Kaelen stood frozen, his heart was pounding in disbelief. The old elf's words hung in the air heavily, thickening the sense of isolation and hopelesness that had already begun to settle in. He opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out, only a confused breath.
Seeing the young man's reaction, Galandor continued.
"I understand your confusion, but this is the truth of the world we live in."
He began to speak.
"You see, this world you've stumbled upon is not what it appears. It is a prison—a remnant of a war between gods who once ruled over all of creation."
Kaelen's brow furrowed deeper as Galandor's words began to sink in. The forest, the golden beacon, the crack in the sky—it was all part of something much larger than he could have imagined.
"A... prison?"
Galandor nodded slowly, turning his gaze toward the distant sky where the faint shimmer of the golden beacon was visible through the treetops.
