Elina‘s POV

The morning sun rose over the forest, casting long, golden beams across the mossy ground. The air smelled like dew and pine needles. We packed up our supplies in silence, the crackling fire from last night reduced to cold ash. No one said much as we prepared to move; there was a quiet urgency pushing us forward, and none of us wanted to break it with small talk.

I walked ahead, gripping the Starlight Key fragment. It pulsed softly in my hand, ...