"Then let's go," Aren said, his voice low, his eyes fixed on the horizon, on the promise and peril of the unknown. "Time is running out."
The pre-dawn chill bit at their faces as they left the Void Market behind, the sounds of battle fading into the general hum of a world tearing itself apart. Anya walked beside Aren, her movements efficient even in exhaustion. Elder Borin, Silas, and the rest of their small, desperate coalition followed, a motley crew united by shared suffering and a fragile hope. The journals from Thorne’s hidden study were clutched in Aren’s hand, their weight both a burden and a beacon.
"Thorne's notes mention specific constellations," Elder Borin rasped, adjusting his patched robes. His eyes, though tired, held a scholar's keenness. "Our star charts, ancient and fra
