Order of the Elements

The trees stood tall and still, their trunks fading into the white veil that clung to the ground.

Fog blanketed the forest like a shroud – thick and endless – curling between roots and branches with ghostlike grace.

Step. Step. Step.

Footsteps echoed in the middle of the forest. Leaves rustled beneath every step.

The forest was silent... except for the sound of those slow, deliberate strides.

The fog grew even thicker, clinging to tree trunks and branches, making it nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.

Suddenly–

Tck!

A red line sliced through the mist.

Then another. And another.

Ten red beams cut through the fog in total – lasers, humming softly, sharp as razors in the gloom.