After what felt like an eternity of trudging through endless gloom, the group finally saw the glimmer of light far ahead, like a mirage in the distance. At first, they thought it was another illusion born from exhaustion, another cruel trick of the abyss.
But as they moved closer, the oppressive heaviness that had wrapped around their lungs for days loosened, the black mist thinning until streaks of pale light broke through.
The empress slowed her steps, her weary eyes narrowing against the sudden brightness. "We're close," she whispered, her voice trembling...not from fear this time, but from disbelief. The others followed her gaze, and their breaths hitched. The suffocating darkness that had followed them since the beginning began to recede, retreating like a living thing afraid of what lay beyond.
One final step...and they broke through.
