The morning after the battle was serene, yet the air carried a strange stillness. The forest, no longer buzzing with the oppressive energy of the shadow, now felt... empty. For the first time in months, there were no urgent whispers, no frantic calls for action. Instead, there was a quiet hum, as if the forest was sighing in relief.

Lyla stood at the edge of the camp, watching as faint beams of sunlight broke through the canopy above. She still felt the ache from channeling the forest’s ...