The lowlands stretched before them, a landscape that seemed almost serene under the afternoon sun. Kael and Morgana walked in silence, each wrapped in their own thoughts, burdened by the old man's cryptic words. With each step, the air grew heavier, like the quiet before a storm. Something lingered in the shadows, a presence they couldn't shake.
Morgana held her new amulet close, feeling its faint hum, a pulse barely audible but powerful—a reminder of the ancient magic she now carried. She glanced at Kael, who scanned their surroundings, alert, as though he could sense the unease thickening around them.
As they neared a grove of twisted oaks, Morgana froze, her senses tingling. "Kael… something's here."
He drew his sword, moving cautiously beside her. The shadows between the trees seemed to ripple, swirling until they coalesced into a figure—a cloaked being with eyes like embers, its form shifting and dark as smoke.
