“We caught him sneaking around in the forest,” the elven ranger says, gesturing to the unconscious human at her feet.

The man is pale, dressed as a hunter, with confiscated weapons lying nearby. He stirs faintly, groaning as his hand drifts toward the spot where he was struck.

“We believe he was here to hunt one of our Xadian creatures—likely for dark magic,” she continues. Her voice hardens. “He’s too dangerous to release. Humans are our enemies, and it’s fortunate we stopped him before he could cause any harm.”