Sensei vanished from sight as Tess and her teammates materialized, their bodies instantly transported from the mission base. The urgency of their task, to eliminate a formidable monster residing on the other side of the Vale, lingered strongly in their minds.
The new forest, shrouded in a veil of dimness, enveloped them with its enigmatic aura. Overhead, the low-hanging tree branches stretched out like an eternal canopy, obstructing their view, while an ethereal mist draped everything in sight, obscuring distant horizons.
The mist conjured memories for Tess, reminiscent of the wisps of vapor that danced within Petra's laboratory, much like the chilling frost that adorned the walls of a refrigerator. Waiting for the laboratory door to swing open had become her small yet cherished ritual, but since it was forever severed from her life, a void had emerged, impossible to fill. The lingering absence gnawed at her, a constant reminder of something lost, forever out of reach.
