A pallid dawn crept over the horizon as Elara, Corvin, and their newfound guide, Lysander, emerged from the secret passage beneath Astralis. The subterranean depths gave way to a vast, windswept plateau, where the remnants of ancient battlements lay scattered like echoes of a forgotten war. The chill morning air carried with it the scent of petrichor and old magic—a reminder that even in decay, the world whispered secrets of hope and despair.