Silent and frightening, the ruins loomed before Zara and Elias. Their hearts appeared to beat in time with the dim brightness of the Nexus. Zara gripped her pendant tightly, its warmth providing a tiny reprieve from the night's intense chill.
"Have you heard that?" Zara hardly raised her voice above a whisper.
Elias stopped and leaned his head slightly to listen, catching the distant sound of footsteps and the gentle rustling of leaves. His palm tightening around his sword's hilt, he whispered, "We are not alone."
The Quiet Hunter
They proceeded slowly, each step deliberate, each sound amplified in the quiet. Once powerful and majestic, the ruins now loomed like skeleton remains, their shadows shifting in the little moonlight.
The quiet was broken by a gentle laugh that made Zara shiver.
Her voice was shaking as she said, "Did you hear that?"
Elias gave a nod. "Remain near."
Abruptly, a silhouette arose from the darkness. A man with a hood covering his face, dressed in frayed robes. L
