Hawk Eye

The crimson glow of the setting sun washed over the rolling hills of the dam as Oath trotted through the sparse woodland, his mismatched steps echoing his unsteady focus. His cyan eyes flickered with an unusual intensity, their brightness catching the last light of day like shards of polished glass. Yet, as he blinked rapidly to clear the persistent blur clouding his vision, he felt no clarity - only frustration.

He paused at the crest of a hill, trying his best to discern what was around him. Shadows danced erratically at the edges of his sight, warping the shapes of trees and boulders into something almost alive. It had started this morning - his vision swinging between sharp clarity and hazy distortion, leaving him with a splitting headache and a sense of foreboding. He couldn’t tell Atreyu about his condition yet, not until he understood what was happening. There was too much else to say.

The Syndicate’s heir. Zagan.

The name carried weight in his mind, like a storm rolling on the horizon. Their meeting had been unexpected, electric, and riddled with a thousand questions Oath wasn’t ready to answer. The way Zagan had spoken - his voice like velvet wrapping iron - still echoed in Oath’s mind, stirring thoughts and feelings he hadn’t fully untangled. Atreyu needed to know. She’d always been his anchor, the one who helped him sift through the mess in his head and make sense of the chaos.

Oath tipped his head back and let loose a howl, the sound carrying through the cold dusk air.

Lowering his head, Oath scanned the landscape again, his gaze flickering like a faltering flame. A streak of piercing clarity cut through the haze, allowing him to spot a distant silhouette against the twilight. Was it her? Or just another trick of his rebellious sight? He didn’t wait to find out, his heart quickening as he took off toward the figure.