The rain poured down in heavy sheets.
Holden stood in the mud, his Solar-Forged Sword held low at his side. The crimson edge cast a faint glow on the puddles at his feet. Behind him, the red warning lights were fading into a blurry smear. Out front, there was nothing to look at except dark trenches and the endless noise of the storm.
He waited.
His System screen sat open in the corner of his vision, passive scanning running at full capacity.
[Hostile Intent Detected: NONE]
[Anomaly Detected: NONE]
Eight hundred and forty-seven beasts surrounded him in the dark. Zero hostile intent from any human. Zero anomalies. The Void Mantle was doing its job perfectly.
But Holden wasn't looking at the System anymore.
He was watching the rain.
