The night deepened as the three sat around the dying embers of the fire. Sira unfurled a small leather-bound book, its pages worn and yellowed by time.
"This," she began, her voice low and reverent, "is the Chronicle of Elsewhere—a record kept hidden from most, detailing the rise and fall of our world's forgotten magic."
Elara's eyes widened. "Magic? But I thought… everything here was lost."
"Not lost," Sira corrected gently. "Suppressed. The darkness you saw is the residue of a power once wielded carelessly, a power that tore Elsewhere apart. The ashes are what's left, but buried beneath them lies the key to renewal—or destruction."
Rin's gaze darkened. "That's why the darkness moves so deliberately. It wants to consume what little remains and snuff out any chance of rebirth."
Sira nodded. "Exactly. But there's hope. Somewhere beneath the ruins of the old city, the Heart of Elsewhere beats still—a source of immense energy that could either heal the land or burn it to ash."
Elara swallowed hard, the weight of their mission settling over her like a heavy cloak. "Then we need to find it before the darkness does."
The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the distant echoes of a world on the edge. As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, the three knew their journey was only beginning—and the choices they made now would shape the fate of everything to come.