The path leading away from the Ashen Peaks was treacherous, yet Ethan pressed on with a renewed sense of purpose. The Stone of Fire and the Stone of Earth weighed heavily in his saddlebag, their combined energies creating a subtle vibration that resonated through his very bones. The sky above gradually lightened from the blood-red of the sunset to a deep indigo, and a cool breeze began to sweep away the lingering heat of the volcanic landscape.
As he descended further from the peaks, the landscape shifted once more. The barren, rocky terrain gave way to a vast expanse of rolling hills covered in dense forests. The trees here were ancient, their gnarled roots twisting in and out of the earth like serpents. Ethan knew that his next destination lay somewhere within these woods, hidden in the heart of the Whispering Glen—a place where the Stone of Air was said to reside.
