The night forest was drowned in silence. There was a faint rustle of leaves and the distant call of night birds.
In the center of a vast pit, a huge tree stood, its bark blackened and roots twisted like serpents clawing inside the earth. Around it lay chaos turned still.
Dozens of monster corpses, their limbs bent at unnatural angles, blood soaking into the soil.
The stench of iron filled the air. A massive beast, the size of a house, lay collapsed near the roots, its crimson eyes now dull and lifeless.
Only two figures remained standing amidst the carnage.
Selena and Jareth.
Both were drenched in blood. Not all of it their own. Their chests heaved with exhaustion, breaths sharp and uneven. Selena's once-silver hair was now dyed red with blood, her blade trembling slightly in her grip.
Jareth stood a few paces behind her, one hand pressed against a wound in his side, eyes fixed on the tree as if making sure another monster was not hiding there.
