On the far side of the clearing, West and Sebastian stood their ground amidst the fading light of a dying day, the Portal behind them swirling open like a rip in the air itself. Forty apprentices poured through the breach one after another, breathless and wide-eyed, as the oppressive presence in the forest crept ever closer.
It should have been a retreat—but it felt like a hunt.
Every second, every step toward safety was bought with strained muscles and burning magic. And it was becoming increasingly clear that the elf wasn't trying to kill them outright.
He was playing with them.
The shadows thickened and crawled unnaturally across the forest floor. From their center emerged the elf—a tall, elegant silhouette with long dark hair, and skin pale as ivory. His face remained hidden beneath the folds of a dark hood, but the moment he moved, something else came with him.
Laughter.
