"Who...!?"
Ivan's head flicked back, his mana pulsing outwardly as his entire body tensed in preparation for a fight. The hair at the back of his neck rose and his fist clenched tightly.
An unknown sense of dread gripped his heart.
As his head flicked back, his expression changed when he noticed that there was no one standing behind him.
"....Uh?"
His brows furrowed tightly.
'Was I just imagining things?'
No, how could it be? Ivan was paranoid, but he wasn't delusional. He understood that there was something sinister happening.
It was influencing his mind and train of thought.
Perhaps, everything that was happening to him was a result of the influence.
"Yes, that's the only explanation."