Chapter: 25. RAPHAEL.

****** The misty forest canopy blocked the afternoon sun, which was now at its lowest point, and cast an eerie light over the trees and the ground, which glittered like polished black obsidian. Shadows stretched long and sinuous as they snaked their way between trees, hiding behind rocks and bushes and even the barest hint of a fallen leaf. It took several minutes for the thick blanket to fade away, leaving a patchwork of color in its wake. The sky above the forest remained a clear azure with a few puffy white clouds floating slowly overhead, but beyond the treetops, the world had become a vast array of shades of grey, from deep cobalt blue to pale grey, to dull brown. This gave everything a strange, hazy sheen, making it appear all the more unreal and dreamlike. In the distance, the tops of small hills poked up through the fog, barely visible against the backdrop of the landscape. It wasn't until the wind picked up that the leaves started dancing, swaying gracefully back and forth, al