We returned to Fenbrook under a sky heavy with dusk, the light casting a soft glow over the quiet village. The people greeted us with relief and curiosity; though they couldn't fully understand the battle we had fought, they sensed the shift in the air. The shadows that had lurked in the edges of their vision had receded, and the oppressive fear that had settled over the land had lifted.
But even as we walked through the village streets, I couldn't shake a strange feeling gnawing at my chest. I kept my hand against the crystal under my shirt, feeling its warmth and the soft hum that still pulsed from it, as if it were speaking to me. It was unlike any sensation I'd had before; it wasn't calling me to power, but rather to understanding. To something deeper, more profound. And as I glanced around at my friends, I could see they sensed it too.
"Let's go to the inn," Leif said, breaking the silence. "We need to rest, regroup, and talk about what comes next."
