Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 – The Fortress Beckons

The morning sun barely pierced the ash-filled sky over Durnfall. Liora's shoulder throbbed from the previous night's encounter, but she had no time to dwell on pain. The shadows lingered, coiling around her feet like serpents, restless and hungry.Kael guided her through a narrow street lined with collapsed buildings. "We need to reach the fortress before nightfall," he said. "If the shadows are testing you now… it will only get worse."Liora clenched her jaw. Every step felt heavier than the last. Her violet eye pulsed, sensing faint whispers from the distant fortress. She realized something terrifying: the fortress didn't just call her—it knew her.Suddenly, a figure emerged from the smoke—a hooded woman with a mask of black feathers. She pointed directly at Liora. "You're not ready," she whispered, voice sharp as broken glass. "But you'll learn… the hard way."Before Liora could react, she vanished into the shadows, leaving only a smoldering trail of dark mist. Kael's hand tightened on her arm.Liora swallowed hard. The fortress was closer, but so was danger… and she wasn't sure she would survive the night.