After the confrontation, we didn't stop for long. The battle had left clear marks, not only on the terrain, but on the way the enemy acted. That was no longer a disorganized advance. There was intention, pattern, and control. And that changed everything.
We continued heading north, maintaining a steady pace. Not fast enough to create openings, but firm enough not to give the enemy space. The silence that followed us was no longer just tension. It was attention.
Rai'kanna walked ahead, as usual, her senses alert to any change. Scarlett remained by my side, observing not only the path, but the group's behavior.
"They didn't show up again," she said quietly.
"Not yet," I replied.
"They will."
"Yes."
There was no doubt.
What happened before wasn't an isolated attack. It was testing, response, adaptation. And now, they were probably evaluating the result.
"Did you feel it?" Rai'kanna asked without looking back.
"Yes."
Scarlett frowned slightly.
"Feel what?"
I stopped for a moment.
It wasn't something visible.
Nor a sound.
Nor a direct presence.
It was… pressure.
A constant sensation, subtle, but impossible to ignore. As if something was there, distant, but aware.
"It's not from here," I said.
Rai'kanna nodded.
"But it's connected to this."
Scarlett looked around.
"You think it's him?"
I took a deep breath.
"Not directly."
She stayed silent for a moment.
"But…"
"But it's his influence," I finished.
We kept moving.
The environment began to change gradually. Denser vegetation, heavier air, as if the very space was reacting to the presence of something greater.
The adventurers began to notice as well.
"This is strange," one of them said.
"No one lowers their guard," I replied.
We moved forward for a few more minutes until Rai'kanna suddenly stopped.
I raised my hand.
"Stop."
The entire group froze.
The silence became absolute.
And then…
It came.
Not as an attack.
But as a presence.
An invisible weight fell over everything around us. It wasn't overwhelming, but enough to lock the body for a moment. Breathing grew heavier. Senses sharpened.
Scarlett stepped closer.
"This…"
"Yes," I replied.
Rai'kanna smiled faintly.
"Now that's more like it."
But it wasn't excitement.
It was recognition.
I closed my eyes for a second.
That wasn't direct power.
It was something more controlled.
More distant.
As if someone was… watching.
"He's testing range," I said.
Scarlett looked at me.
"Without being here?"
"Yes."
Rai'kanna clenched her fist.
"Then he already knows about us."
"He probably knew before," I replied.
The weight increased for a brief moment.
And then…
It vanished.
Abruptly.
As if it had never been there.
The group took a few seconds to react.
One of the adventurers took a deep breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing you can face yet," Rai'kanna said.
I looked ahead.
"It was a warning."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"Or a provocation."
"Both."
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
That confirmed something important.
He wasn't just commanding.
He was present.
Even at a distance.
And that completely changed the scenario.
"He's following every movement," Scarlett said.
"Yes."
"And he's already started reacting."
"Yes."
Rai'kanna stepped forward.
"Then let's make it worth it."
I looked at her.
"This isn't about provoking."
"I know," she replied. "But it's not about retreating either."
I nodded.
She was right.
Retreating now would mean giving up the pace.
And that was exactly what we couldn't do.
"Let's keep moving," I said.
The group began to move again, but now with a much higher level of attention. No one spoke loudly. No one relaxed.
The sensation didn't return.
But the memory of it remained.
Every step now carried more weight.
Scarlett moved a little closer.
"You're going to face him."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"Even so… you're calm."
"It's not calm."
She looked at me.
"Then what is it?"
"A point of focus."
She stayed silent for a moment.
"Then keep it."
"I will."
Rai'kanna glanced back briefly.
"He wants to see how you react."
"Then he will," I replied.
We continued advancing until the end of the day, with no new attacks, no new direct signs. But that didn't mean safety.
It meant preparation.
When we finally stopped to set up camp, the atmosphere was different.
Heavier.
More real.
The adventurers were quieter, more alert. The sensation everyone felt had not been ignored.
And it couldn't be.
Scarlett sat beside me as the fire was lit.
"Now it's clear."
"Yes."
"This isn't just war."
"No."
I looked at the fire.
"It's a direct confrontation."
Rai'kanna approached.
"And he's already started."
I raised my gaze.
To the north.
Where everything was converging.
I took a deep breath.
There was no more doubt.
It wasn't just troop movement.
It wasn't just strategy.
It was presence.
It was awareness.
And above all…
It was intention.
"Then come," I said quietly.
Not as a provocation.
But as an answer.
Because now…
I was ready to be watched too.