The wind howled through the mountains, carrying with it the chill of impending winter. Elara and her team had been traveling for days, moving swiftly and silently through the rugged terrain. The sky above was a canvas of dark clouds, the sun struggling to break through and cast any light on the path ahead. It was as if the world itself was bracing for the storm to come.
They had left the relative safety of the fortress behind, venturing into the wilds in search of the answers Morgana had promised. The ancient texts she had unearthed hinted at a place deep within the mountains where the truth of the Shadow Shard's origin might be revealed. It was a place spoken of only in whispers—a forgotten sanctuary known as the Twilight Bastion.
"We're close," Morgana murmured, her voice barely audible over the wind. Her eyes were fixed on the map in her hands, her brow furrowed in concentration. "The entrance to the Bastion should be just beyond that ridge."
