Days turned into weeks as we moved from village to village, lending a hand wherever we could. The crystal's influence had faded from the world, but the scars it left behind were deeply embedded in people and places. Each village had its own struggles—whether it was rebuilding homes, reviving crops blighted by unnatural storms, or helping people overcome fears they'd lived with for so long. Every place we went, we saw how the entity's darkness had taken its toll.
One late afternoon, we arrived in a small village nestled at the edge of an ancient forest. The air was different here, heavier, with a sense of unease that was palpable. The villagers greeted us with wary glances, as though they'd been waiting for someone, or something, to arrive. A woman stepped forward, her face lined with worry and exhaustion.
"We heard tales of you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They say you fought against shadows, that you know how to keep them away."
