The storm had passed, leaving the Wastes shrouded in a thick, oppressive mist. The task force moved cautiously, the map from the ruined temple guiding them toward the heart of the Void Plague. Kael and Liora led the way, their blades drawn, the uneasy truce between them holding under the weight of their shared trials. The air hummed with an unnatural energy, setting their nerves on edge.
As they crossed a desolate plain, a sudden pulse of darkness struck Liora. She staggered, her vision blurring as images flooded her mind—cities crumbling, skies torn asunder, and a rift pulsing with malevolent light. Voices whispered, indistinct yet urgent, and a figure cloaked in shadow loomed before her, its presence chilling. Gasping, she dropped to her knees, her daggers clattering to the ground.
Kael spun, his sword raised, scanning for threats. Seeing her distress, he dropped beside her, his hand hovering uncertainly. "Liora! What's wrong?" His voice was gruff, but concern laced his words.
She clutched her head, struggling to speak. "A vision… the Void… it showed me a prophecy. Destruction. A rift." Her breath came in short bursts, her silver eyes wide with fear.
The team gathered, their faces tense, but Kael waved them back. He hesitated, then placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. The contact surprised them both—his warmth grounding her, her vulnerability stirring something in him. She flinched but didn't pull away, the moment charged with an unspoken shift.
"Get a grip," he muttered, masking his unease. "Tell me what you saw."
Liora steadied herself, recounting the vision—fragmented but dire. Kael listened, his jaw tight, the implications sinking in. They argued over its meaning, their voices rising. "It's a Lunari trick, a distraction!" he insisted, though doubt crept into his tone.
"And you'd rather ignore it and charge blindly?" she countered, her fear fueling her defiance. Yet beneath their clash, a shared dread united them—the Void Plague was no mere enemy, but a force that might end them all.
As the team resumed their march, Kael stayed close to Liora, his earlier hostility softened by her ordeal. She glanced at him, catching the flicker of concern in his golden eyes before he turned away. The vision lingered, a shadow over their path, binding them tighter in a fragile alliance against the unknown.