Found

As dawn broke, a path emerged within the forest, carved by the habitual tread of animals. Towering trees and bustling plants surrounded the trail, each absorbed in their daily rhythm of growth and sway. The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, and the distant calls of unseen creatures added to the tension.

Along this natural corridor, a group of armed hunters proceeded cautiously, their eyes scanning the lush canopy. The leader, a burly man named Joran, held up his hand, signaling the group to halt.

"Stay sharp, everyone. We're deep in their territory now," Joran whispered.

Malgrave followed closely, his presence almost as silent as the mist. His sharp gaze took in every detail of the surroundings. His companion, the formidable beast called Shadow Gaze Howler, moved with a predatory grace, its eyes reflecting the emerging light, watchful and relentless.

"Keep moving," Malgrave ordered, his voice a low growl. "We don't have time to waste."

Suddenly, a beast lunged from the underbrush with ferocity, its mouth agape, aiming for Malgrave from behind. But in a swift motion, Howler intercepted with a swipe of his mighty paw. The assailant was met with a force it could not have anticipated, and in the ensuing silence, a shadow emerged from the fallen beast, a spectral executioner that dispatched its prey effortlessly, without so much as a whisper of sound.

Seeing the dead body of the beast that had tried to ambush Malgrave, Joran turned to him, his voice barely above a whisper. "We are reaching the end of the outer forest. From here, it will get harder to kill the beasts."

The hunters, who were leading the way, halted abruptly, their senses heightened by the sudden cry of Malgrave's underling. Silently, they tightened their grip on their weapons, sharing an unspoken understanding.

With renewed vigilance, they continued their march, each step intentional. They knew that the inner forest beast was like no other.

After a few hours, the hunters were tired and were breathing heavily. The ordeal had taken its toll; even the simplest task of felling a beast had become a herculean effort. Exhaustion clung to them like a second skin, and yet, Malgrave forbade even the briefest respite.

"Not even a moment to catch our breath?" Rolan muttered under his breath, his frustration boiling over.

In a moment of defiance, Loran's frustration boiled over. He kicked at the ground, his sword clattering beside him, eyes burning with fatigue and anger. "Why is no one speaking up? We're all spent, craving rest," he declared, voice laced with desperation. "I will not take another step forward. Consider this my departure from this expedition!"

Malgrave observed the scene, his visage a mask of barely contained fury. But before Loran could react, it was not Malgrave who stood beside him, but Shadow Gaze Howler. In an instant, darkness enveloped the man, and without a sound, his life was extinguished. A sinister silhouette emerged from the void, assuming the form of the deceased. With a gruesome act, it devoured the man's head, and then, just as swiftly, the shadow retreated, merging back into the formidable presence of Shadow Gaze Howler.

Seeing one of them getting killed in front of their eyes helplessly, the remaining members of the group were paralyzed with fear. They stood motionless, their bodies quivering, a silent testament to the terror that gripped their hearts. Words failed them, and in that moment, they understood the unyielding rule of Malgrave: obedience was not a choice, but a means of survival.

The grim spectacle served as a stark warning to the rest: dissent against Malgrave would not be tolerated. They stood, a silent congregation bound by fear, their wills subjugated. Each order from Malgrave now carried the weight of an unspoken threat, and they obeyed, not out of loyalty, but out of a primal survival instinct.

Trapped in the heart of the forest, the group faced a dire predicament. While they might stand a chance against the natural beasts of the woods, Shadow Gaze Howler was a different entity altogether—a spectral force beyond their mortal means to combat.

The very air around them seemed to whisper caution, a reminder that the Howler was not just a creature but a manifestation of Malgrave's dark will, a sentinel of silence and swift retribution.

"Is that... a barrier?" Rolan asked, his voice trembling.

Malgrave's smile cut through the tension like a blade, sending a chill down the spines of the hunters. It was a silent message, a cruel acknowledgment of their plight, and in that moment, they realized that starting this hunt had been their mistake.

The previously peaceful forest, once a sanctuary of silence and tranquility, was now disrupted by the relentless pursuit of the hunters. Their attack on the woodland creatures had come at a great cost; lives were lost in the violent struggle, leaving only a few to witness the consequences of their intrusion.

Shadow Gaze Howler led the group, its movements a blend of menace and grace. With a sudden stillness, it stopped, causing the weary hunters behind to halt immediately.

Before them, an unseen barrier lay in wait, an obstacle that forbade passage, a silent decree that their journey was not to proceed unchallenged.

"What do we do now?" Tyron asked, his voice barely masking his fear.

"We proceed with caution," Malgrave said, his eyes fixed on the invisible obstacle ahead. "Stay close and do not act without my command."

Their only path forward was to tread lightly under the oppressive gaze of the Howler, hoping to avoid invoking its deadly attention once more. Each step echoed with the weight of their fear, the silent congregation bound by the unspoken rule of survival.