The shadows released Eren like reluctant lovers, their tendrils lingering before dissipating into the frigid air. He staggered forward, momentarily disoriented by the transition. Behind him, the portal collapsed with a sound like shattering glass, leaving only empty space where it had been.
A biting cold unlike anything he'd experienced in Moonlight or Thornvale struck him immediately. The air was thin and sharp, each breath painful in his lungs. Something small trembled against his chest—the humic that had hidden in his robes. Eren felt its tiny body shivering against his skin but made no outward indication of its presence.
'Stay hidden, little one,' he thought coldly. 'This place is not safe for either of us.'
