The White Peaks loomed in the distance, their jagged outlines barely visible against the muted morning sky. We'd been traveling for days, moving through dense forests, open plains, and rocky paths. The closer we got to the peaks, the more the air changed—crisper, yet heavier with an unspoken power that hummed beneath the surface. This place was ancient, its essence untouched by the darkness that had seeped into the world around it.
Our journey had not been easy. Nightmares plagued us each night, visions of shadowy figures and voices whispering our deepest fears. The entity's remnants might be dwindling, but they were still here, clinging to us like the ghosts of battles we'd barely survived. Raven and Leif tried to shield me, their watchful eyes and gentle words of encouragement breaking through the darkness each time I felt myself slipping. And Zara, ever attuned to magic, helped me learn to quiet the crystal's pulsing demands.
