Noctisardor Bypass sinister mist

uktark is already there.
he stands near the lake’s edge where stone cuts the wind, dark against the white the same way he always is. her scent reached him long before her steps did. unhurried. like she wanted to be seen.
he turns when she crests the rise, eyes settling on her without surprise. no greeting. no challenge. only acknowledgment.
you followed, he says, low.
his tail lifts once, controlled. not dominance.
this is the bypass, he continues, glancing once to the stone walls, the water, the trees that break the cold. you might grow to like it.