The Obsidian Marsh did not burn.
It swallowed.
Mist coiled low across blackened wetlands, thick and unmoving, as though the air itself had drowned. Twisted trees with bark like polished stone rose from stagnant waters that reflected nothing—not sky, not light, not shadow.
Ethan stood at the edge of it.
Behind him, frost from the mountain still clung faintly to his boots.
Ahead—
Dark water.
Stillness.
"This place feels wrong," he muttered.
Lyssara's breath formed slow clouds. "It is a devouring territory."
Kaelith's crimson eyes gleamed faintly. "Shadow-saturated. But uncontrolled."
The system pulsed.
Territory: Obsidian MarshStatus: Minor Sovereign Domain (Unaligned)Dominance Level: 71% Abyssal SaturationPrimary Threat: Drowned Matriarch
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"Higher resistance than the ravine."
"Yes," Kaelith said quietly. "This place will not meet you head-on."
The first step into the marsh made no sound.
The water did not ripple.
It simply accepted his weight.
