Chapter 224 - Ascent of Solara

The starry night softened as dawn broke, a soft pink sky spreading over the forested ridge, the air crisp with the scent of pine and morning dew. The trio, Jin, Haruka, and Kael, emerged from the forest's embrace, their packs adjusted, their steps steady but cautious as they approached the base of Solara Peak. The mountain towered ahead, its mist-shrouded slopes glowing with a faint, sun-like warmth that seemed to pulse from within, casting a golden haze over jagged cliffs and rocky paths. The forest thinned into sparse, windswept shrubs, their leaves rustling in the breeze, while loose stones and gnarled roots littered the path, the peak's summit hidden in clouds that swirled like a celestial veil. The air carried a subtle heat radiating from the mountain, a strange comfort against the morning chill, hinting at its legendary tie to the sun's resting place.