Two days later, inside the Valley of Silence …
The valley, once a cursed and oppressive place, had transformed dramatically in the two days since the crystal's destruction. The air, once thick with malevolent energy, was now crisp and clear, as if the land itself was beginning to heal from the darkness that had plagued it for so long. The twisted trees and gnarled roots that had lined the valley's paths seemed to be slowly returning to a more natural state, their grotesque shapes softening as the dark energy that had corrupted them dissipated.
Of course, that was not present in the entire valley, but in most of it.
Deep inside the valley, however, the dark energy was still as dense as it was before, perhaps even denser than before, and Lyle and the others were currently locked in battle against powerful abominations that were present there.
