The cave was silent but for the soft murmur of the wind outside, which seemed to whisper secrets only it knew. Inside, the group huddled close, the oppressive cold of the night seeping through the rocky walls. Elara sat with the Heart of Thalor in her lap, her fingers brushing its cracked surface as if trying to feel out the source of the unsettling energy that had gripped her.
Morgana sat opposite her, eyes narrowed in concentration. She muttered an incantation, the faint glow of her staff casting long shadows on the cave walls. The light pulsed rhythmically, like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant. Elara could feel its warmth, a small comfort against the cold.
"We need to understand the nature of this corruption," Morgana said, her voice low but determined. "If we're to contain it, we need to know what we're dealing with."
