The journey began at dawn.
Elara packed light food, water, the locket, the pendant her mother had left her. Kael and Lucian flanked her as they left the cabin, their eyes scanning the snow-covered landscape for threats.
The mountain loomed in the distance, dark and ancient. It seemed to pulse with a low energy, a hum that Elara felt in her bones.
"You feel it too," Lucian said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Ancient magic. Old magic. The kind that was here before the war."
Kael moved closer to her. "Stay close. The energy gets stronger as we get closer."
They walked for hours.
The terrain grew rougher, the snow deeper. Elara's legs ached and her lungs burned, but she didn't stop. Something was pulling her forward, something she couldn't explain.
At midday, they reached
