Chapter 46: Shadows of the Past

The weeks following the Festival of Light brought a sense of renewal to Elandor, but they also brought unsettling news. Reports began to trickle in from the outlying regions of Valoria—villages and towns that had been left untouched by the battle against the dark sorcerer were now facing mysterious threats. Crops were failing, livestock were disappearing, and strange occurrences were being reported by the people.

Draven sat in the council chamber, listening to the latest report from a messenger who had arrived from the northern villages. The young man's face was pale with fear, his hands trembling as he spoke.

"It started a few weeks ago," the messenger said, his voice quivering. "At first, it was just small things—strange noises in the night, shadows moving where they shouldn't be. But then the crops started dying, and the animals… they're just gone, vanished without a trace."