The wind was colder than it should have been for this time of year, a biting reminder that the world had changed. Emily stood at the outskirts of Eldoria, staring out into the barren plains that stretched far beyond the city walls. The whispers of the Abyss echoed in her mind—faint, but there, like a persistent itch she couldn't quite reach. It had been only a few days since the battle with Velas, but the scars of that fight were still fresh. And now, with reports of shadows stirring across the continent, the weight of what lay ahead felt unbearable.
Alaric and Mira stood by her side, their presence grounding her in the moment. Though none of them said it aloud, they all felt it—the looming threat of something greater than Velas, something deeper and far more dangerous than a single sorcerer bent on destruction.
