章 1456: Chapter 1456: A Fragile Alliance

The journey westward felt endless. Days blurred together as Kael, Morgana, and Aeris traversed the desolate landscape, the once-thriving regions now marred by the ravages of the True Shadow's creeping influence. The roads had been abandoned, overtaken by wild growths that seemed unnatural, twisting toward the horizon like dark tendrils of the shadow itself. The wind carried an eerie stillness, broken only by the occasional cry of some unseen creature. The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the inevitable.

They passed through abandoned villages, their empty houses standing like hollow shells. The air smelled faintly of decay and neglect, as if life had once existed here but had been swept away in the wake of the True Shadow's passing. Kael couldn't help but wonder if this was just a preview of what was to come—empty, forgotten places where once there had been hope.