「One day later, deep within the Eastern Border Wilderness.」
The silhouette of the Rift Valley was barely visible through the morning mist, like a scar on the face of the Earth.
The cliffs on either side towered thousands of meters high, their gray-black rock faces covered in wind-eroded gullies.
The valley floor was quiet. No birds sang, no insects chirped. Even the wind was sliced into thin wisps by the towering cliffs.
Ian sat cross-legged in the center of the valley floor.
He had already used Witchcraft to flatten the ground and carve three concentric circles into it.
A dark silver light flowed along each line. The circles intertwined, forming a three-layered shielding Witch Array.
Gaga stood thirty meters from the Witch Array, perched on a jutting rock.
It kept its wings tucked in, its mismatched silver eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
Its left eye watched the valley entrance, while its right eye watched the sky.
