The moment Elena and Kael crossed into the Vale, the air around them shifted. It was no longer just air—it felt alive, humming with an energy that pressed against their skin and seeped into their bones. The mist that surrounded them wasn’t mist at all but an ethereal glow that seemed to ripple with every breath they took.
“Do you feel that?” Elena whispered, her voice trembling.
Kael nodded, his jaw tight. “It’s like the Vale knows we’re here. Be ready for anything.”
As they moved forward, the landscape transformed around them. The shimmering glow gave way to a sprawling meadow filled with flowers that seemed to pulse with light. The beauty was almost hypnotic, but there was an underlying tension in the air, as though the Vale was holding its breath.
Then the voice came.
“Why have you
