Chapter 84: The Final Showdown at Nail Pond

The air at Nail Pond was thick and cold, heavy with a silence that felt older than the surrounding hills. It clung to the skin like a damp shroud, carrying the scent of stagnant water and decaying leaves. Damon Barlow strode through the gnarled trees, each step unnaturally quiet on the damp earth. The moonlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy, casting long, skeletal shadows that danced like specters. He emerged into the clearing that bordered the pond. The water was a sheet of polished...