The night was still and silent, the air thick with tension as Elara and her team approached the borders of the Shadow Shard's territory. The darkness here was different, more oppressive, as if the very land itself had been tainted by the corruption spreading from the heart of the Shadow Shard's power. Every step forward felt like a struggle against an unseen force, a weight pressing down on their spirits.
Elara glanced back at her companions—Kael, Nira, and a select group of their best warriors and mages. Their faces were set with grim determination, each one knowing the stakes of the mission they had undertaken. There was no turning back now.
"We're close," Nira whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of their footsteps crunching on the desolate ground. She held the map in one hand, the faint glow of its runes providing just enough light to guide them. "The entrance to the vault should be just ahead."