Chapter 405: Chapter 405: The Shadow's Threshold

The journey to the fortress was tense and silent, each step heavier than the last as the shadows gathered at the horizon. Elara rode at the head of the column, her eyes fixed on the path ahead, though her thoughts churned like the storm clouds above. Beside her, Morgana cradled the orb of light, its pale glow their only source of hope against the encroaching darkness. The wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying the scent of impending conflict.

Elias led the vanguard, his gaze sharp as he scanned the terrain. The fortress they were approaching was known only in whispers, a place once abandoned but now occupied by forces far darker than they had anticipated. He glanced back at the group—fighters, mages, and scouts—each hardened by the trials they had faced, yet the uncertainty of the battle ahead weighed on them all.