The forest did not return to normal after the battle.
Even after the last of the Ruin Lurkers had fallen and their fading bodies dissolved into the surrounding earth, something in the atmosphere remained unsettled. It was not the kind of tension that came from danger alone, nor the lingering echo of violence. It was something quieter—more deliberate. The air itself seemed to hesitate, as though an unseen presence had claimed dominion over the space and was unwilling to release it.
Aether stood exactly where the battle had ended, his posture relaxed but his awareness fully extended. His eyes did not linger on the scattered remains of the beasts. Those were no longer relevant. Their purpose had already been fulfilled.
Instead, his focus had shifted.
From prey—
To predator.
