Twilight slowly descended over Elandor, painting the sky in shades of gold and purple. The gentle light bathed the kingdom's ravaged lands, a silent beauty that starkly contrasted with the darkness weighing on Elysiel's soul. Each day, the burden of the shadow within her grew heavier. Since breaking her bond with Seraphis, she had hoped things would improve, that her connection to the land would return. But everything remained unstable.
She sat in her private garden, trying to meditate, attempting to regain the lost connection with Elandor's earth. She could feel the ground beneath her hands, but the response, once so natural, felt distant, as if the land itself was recoiling from her. The darkness within her pulsed, a constant presence she could no longer ignore. It was no longer a simple battle between light and shadow—both were now a part of her.
