As they entered the clearing, the group was met with an unsettling sight. The trees were twisted and gnarled, their branches like grasping fingers. The air was thick with an unnatural energy, and the plants seemed to be withering away.
Eryndor's eyes scanned the clearing, his senses on high alert. "What is this place?" he whispered.
Aria's gaze was fixed on the centre of the clearing, where a dark, pulsating mass seemed to be growing. "The source of the darkness is there," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lirien's hand was still on the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowed. "Let's be cautious. We don't know what kind of power we're dealing with."
Zephyr's winds whispered secrets to him, and he nodded. "There's a powerful entity at the centre of that mass. It's ancient, and it
