The forest seemed endless. The mist dragged itself like a living veil at every moment, and each step carried Cairen and Ling deeper into a muffled world, where the air smelled of iron and rot.
Cairen always walked a few steps behind Ling. The silence between them grew with each passing day. She walked with a calm expression, often letting slip a cold smile whenever she found traces of beasts.
He, on the other hand, withdrew more and more into his own feelings.
The beasts they hunted along the way no longer surprised them. Feline beasts, boars, wolves, bears, and even mist birds had been slain, crushed by the princess.
Cairen did the same, but in a more methodical manner. The chains appeared, judgment descended, and the beasts were absorbed one by one, leaving not even their carcasses behind.
Over time, he noticed the difference. The fallen energy inside his body grew denser, his movements lighter.
