Victor remained motionless on the broad branch of a black tree, silently observing the surrounding forest. The environment of the Ascension Area was far worse than it had appeared in the holograms previously displayed inside Headquarters. The air there had a constant smell of old blood mixed with dampness, rotten earth, and residual magical energy. The trees were enormous, completely twisted, with dark bark resembling burnt charcoal. In various parts of the forest, partially exposed roots were covered by something resembling red veins pulsing slowly beneath the surface.
The sky was also strange.
There wasn't exactly a sun above that artificial territory. Just a grayish light scattered by the dense clouds, as if the entire region were permanently trapped in a dead late afternoon. Victor could hear creatures moving in distant areas of the forest while cold winds slowly swept across the territory.
But that didn't matter much at that moment.
