Quiet

The morning broke cold and quiet over the village as Emily and her companions gathered the last of their supplies. There was a heaviness in the air that matched the weight Emily felt in her chest. The relic around her neck pulsed softly, a reminder of the unknown power she carried with her. The decision to leave the relative safety of the village and seek out Eldrin, the scholar, had been made hastily, but she knew there was no turning back. They needed answers—answers that only this reclusive figure could provide.

Marcus stood beside her, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice low. "We don't know what's out there. The mountains are dangerous, and this Eldrin… he's not exactly welcoming."

"I know," Emily replied, her voice firm despite the doubts creeping in her mind. "But we don't have a choice. If we're going to understand this relic and stop whatever's coming, we need him."