Kael opened his eyes and instantly felt the cold air brush past him, making him shiver slightly. Then the smell of death assaulted his nose, as if trying to drive him away from this place.
Looking around, he saw dead trees surrounding him. There were no leaves—only bald trunks, withered and pointed toward the ground. Some uprooted roots stretched out in one direction, as if the trees were trying to crawl away from the earth, drawn toward something unseen.
Kael looked down and saw fog covering the ground. He moved his feet, and the fog around him dispersed, revealing the lifeless soil beneath—dry, cracked, and devoid of energy.
Then the White Prime turned his gaze upward, staring at the night sky where dark clouds had gathered, hiding the moon and blocking its brilliance from touching the land.
Perking up his ears, Kael heard faint rustling and distant wailing, but when he turned toward the sound, all he saw were the dead trees swaying in silence.
