As they stepped through the dungeon gate, the world changed. The familiar clearing outside disappeared, and the colors around them shifted into a deep, vibrant green. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine, nothing like the cold tundra they had been expecting.
Nova's boots sank slightly into the soft grass. The ground had a spring to it, and he took another step to make sure he hadn't imagined the feeling. Tall trees loomed around them, their canopies thick enough to filter the sunlight into scattered patches across the forest floor. Vines curled around the trunks, moss covered the rocks, and a faint mist hung between the roots.
It was beautiful, but it wasn't what Marcus had shown them during training.
Nova slowly turned his head, examining the trees and the uneven ground. He had expected snow, bare stone, and wolves charging across an open field. Instead, there were too many places for something to hide, and the trees limited how far he could see.
