The world around Elara seemed to warp as the shadows writhed and pulsed. The Codex in her hands felt like a living thing, its energy surging wildly, almost as if it were trying to break free from her grasp. Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled against the unseen force that had frozen her in place, the shadowy figure looming before her, its presence like a suffocating weight.
Kael was still held in place, his body rigid as if some invisible chain had wrapped itself around him. Lyra, too, stood motionless, her bow poised mid-air, but she was unable to release the string. The energy in the air felt wrong—unnatural—and the very fabric of reality seemed to ripple around them.
The figure before them stepped closer, its cloak flowing with a dark grace, its every movement sending a chill through the air. There was a sense of power about it, a malevolent aura that felt ancient and unfathomable.
