Welcome

A shadowy figure stalked through the colorless forest, their lithe, slightly starved form slipping through the fog that endlessly coated the ground. The silence pressed in on all sides, an all-consuming void. No birds tweeted comforting songs, no frogs croaked in the distance, no wind whistled reminders of a living world.

Lostthistle paced around and around the circle of trees. Any moment now. This was the place of arrival, where trainees would come to learn the darkest arts. It had not been Lostthistle's choice, it was like a tether that prevented them from doing anything but move closer. But they didn't fight it anymore, they enjoyed it when they got the chance to meet the next generation of evildoers.

A pillar of light erupted from the ground in the very middle of the circular clearing, and Lostthistle's fur rustled in the silent blast. A silhouette appeared within it, and the light evaporated like the last licks of flame into the night.

"Welcome," Lostthistle cackled from behind a tree, their shadow morphing and twisting into large and demonic shapes as they flitted around the circle, not allowing themselves to be seen just yet. "from your friends on the other side."