News of the Uzona army's approach reached Noah and Charlotte only a day after their return from the Crystal Caverns. Scouts reported an unprecedented assembly of forces along the border, led by none other than King Astrion himself. The Uzonians had camped just beyond the Valley of Echoes, their banners casting a sea of dark shadows across the plains, their numbers swelling like an unyielding tide.
Noah felt the First Flame's power simmering within him, lending his heart a strange calmness despite the impending threat. Beside him, Charlotte's gaze was fixed on the distant valley, her staff pulsing with a faint, ethereal glow.
"Our final battle has arrived," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
"It has," Noah agreed, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "But we are not the same warriors we were before. The First Flame has given us strength, Charlotte. We have everything we need to face Astrion."