Chapter 36

• They walked for what felt like hours, the forest growing denser, the trees closing in around them. The world seemed to grow darker as the sun dipped lower, and the night sky began to blanket the earth in its cool embrace.
• Finally, they reached a clearing, and in the center of it stood a small, seemingly ancient stone structure. It was unlike anything Elara had ever seen before. The stone was weathered with age, covered in ivy, and yet there was an aura about it—a sense of power that seemed to pulse from its very foundations.
• “This is where we’ll be safe,” the stranger said, his voice barely above a whisper.