The Devourer's words remained in the air.
The thing that took you is still alive.
Arafial stood motionless.
The purple light in his eyes slowly began to weaken.
His fingers twitched.
The Nihilfire surrounding his hand flickered.
The Devourer noticed immediately.
Arafial looked down at the body he occupied.
For the first time, something had changed.
The vessel was resisting him.
His control was slipping.
His breathing changed.
The purple light inside his eyes began fading.
Blue slowly returned.
Arafial understood.
Traveler was coming back.
He looked toward the Devourer.
"Listen carefully."
The creature lowered its head.
"You cannot remain here."
The Devourer was silent.
Arafial's voice remained cold.
"This body is not mine to keep."
A pause.
"The human will return."
The Devourer understood.
Its twelve tentacles slowly lowered.
Arafial looked toward the distant mountains.
"You know where I need to go."
"Yes, Lord."
"Then wait for me."
The purple light flickered again.
Arafial's control weakened further.
His hand loosened.
The Nihilfire disappeared.
He took one final look at the Devourer.
"And do not reveal yourself to the humans."
The Devourer bowed its enormous body.
"As you command."
Arafial turned away.
His eyes flickered between purple and blue.
His voice became quieter.
"Leave."
The Devourer slowly disappeared into the forest.
Its twelve massive limbs vanished between the trees.
But before it disappeared completely, it looked back once.
Its Lord had returned.
Not completely.
But enough.
Then it was gone.
Silence returned to the forest.
Arafial remained standing alone.
The purple light disappeared.
His expression changed.
His body stumbled.
His hand caught against a tree.
His eyes closed.
Then—
blue.
Traveler opened his eyes.
He looked around.
The ruined forest surrounded him.
Broken trees.
Cracked ground.
No Devourer.
No Seris standing nearby.
No memory of the conversation.
Traveler touched his head.
A faint pain moved behind his eyes.
He looked toward the mountains.
Something inside him felt strangely familiar.
He didn't understand why.
He didn't know what had happened.
He didn't know that someone had called him Lord.
And he certainly didn't know that an ancient shadow had just found its master again.
Traveler took a slow breath.
Then he noticed something on the ground.
A single black mark burned into the earth.
He stared at it.
His expression remained cold.
He had no memory of making it.
But somewhere deep inside—
something remembered.
And then the sensation disappeared.
Traveler looked toward the mountains.
He began walking.
Behind him, hidden deep within the forest—
twelve enormous eyes opened in the darkness.
The Devourer watched.
Waiting.