The village was eerily silent as Kael and Morgana approached, the rhythmic clatter of their horses' hooves muffled by the unnatural mist curling around them. The air was colder here, heavy with an oppressive weight that seemed to press against their chests. Even their breaths came slower, the simple act of inhaling and exhaling requiring effort.
Kael dismounted first, his boots crunching against the brittle grass that lay beneath the dark fog. Morgana followed suit, her hand instinctively gripping the hilt of her sword.
"Do you feel that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might awaken something.
Kael nodded, his gaze sweeping across the village. The Heart's power thrummed within him, pulsing like a second heartbeat. "The darkness isn't just here—it's alive. Watching us."
