Things continued to unfold in ways Kirain hadn’t anticipated. Since retrieving the rune with Aelia, they had followed a faint trail that led them to this quiet, unsettling place. The night pressed down around them, the meager glow of the moon sending a shiver along her spine. She disliked it, every inch of it, yet still she pressed onward, determined to find whatever it was she had been bid to seek.

Others were with her, though none seemed particularly inclined to conversation. Perhaps silence was fitting for the haunting territory they now walked. Even so, there was a sliver of comfort in not being alone.

When they came upon the body, she froze, a frown tugging at her maw. The poor creature must have suffered terribly before its death; she prayed the spirits had guided its soul to peace, and that its body would soon return to the earth. Yet the light spilling from its mouth and eyes was… wrong. Unsettling. What could possibly cause such a thing?

As she lingered, torn between fear and curiosity, a figure strode forward and began to tear at the corpse. Their movements were jerky, unnatural. Concern prickled sharp in her gut. Slowly, cautiously, Kirain edged closer, torn between watching the figure and staring at that eerie glow.

Hello? Are you alright, darling? she called gently, her voice unsteady. I… I don’t think you should be doing that. It doesn’t seem safe. We have no idea what that light is.

Her words seemed to vanish into the night, unheard by the she-wolf who continued her grim work. Shifting position, Kirain crept nearer to the corpse’s mouth, peering into the glow. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find, or if she even wanted to know, but it was far too late to turn back now.