BZZZZZZT—
BZZZZZZT—
BZZZZZZT—
A low, droning hum spread slowly across the skies above Emerald Castle.
It didn't sound like thunder. It wasn't the crackle of energy either. It was deeper—like something ancient and vast was drawing near, brushing against the very fabric of the world.
The castle's defensive barrier, still in the middle of recalibration, was the first to react. The air rippled faintly, as if an invisible hand had stirred it.
And then—
A figure appeared, suspended high in the sky.
Its form was unforgettable—and impossible to categorize.
A drooping dog's head, with narrow, icy eyes.
A bear's hulking torso, its skin weathered like stone worn down by centuries.
Limbs shaped like a goat's, joints bent the wrong way, twisted and unnatural.
And embedded in its abdomen—
A leopard's head, eyes closed, but subtly rising and falling in sync with the creature's pulsing energy.
It just hovered there, like something stitched together by force, never meant to exist.
