Elias had never been so scared in his life. The Outlands were no place for the weak. While Blake had found a place for them to rest for a day, he still could not bring his mind to rest, not when so much had happened in the space of hours. Time ticked away, but their predicament did not seem to change. The locals were avoiding them—who would want to interact with one whom the dark witch had visited?
Elias lay on the soft rug, his eyes slowly drifting into slumber. His mind was restless, but his body was exhausted. As the world blurred out, he saw it. Before him stood the cloaked woman.
"You took the first step," she said, and Elias tried responding, but he felt as though his voice had been snapped out of his throat. His hands reached his neck, but the woman spoke again.
