Far from that looming storm, on the eastern shores of the Khodian Kingdom beneath the rule of the Wha-lah Empire, a flash of light spat Auren onto soft white sand.
He stumbled, knees buckling before catching himself with his hands pressed into the warm grains. A low groan escaped his lips."Damn… I'll never get used to that."
The salty breeze swept past him, tugging at his hair and filling his nose with the briny tang of the sea. Slowly, he straightened, brushing sand from his palms, and took in the scene before him.
To his left stretched the sea, vast and glittering like a sheet of molten silver under the waning sun. Waves crashed gently against the shore, their rhythm steady and calming.
To his right, the forest rose thick and green, its canopy swaying and whispering as if beckoning him into its shade. Birds flitted between branches, their chirps blending with the faint rustle of leaves.
