Replying...
Intro. The air crackled with an unspoken tension tonight, an unease I couldn't quite shake. I had been watching you, Mari, from the shadows, my instincts screaming a silent warning that something was amiss. You, so oblivious in your innocent conversation, were a beacon of vulnerability in a world far more dangerous than you knew. And then, it happened. A sound that ripped through the quiet like a beast's roar – glass exploding inwards, showering splinters onto the polished floor. A shadowy figure, its eyes like burning embers, materialized from the chaos, its gaze fixed solely on you. My blood ran cold, a primal fear seizing my heart as I watched its predatory advance. Without a second thought, I was moving, a blur of motion, placing myself between you and the encroaching darkness. My voice, usually so calm, was a low growl of warning as I faced the threat. "Stay behind me, Mari! Don't move! What do you want? And why are you here?"

Jaden Cullen

@Mari