Tessy's breath caught in her throat as she slowly raised her gaze, her body going rigid at the impossible sight before her.
The headless figure loomed mere inches away, his tattered garments whispering with each slight movement - the heavy woolen fabric frayed at the edges, the once-rich embroidery now faded to ghostly threads. The archaic cut of his clothing marked it as centuries old, yet the way the fabric hung from his shoulders suggested it had been worn until yesterday, the elbows worn thin and the cuffs stained with what might have been ancient blood or dirt.
A strangled whimper escaped Tessy's lips as she took in the full horror of his appearance. The empty space where his head should have been seemed to pulse with dark energy, while the rest of his form stood unnaturally still.
