‎At twilight, they reached a cliffside hut, hidden by thick vines and overlooking the fractured lands below. The Elder, a stooped figure with hair like silver threads and eyes like molten metal, studied Lyra carefully.


‎"You have felt the shards," he said. "The fractures awaken. And you… are chosen to restore balance."


‎Lyra's throat tightened. "Me? I'm just a girl from Eldermist!"


‎The Elder shook his head. "Chosen does not mean ready. It means necessary. Darkness rises, and only the Veil can stop it. You must journey through the fractured realms to awaken your full power."


‎Lyra swallowed hard. The quiet life she had known—the simple sketches, the herb-gathering, the sunsets—was gone forever. She had a destiny she didn't yet understand.


Chapter 4 - The Elder’s Warning