64

The mission III

Damien’s consciousness returned in waves, his mind sluggishly emerging from the thick veil of darkness. At first, he was aware of the ground beneath him—soft, earthy, and uneven.

The smell of damp leaves and the faint, mossy scent of the forest filled his nose. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, groaning as his body protested every movement.

He was lying In a clearing, the towering trees forming a natural wall around him. Sunlight trickled through the canopy, casting long shadows that danced on the ground.

For a moment, Damien just lay there, disoriented, trying to piece together how he’d gotten there. The last thing he remembered was being overrun by trolls and then… those figures. They weren’t human, that much he knew.

His heart skipped a beat. Where were they now? Where was he? Panic surged through him, and he sat up quickly, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

The clearing was eerily quiet. There was no sign of the people who had saved him, nor any indication of th