"If it's not attacking," Van Dijk said, his voice low and measured, each word carrying the weight of caution, "then we probably should just leave it be. There's no sense in provoking something we don't understand."
Ludwig was about to nod in agreement, his mind already aligning with his master's reasoning. The creature they had stumbled upon was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a shadow-given form, a writhing mass of darkness that seemed to pulse and breathe, its edges flickering like smoke caught in a breeze. It didn't move, didn't attack, but its presence was oppressive as if the very air around it was heavier, denser. Ludwig couldn't shake the feeling that it was watching them, even though it had no visible eyes.