The jungle air hung heavy, thick with the cloying scent of decay. King Julian Ross, Ruler of Eldrida, dismounted his horse with a practiced grace that belied his growing unease. Before him lay a makeshift grave—the fifth they had discovered since sunrise.
"Looking at the bodies, it is as if there was never a drop of blood in them, Your Majesty," his guard whispered, his voice trembling. "There are no signs of a struggle, nor the marks of any predator we know."
Julian's piercing navy-blue eyes narrowed, his strong jaw clenching as he surveyed the silent clearing. "Has anyone come forward?"
"The locals remain silent, Sire," the royal guard replied. "None have seen or heard a thing. It is as if death itself simply... arrived."
"Summon the royal healer," Julian commanded, his voice cold and decisive. "I want answers, not ghost stories."
*The Arrival in Brindlemark*
While the King sought answers in the shadows of the trees, life continued in the bustling town of Brindlemark, nestled right at the jungle's edge.
A mysterious figure drifted through the thick of the crowd, moving with a fluid, uncanny stillness. Sofia Monarch stood a delicate five-foot-one, her skin so pale and flawless it seemed carved from fine porcelain, catching the midday sun with a soft glow. Her chestnut hair fell down her back in a silken cascade, swaying with every step.
But it was her eyes that halted the breath of anyone who caught her gaze—they were a piercing, vibrant red, shimmering like polished rubies as she watched the town's activity with a predatory, unwavering interest.