Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Descent into Madness

The morning sun struggled to penetrate the dense canopy above as Elara, Morgana, Thorne, and Selene pressed onward. Their path took them deeper into the forest, where the air was thick with an unnatural chill, and the trees seemed to close in around them, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The victory they had won the day before felt distant, as if it had been a fleeting moment of light in an ever-deepening night.

Elara led the way, her eyes sharp and senses heightened. Every sound, every movement in the forest seemed amplified, making it difficult to distinguish between the natural and the sinister. She could feel the weight of the darkness pressing in on them, a constant reminder that they were far from safe.

"We're close," Morgana said quietly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "I can feel the dark magic growing stronger. The next node can't be far."