The air hung heavy with an eerie silence, the ground around them still smoldering from the devastation they had wrought. The shadows had receded, but they had not vanished entirely. They lingered in the corners of Elara's mind, whispers of a threat that had not been fully vanquished. The Codex of Shadows, still clutched tightly in her hands, pulsed faintly, as though it, too, was aware of the fragility of their victory.
Kael, breathing heavily, wiped the sweat from his brow as he surveyed the aftermath of their battle. The monstrous creatures they had fought lay in scattered heaps, their bodies slowly fading into dust. The forest around them, once teeming with dark life, was now eerily quiet, the trees standing like sentinels watching over the wreckage.
Lyra stood nearby, her bow lowered, but her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any movement. The stillness felt unnatural, as if something was waiting, lurking just beyond their reach.
