The night wind twisted dead leaves into whirling vortices in the air, like some ominous portent.
Luna's back pressed against the rough trunk, her nails digging deep into the bark.
She stared at the man who was waking up, a wave of fear crashing over her.
The man's fingers were twitching, each knuckle cracking with a teeth-grinding "crack, crack" sound.
Beneath his pale skin, web-like blue-violet veins surfaced, as if worms crawled beneath the surface.
Then, he began to pound his own temples violently with his knuckles, each blow brutal.
She couldn't help but wonder if he was going to smash his own skull in.
"Hhhhhh..."
The sudden intake of breath sounded like a bellows tearing itself apart.
In the instant Mael Valerius opened his eyes, the entire forest's chorus of insects went eerily still.
"Luna...?"
He suddenly let out a manic laugh, "No, no, no, how could my Luna be this ugly?"
