The question lingered like a persistent itch in both their minds, refusing to be ignored despite their successful escape.
Who threw the orb back inside?
Leon expanded his spatial awareness to its maximum range, the invisible sense spreading outward like ripples in a pond. He swept the area methodically, searching for any trace of whoever had interfered with their navigation marker. A footprint in the dirt, a lingering scent, a disturbed branch – anything that might provide a clue.
The forest around the mist's edge was pristine. No broken twigs, no compressed grass, no sign that anyone had stood here recently except for themselves. The afternoon sun filtered through normal, non-twisted trees, casting dappled shadows that danced with the breeze. Birds chirped in the distance, their songs almost startlingly normal after the oppressive silence of the mist.
Nothing, Leon thought with frustration. Whoever did this left no trace at all.
