The shadows pressed in tighter as Kael and his companions moved deeper into the Veil. The air was thick with an unnatural stillness, and with every step they took, the world around them seemed to shrink. The land was no longer just a physical place; it felt like a living entity, a thing that had been warped and twisted by the presence of the shadow.
The Foci pulsed softly in Kael's grasp, its warmth a small comfort against the cold grip of the darkness. He could feel its power drawing closer to the heart of the Veil, as though it was guiding them to a place that no one should tread. The deeper they went, the stronger the sense of foreboding became.
The ground beneath them was uneven, the terrain shifting in subtle ways. Aeris, who had been leading the way with her maps, looked up, her brow furrowed. "This wasn't here before," she murmured.
