The days that followed the council's decision were filled with relentless preparation. Every corner of the stronghold was buzzing with activity. Scouts rode out to distant regions, spellcasters fortified their defenses, and the warriors sharpened their blades. But despite the preparations, a sense of impending doom hung heavy over the land, as though the very air itself had grown thick with tension.
Elara could feel it in her bones—the darkness they had encountered in the Abyss was not content to wait. It was reaching out, grasping for the world, and its touch was icy.
### Fortifying the Abyss
