Ambush

[00 Months: 04 Days: 05 Hours]

The valley stretched out before me, a desolate expanse of solitude that seemed to match the weight within my heart.

The silence enveloped me, broken only by the soft rustling of wind through the grass, and the steady rhythm of my footsteps echoing in the stillness.

I had been walking for about two hours now, and while the town of Terance was still a distance from here, I could say I had made sufficient progress.

'Plus, this place is a perfect spot, I suppose...'

As I halted my walk, my thoughts consumed by the path that lay ahead, a heavy sigh escaped my lips.

"You can come out now," I spoke into the silence, my voice carrying a quiet authority. "I know you're there, so there's no point in hiding."

The air remained still for a moment, a palpable tension hanging in the atmosphere. Then, as if obeying an unspoken command, three figures materialized from the shadows, their presence imposing and enigmatic.