TRAINING AND HIDDEN TRUTHS
The forest had returned to a fragile calm, though the air still shimmered with residual energy from the clash. Kael, Nara, Lyra, and Riven had retreated to a secluded glade, its ancient trees forming a natural barrier against prying shadows. The first confrontation with the ancient darkness had left them exhausted but alive—and more aware than ever of the scale of the threat.
Lyra’s golden light glowed faintly around her, pulsing in rhythm with the heartbeat of the forest. “We survived… but just barely,” she said, voice tense. “We can’t rely on strength alone. That darkness… it’s smarter than we imagined. Faster. Adaptive.”
Kael shifted into wolf form, muscles coiled, claws scraping the soft earth. “Then we train. Harder. Smarter. We need to synchronize our ab
