{"Darkness isn't the absence of light—it is her will, stretched across the sky like a second skin."}
We stepped out of the secret haven, after the moon goddess left, the stone door groaning behind us as it sealed again. We all moved towards the beaches of Hanka Island. A chill immediately crept over my skin, the air outside was thick with shadow, the sky choked by roiling, blackened clouds. The sun, if it still existed, had long since vanished. What once was the breathtaking beach of Hanka Island, kissed by tides and breeze, now looked like a battlefield drenched in despair. The trees bent unnaturally, as if whispering secrets to one another. Even the sand looked darker, tainted by the storm that had swallowed the island.
Tor stepped beside me, his posture rigid, his senses sharp. Rou and Elle flanked us, both silent, both ready. Gerod emerged last, his immense form casting a golden glow that fought the gloom, but even his light could not push back the darkness entirely.
