The innkeeper shuffled along the winding path behind the inn, nervously glancing over his shoulder every few steps as he led Kyle and Silvy to the place where the barrier supposedly began.
The sun had dipped halfway beneath the horizon, casting long shadows over the village, and a sharp chill was beginning to creep into the air.
"This is the place. From here on, you can't go further without... consequences."
The innkeeper said, halting near an unassuming line where the grass grew a little duller and the wind seemed to stop altogether.
Kyle stepped forward and held his hand out, palm open as if he could catch the feeling in the air.
The shift in mana was subtle, but it was there.
A gentle hum at first, like static on his fingertips, quickly swelling into something heavier—a repulsion, as though the very air denied his presence.
"Silvy, can you feel anything?"
Kyle asked, not taking his eyes off the space in front of him.
