Sunlight piercing through the evaporating mist didn't warm anything. Silent, oppressive whispers of the Abyss were now replaced with this unsettling stillness. Ryu, Kaelith, Aris, and Draven stood in the ruins amidst the debris, their breathing misty in the air.
The victory over the spire came at a cost. Though they had won, the weight of what they had seen and fought left a lingering unease.
Kaelith knelt beside a scorched vine, her silver hair shining in the dim light. "This isn't over," she said, her voice low. She pressed a gloved hand to the corrupted earth. It crumbled beneath her touch, brittle and lifeless. "The Abyss doesn't retreat. It waits, festers, and grows stronger.
Draven's heavy footsteps crunched over the debris as he approached, his broad frame casting a shadow over Kaelith. "We bought ourselves some time, but not much. The Abyss will retaliate.
