As Highball approached the borders of Iredele, the mist that seemed to guard the town from the outside world parted just enough to make visibility clear for the huntress. The surrounding area was just as bleak as the village itself and it didn’t seem much was to be commented on given the circumstance.

The World of Wasted Dreams certainly lived up to its name. The twin blue moons hung high above the blackened sky like two ever present eyes watching the progress of all. The sounds of things crawling around in the dark filled the air on all sides though no sign of anything that could cause trouble was detected. Maria had mentioned monsters and it seemed like the God Hand was just but a glimpse of the horrors contained in this world.

The road was raggedy and barely recognizable as a pathway at all. Broken down shards of what looked like possibly train tracks littered wherever the huntress stepped and the ground creaked with each step they took. Soon though, the sound of pattering footsteps was heard through the mist, getting louder and louder with each shuffle until a bent over form appeared before Highball, just near the Ravine’s entrance.

A man with tattered clothing reached out blindly in the dark, the wisps of his shirt pulled back by either wind of something else, as if dragging him towards the single woman, approaching closer and closer with each unsteady step. Small mumblings escaped his dry throat before they were easily distinguished as cries of help.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes had been scratched out with what looked like a knife. A poor beggar, left out to wander and rot within this world, no better off than dead. He was a sad example of this world’s apathy and cruelty. He reached towards the huntress with curious arms, hoping these people could help in a time of need.

For Highball, she would feel something much more sinister in her step. The effects of her first exposure to the darkness of this world were beginning to creep all around her. Every corner was filled with light paranoia and it seemed as if the shadows themselves were watching her, specifically an overwhelming force that peered from behind the huntress.

It was the price for dwelling in this world for too long.
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[center][@Lugubrious][/center]