Chapter 40: The City of Celesterra
The dark towers of Celesterra loomed on the horizon like jagged teeth against the ominous sky. The road leading to the city was littered with broken cobblestones, flanked by trees twisted into unnatural shapes, their blackened branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. Volkaria had always been a land of death and decay, but nothing in their journey so far had felt quite as sinister as the approach to Celesterra.
James stood at the head of the column, the wind whipping around him as he surveyed the city in the distance. The dark, oppressive air of Volkaria weighed heavily on his shoulders, but it was the sight of the looming fortress that filled him with unease. The city, known for its cruelty and corruption, was ruled by Baroness Maeve Morrigan, a figure as vile as the land itself.
"That's our next obstacle," James muttered, his jaw clenched.