---
The group stood in silence, their breaths visible in the cool air as they took in the transformed landscape. Where chaos and fractures had once dominated, there was now an eerie calm. The Shattered Wastes were whole, but the land bore no signs of life—just an empty expanse, quiet and still.
Bob sheathed his sword, its glow finally fading. "It's over," he said, though his voice held little triumph.
Freya adjusted the strap of her axe, her eyes scanning the horizon. "If it's over, why does it feel so... wrong?"
Felicia crouched down, running her fingers over the smooth, unbroken ground. "Because this isn't natural. This isn't restoration—it's erasure. The land's been purged, but it's not healing. It's just... nothing."
