The night was silent, but the stillness was heavy, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath. I crouched beside the glowing runes Orrin had helped me carve into the stone ring. The soulbind trap was ready. All that was left now was to wait.
The red-eyed beast had stalked the edge of the Vale for weeks. It came closer each night, its growls growing louder, its breath brushing the edges of my wards. I could feel its hunger—but more than that, its confusion. This wasn't just a creature of rage. There was something broken inside it, something lost.
Tonight, I would face it.
Orrin had warned me. "If the trap holds, you must not look away. You must face what hides behind the eyes."
The sky darkened to a deeper shade of blue. The moon hung low and heavy, silver light painting the forest floor in long shadows. I could feel the pendant against my chest pulsing, steady like a heartbeat. I crouched lower, my breath even, muscles tense.
Then, it came.
