They remained low behind the broken structure, their position partially concealed by a small bush that grew unevenly along the edge of the rubble, its presence unremarkable at first glance, just another piece of overgrowth blending into the quiet decay of the area, yet something about it caught Lucas's attention, not immediately, but gradually, like a faint inconsistency his instincts refused to ignore.
Even with the light fading and shadows stretching across the ground, his eyes lingered on it, narrowing slightly as he observed the texture and tone of the leaves, because there was a subtle difference, something off about the coloration, not just darker from lack of sunlight, but tainted, as though something had seeped into it and altered its very nature.
