By dawn, Aeron had made his way to the nearby mountains, following the pull he had felt in his chest. The air grew heavier the higher he climbed, and the sky darkened as if in response to his journey.

It was there, in a clearing bathed in moonlight, that he met the stranger—a woman cloaked in silver, her eyes glowing with an ethereal light. She seemed familiar, but he had never seen her before.

"You have come," she said softly, her voice carrying an almost hypnotic quality. "Aeron of the Ancient Blood."

"How do you know my name?" he asked, a chill creeping up his spine.

"I have been waiting for you," she replied. "I am Lira, a keeper of the old ways. You are the last of your kind, and your blood is the key to awakening the powers long sealed away. The time has come for you to remember."

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