Chapter 16: The Descent into Darkness

The journey to the Shadowlands was unlike anything Victor and his allies had ever experienced. The city, usually bustling with life, faded behind them as they ventured further into the wilderness, where the natural world began to twist and distort, bending to the will of the ancient forces that ruled the Shadowlands.

The landscape grew increasingly hostile, with gnarled trees and jagged rocks that seemed to move of their own accord. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds that blocked out the sun. It was as if the world itself was warning them to turn back.

But Victor pressed on, his determination unyielding. He knew that the Shadowlands were the final piece of the puzzle—a place where the Heart of Noctis could be hidden away from the world. If Eira had gone there, it meant she was closer than ever to unlocking the Blood of the First's full potential.

As they reached the border of the Shadowlands, Clara, who had been unusually qu