A DARK EVIL FORCE

The old woman, still in shock, raised a trembling finger toward Cedric, her voice barely a whisper. "You… you're not real…" Her eyes darted between him and the rest of us, filled with disbelief.

But Cedric only chuckled, the sound low and confident. "Not real? Come now," he said, his voice smooth and unbothered. "You should have been expecting me." He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her. "After all the evil you've done here in this mountain—the way you've taken life just to protect the Devourer—it was only a matter of time."

His words cut through the air like a blade, and the old woman flinched, her finger lowering as if the weight of Cedric's presence was too much to bear. I watched her closely, the shock still painted across her face, but she was not ready to give in yet.