.
No hesitation.
"…Why?"
Silence.
Then—
"…To see."
Rauk blinked.
"…To see what?"
Veyrith's head tilted again.
"…How far it has spread."
"…How strong it has become."
"…How close we are."
Lira's eyes narrowed.
"…We?"
The mask turned slightly toward her.
"…You ask good questions."
Then—
Veyrith looked back at Takemi.
And for the first time—
The red glow behind the mask intensified.
"…But you…"
A pause.
"…You are the more interesting one."
Takemi didn't flinch.
"…You're talking like you know me."
"…I know of you."
That hit differently.
"…The one who carries it…"
Veyrith said softly.
"…The one who stands before the inevitable."
Takemi frowned deeper.
"…Speak clearly."
"…No."
A soft, distorted sound followed.
"…That would ruin the moment."
"…There is something sleeping beneath this world."
Veyrith continued.
"…Something sealed."
"…Something that remembers."
The forest seemed to grow darker.
"…And you…"
The mask turned fully toward Takemi.
"…are walking toward it without even knowing."
Takemi's grip tightened.
"…If you're trying to scare me—"
"…No."
The answer came instantly.
"…I am observing."
A pause.
"…And confirming."
"…Confirming what?" Lira demanded.
Silence.
Then—
"…That the prophecy did not fail."
The word lingered.
Prophecy.
Takemi's eyes narrowed.
"…What prophecy?"
Veyrith didn't respond.
Instead—
It looked up slightly.
As if listening to something far beyond them.
"…You were not told."
Almost… amused.
"…Of course you weren't."
A faint crack spread across the mask.
Light leaked out.
Brighter.
"…That makes this more interesting."
The air shifted.
The wolves tensed.
Veyrith's voice dropped slightly.
"…Now…"
"…Let us see—"
A pause.
"…if you are worth the attention."
The trees creaked.
The ground felt heavier.
Even the air resisted movement.
Takemi stepped forward.
Blade flickering—
Trying to form.
"…Guess talking's over."
Veyrith raised its hand—
And for the first time—The dark energy within its body surged outward.
The wolves howled.
Not wildly—
In unison.
As if answering a call.
And the forest—
Answered with them.