Both Ardiel and Reno rushed to Hawthorne, urgency propelling them forward like arrows shot from a bow. With Ardiel's support spells coursing through the air around them, they weaved through the landscape, their speed almost a blur. The wind whipped past them, carrying with it the scent of pine and the distant echoes of a city in distress. They arrived at Hawthorne in under half an hour, the vibrant life of the city now shrouded in an ominous silence.
As they approached, the city unfolded before them like a storybook marred by dark ink. Once the view was clear enough, Ardiel's breath caught in his throat. There it was—the barrier, cracked and splintered like an egg losing many parts of its fragile shell. It shimmered with a ghostly light, the remnants of its power flickering weakly against the encroaching chaos.
