Chapter 282 - The Descent Begins

Dawn broke over the frozen plain like a wound pale and grey, streaked with gold where the sun struggled to climb above the mountains. The sky was heavy with clouds, the air sharp with cold, and the glow of the Rift pulsed on the horizon, brighter than ever, a beacon calling me home. The ash and dust stained the snow beneath my boots, remnants of centuries of battles fought on this plain. The wind carried the scent of smoke and iron, and somewhere in the distance, a raven cried out, its voice harsh and lonely.