The thud was deafening, echoing through the twisted trees like the strike of a war drum. Aiden and Emmeranne both turned sharply toward the sound, Emmeranne's sword drawn, instincts on high alert.
It wasn't Lopt.
The figure that emerged from the settling dust was taller and colder. His presence devoured the light around him. Black robes trailed across the forest floor like creeping vines, and his face, though familiar, had something monstrous lurking beneath the skin. The way he walked was silent, but the air seemed to scream around him.
His face was gaunt and pasty like he looks dead.
Aiden took a step back before he even knew he was moving.
No. It couldn't be.
It was.
"Karro," Aiden whispered.
