The ground beneath Ethan's feet shuddered, and the shadows that stretched along the land pulled away as if retreating from something unseen. The air thickened with a strange, suffocating pressure—not hostile, but expectant.
Then, the whispering returned.
But this time, it was not many voices speaking at once.
It was one.
"We were the first."
The earth groaned, and something beneath the ruins shifted.
"We are the last."
The cursed figures, the wretched souls twisted into silent watchers, all froze in unison. Their formless bodies quivered, and then, without warning, they bowed.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
Something was rising.
The cracks that had spread across the ruined land widened, spewing out dark mist that shimmered like liquid void. Ethan felt the weight behind it—a presence that had long since been buried, sealed, and forgotten.
But now, it was waking up.
And it was aware of him.