The dense fog blanketed the path ahead, swallowing the jagged cliffs and twisting trails that led deeper into the Southern Expanse. Kaelron clutched his staff tightly, the relic at his side pulsing faintly. The eerie silence made every crunch of gravel underfoot feel deafening. Ignis walked close, its sharp eyes scanning the terrain, while Nyx and Zerin flanked the group, their movements fluid and vigilant.
"Another dead end," Zerin muttered, crouching to inspect a faint footprint in the dirt. "Whoever passed through here wasn't trying to stay hidden."
"Or they didn't have to," Eryk said grimly, his frost wolf, Frostbane, growling softly beside him. "The cult's reach is stronger in these parts. They know no one would dare follow them this far."
