The library was a musty, dim space, filled with the musty scent of old parchment and decay. Amara's fingers itched to run through the rows of books, to uncover whatever secrets lay hidden within their pages. She moved towards a shelf, pulling down a dusty tome.
Kael joined her, brushing the dust from an old map. "This place used to be a hub of knowledge, once. Now it's just… forgotten."
Amara opened the book with trembling hands, the pages brittle. "It's not forgotten yet," she said, her voice filled with determination. "We just have to find the right story."
She started reading aloud, scanning through pages filled with history, legends, and myths. Kael, meanwhile, spread the map out on a nearby table, tracing ancient markings with his fingers.
"There!" he said suddenly, pointing to a spot on the map. "This is it—the Lowlands. There's a village here, not far from where we are. I think this is where we'll find answers."
Amara looked up from her book. "A village? What kind of answers?"
Kael shrugged. "No idea. But legends usually have some truth to them, right? Maybe someone there knows something about the sorceress."
They packed their things and set off for the village just before dusk. The air was thick with the smell of impending rain, the sky darkening ominously. Kael led the way, his eyes scanning the horizon.
As they neared the village, they could see smoke rising from the chimneys, the small houses nestled among the trees. The village was quiet, the only sounds the occasional bird call or the rustling of leaves.
"Home sweet home," Kael said, pushing open the creaking gate.
The villagers were wary at first, eyeing Amara and Kael with a mix of suspicion and fear. "What are you doing here?" an old woman demanded, her voice harsh.
Kael stepped forward, his grin charming. "Just passing through. Looking for some information, if you don't mind."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Information about what?"
Kael hesitated, then sighed. "A dark sorceress. Ever heard of her?"
The woman's face paled. "Sorceress? You've come to the wrong place, then. We don't deal with magic here."
Amara stepped forward, her voice soft. "Please, we're not here to cause trouble. We just need to know if there's anything… anything at all about an ancient evil rising in the Lowlands."
The woman's eyes flicked to the side, as though searching for something. "There… there is an old tale. But it's just that—an old tale. Doesn't mean anything now."
"What is it?" Amara pressed.
The woman hesitated, then led them to a small cottage at the edge of the village. Inside, she pulled a dusty old book from a shelf, its pages yellowed and brittle.
"This is an old journal," she said, opening it to a page filled with faded writing. "It belonged to my great-grandmother. She used to say that in the days of darkness, there was a sorceress who lived in the Lowlands. They say she was banished for… for trying to gain too much power."
Amara's heart raced. "Do they say where she was banished to?"
The woman shook her head. "No. Just that she was cast out of the land by the magic of the skies. It was always just a bedtime story, a warning to keep the children in line."
Kael took the journal, his eyes scanning the words. "But maybe there's more to it. Maybe the sorceress didn't die but lived on, waiting for her chance."
Amara felt a chill run through her. "So what? She's been biding her time all these years, just waiting for the right moment to come back?"
Kael nodded grimly. "Seems that way. But now she's not just a myth. She's real, and she's coming for Zephyrion."
The old woman closed the book with a snap. "Take it, then. Maybe you can find more answers than I ever could."
Amara took the journal, her heart heavy. "Thank you. We'll do our best."
As they left the village, Amara glanced at Kael. "Do you believe her? Do you think this sorceress is real?"
Kael shrugged. "I don't know. But there's enough there to go on, isn't there? And we're running out of time."
The rain began to fall, the droplets heavy and cold. Amara pulled her cloak tighter, her thoughts spinning. They were far from safe, far from the palace, and far from any kind of comfort. But for the first time, she felt a flicker of hope.
They had a lead. And maybe, just maybe, they could stop the darkness before it consumed everything they loved.