William surveyed his classmates, their faces alight with anticipation. He adjusted the weight of his own pack, ensuring his essentials were secure: food, water, a tent, his trusty sword, a bow and quiver of arrows, and, of course, the enigmatic demonic sword wrapped in cloth.
He had scoured the library for any mention of the obsidian blade, but his searches had yielded nothing. He suspected the information he sought lay hidden in restricted sections, inaccessible to a mere first-year student. For now, the sword remained a mystery, a source of both power and unease.
"Is everyone prepared?" Professor James's voice cut through the excited chatter. "It will be a rather lengthy journey."
"Yes, Professor!" a chorus of voices responded.
The ancient ruins lay nestled in a remote valley beyond the mountain range that housed the academy and the city of Dale. Reaching them would require a circuitous route, a journey best undertaken by carriage.
