Damian's neck rotated enough to finally let his gaze fall on the source.
'When did–'
And there, just a few meters, sat a figure with its back toward him.
Black energy surrounded its form, like staring into a void that swallowed light.
'Who… is this?'
He tried to make out features, tried to see anything that might identify what he was looking at.
But the black energy made it impossible.
'Is it a Monster?'
The thought came immediately, but he dismissed it.
There were no signs of dimensional tears, spatial distortions or any form of reality warping near him.
The figure just sat there in the snow, like it has been there all along and Damian simply hadn't noticed until now.
'Then what–'
His breathing remained shallow, his body still locked in place.
But despite the paralysis, despite not knowing who or what this was…
'Why do I feel like this thing isn't here to hurt me?'
