Alex stood at the edge of the vast field, his senses extended to their limits. The grass beneath his feet shimmered with shifting hues that did not belong to any natural spectrum he had ever seen. Each blade reflected light differently, creating waves of color that moved slowly across the ground.
The distant rumble of conflict never stopped. It traveled through the soil and into his bones, steady and oppressive. He had only been there for a few heartbeats, yet the pressure of the place weighed on him from every direction.
He did not move.
His breathing slowed as he focused on control. The environment was unfamiliar, and the scale of power implied by the distant vibrations warned him against acting rashly. His awareness stretched outward, studying the air, the ground, and the faint distortions in space that occasionally flickered at the edge of perception.
Then he felt it.
A presence.
