A crack of lightning stretched across the darkening sky in a flash of white light, and the consequent rumble upset the soft sands at her feet, sending it skittering down the slope of the dune she stood upon. The storm had arrived, and Valve did not intend to spend any more time as the tallest fixture in its path. There would come a day, she knew, when the gods would see fit to strike her down but today would not be it.

Instead, as she descended the dune she noticed a golden bay stallion limping in her direction. Orhan, her reclusive neighbor, looked much worse than the last time she had seen him. It was almost as though she conjured him with her fleeting thoughts of his mother’s death, though she hardly imagined he would be in such a state of dismay. The black mare’s eyes glimmered with anticipation as she closed the gap between them.

“I hoped you might be in better shape the next time we met,” she told him, with the faintest hint of empathy in her voice. Valve wasn’t mocking him—she did genuinely prefer those around her to be strong, whether they were friends or foes. Considering she wasn’t entirely sure which of those Orhan would be just yet, she preferred to appear amicable. At least, for now.

“I have no doubt you remember that tragic day,” she continued. “But I imagine you haven’t travelled this way to dredge up unfortunate memories.”

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine