Salem's Prescence

The being before us, be it God, woman or some demon, came with its own insidious presence. It washed over me like a wave of cloying nausea, except that it had a weight to it, for it forced me down onto one knee.

—B2C12


Two red eyes appeared from within, followed by a pale face.

But it was the presence that struck the hardest. My heart froze, my lungs too, and it felt like the blood in my body might cease to circulate. The people behind me gasped and sagged, releasing me, but I no longer had the power to move at all. A great, crushing, weight pushed down on my shoulders and each breath was tortured.

—B4C12


Salem.

Everyone gasped as her presence hit them, causing them to trip and stagger for a moment, Ruby even falling to hands and knees before she tried to move, barely able to force herself up onto one knee.

—B6C8


"I will release my presence from three of your companions." Her eyes strayed to the balcony the others were behind and she grinned, making sure I knew they hadn't fooled her. "Pick your representatives and I shall free them to face mine."

[...]

I eventually came to a halt not three metres from her. So close, her presence was even more overwhelming and my breath came out in light gusts of frosted air

—B4C13