As Leslie, Damien, Fenrir, and Martin arrived at the fortress, a palpable silence met them—a silence that hung heavily in the air, broken only by the faint crackle of torches flickering in the darkness. The stench of blood hit them first, thick and metallic, clinging to every breath. Then came the sight itself. Bodies lay strewn across the room in grotesque positions, their faces frozen in terror, eyes wide, some with hands clawing toward the walls as if in a desperate attempt to escape.
Leslie's hand flew to her mouth, and she fought back a wave of nausea. The sight was unlike anything they'd ever encountered, even on the bloodiest of battlefields. The scene was beyond violent—it was a nightmare come to life.