The strong winds that had previously swirled inside the fortress now subsided. After Oziel's departure, the atmosphere turned quiet, yet the tension still hung in the air. Cassie lay on the altar, her breath weak, while Elara and Lucca stood beside her, still reeling from the battle that had just ended.
"We need to start our journey to the Arakyn Mountains immediately," Elara said firmly, breaking the suffocating silence. "If we wait any longer, the darkness within Cassie's body will only grow stronger."
Lucca shook his head, his eyes filled with despair as he looked at Elara. "She's not ready for a journey like that. You know how treacherous the path to the temple is. If she doesn't die from the darkness, her illness will kill her along the way."
Cassie listened to their debate in a half-conscious state. Every word felt blurry, but she felt a strong determination not to give up. They had come too far. How could she give up now?
