Thick, ink-black fog permeated the surroundings.
Wisps of it coiled around the thick, grotesque tree trunks. The fog seemed alive, writhing gently and giving off a damp, decaying stench. Deep within the mist-shrouded forest, a pair of eyes glowed an eerie green, like two ghostly flames flickering in the darkness with a chilling coldness.
"Who's there?"
The gaze from within the Dark Forest did not feel friendly, so the Young Wizard immediately drew his wand. The moment their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze.
Ian could clearly sense the confusion contained in the other party's gaze.
"Who are you?"
he asked in a low voice, which echoed through the silent forest. Yet the other party did not answer. Those eyes merely continued to stare at Ian quietly, as if trying to see through something.
"An outsider wizard," a hoarse voice sounded from where the eyes gleamed, yet it also seemed to come from every direction at once. Even the river water nearby seemed to carry the words along in repetition.
The owner of those strange pentagonal eyes slowly moved forward. The fog formed a vortex around her, wrapping her entire body, though Ian could sense that she was an elderly woman.
"You do not belong to the realm of the dead."
She stared at Ian in confusion, her eyes full of contemplation.
"I'm merely passing through."
Ian kept his wand steady while secretly using his toe to draw a concealed Protective Rune on the ground. "If this forest is your territory, then I'll—"
Before he could finish speaking,
the old witch seemed to have reached a decision.
"Passing through?"
The old witch suddenly let out an incredibly piercing laugh. With that laughter, the entire Dark Forest came alive. Twisted trees opened the scarred knots in their bark, revealing eyeballs