The message arrived at dawn, carried by a rider whose horse was lathered with sweat.
Ethan was in the central square of Portside, helping to organize the weekly market, when the rider burst through the gates. The man's face was pale, his eyes wide with fear.
"Son of Light!" he shouted, reining in his horse. "I bring urgent news from the eastern settlements!"
Ethan was at his side in an instant, his hand steadying the man's trembling arm. "What happened? Speak slowly."
The rider took a ragged breath. "The shadow has returned. Not the great shadow bound in the Nexus, but something else. Something smaller. It's been attacking the settlements along the eastern coast. Crops are withering. People are falling sick. And there are whispers—terrible whispers—that the darkness is spreading again.
