The morning air was crisp as the team prepared to leave their campsite. The forest, though still dense and shadowed, seemed to offer a reluctant peace, as if it was holding its breath in anticipation of their departure. Each member was focused on the tasks ahead, their spirits buoyed by the progress they had made.
Elara, Morgana, Elias, and Thalia gathered their supplies and reviewed their plan for the day. Their immediate goal was to visit a nearby village rumored to have had encounters with dark entities and to seek any additional information or assistance the villagers could provide.
The village was situated several miles to the east, beyond the dense forest that had been their temporary refuge. The path to the village was less treacherous but still winding, cutting through rolling hills and fields that were slowly beginning to bloom with the onset of spring.