Ren lingered at the edge of the ridge, letting the wind whip against him. The forbidden land stretched below, jagged and dark, shadows pooling in hollows where no light should reach. The air carried a metallic tang, faint but persistent, like blood long settled into stone. The ring on his finger pulsed faintly, guiding him toward the heart of the convergence, the pulse of the calamity growing stronger with every step.
He moved forward carefully. The first slopes were loose rock and blackened soil, crumbling underfoot, forcing him to test each step. Shadows spread from him, coiling around the terrain to anchor his balance and sense the hidden currents beneath the earth. Even without the ring, he could feel the stirrings beneath the surface, tiny quivers that hinted at the power coiling below.
