The Tower of Ashes
The earth beneath them no longer felt stable.
It shifted and groaned underfoot, mirroring the turmoil inside their hearts after what they had awakened. The air grew thick, every breath a struggle, as if the world itself tried to push them back, warning them not to continue.
Still, they pressed on.
They crossed fields of shimmering glass, the landscape pulsing with a strange, rhythmic life. Rivers hummed with unseen energy, pulling them forward as if caught in an invisible tide.
The Tower loomed ever larger against a blood-red sky, its broken silhouette twisting unnaturally toward the heavens. It looked like something born not of dreams, but of nightmares — the kind that lingers long after you wake, fading yet unforgettable.
Lira walked silently beside Aelir, her f
