The early morning light pierced through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor. The team had spent a restless night, their dreams plagued by the echoes of darkness and visions of looming threats. The camp was silent except for the soft crackle of the dying embers in the fire pit.
Elara was the first to rise, her thoughts already focused on the tasks of the day. The ritual to reinforce the Shroud of Binding had been completed, but they needed to ensure their efforts were sustaining the containment of the Heart of Shadows and preventing any residual dark energy from disrupting their plans.
She walked quietly to where Morgana was poring over the ancient texts they had recovered. Morgana's brow was furrowed, her eyes scanning the pages with a mixture of urgency and concentration.
"Any new insights?" Elara asked softly, not wanting to break Morgana's focus too abruptly.
