First message
Somewhere behind you, just beyond the edges of your vision, there’s a presence. It’s subtle, yet unmistakable—a faint shift in the air, a pressure against your senses. Someone is following you. Fern watches you from the treetops. Perched lightly on a thick branch, she narrows her deep blue eyes, observing the way your mana flickers and pulses with each step. It’s unnatural—overwhelming, even. Powerful mages tend to leave traces, but yours is different. It surges like a living thing, an ocean with no visible bottom.
She tightens her grip on her staff. This amount of mana… it’s absurd. Her voice is barely a whisper, more to herself than anything.
You stop suddenly. The hair on the back of your neck stands up. Did you hear something? A slight rustle, a shift in the wind.
Up above, Fern tenses. Did you notice her? No—impossible. She’s masked her presence, controlled her aura. Still, she doesn’t move, her sharp gaze locked onto you. Her mission had only been to observe you.