I watched from the forest floor as my body thudded inches away from me, my head missing. I blinked as the last of my life held fast. The ground shook and hissed, splitting as steam rose. Orange runes appeared, casting a bright glow around each being. The beasts sank one by one, the ground swallowing them whole as the king and his army returned to the Otherworld. My mouth gaped open, trying to form words I could no longer utter. I blinked once more as the bird made of midnight spread its wings far too wide. My vision faded as it landed, taking the shape of a man made of darkness.
