A chill still clung to the dawn as the messenger's words hung in the air. In the central square of Blackwood Hollow, Elena, Liam, and Finn gathered with the village elders and warriors, their faces etched with a mixture of resolve and uncertainty. The plea from Valoria had struck a chord—a stark reminder that the darkness they had battled was but one manifestation of an ancient and far-reaching malice.
### The Call to Valoria
Elena's eyes swept over the assembled crowd. "Our victory against the void was hard-won," she began, her voice steady yet laden with the weight of responsibility. "But if our distant kin in Valoria suffer a similar fate, then our fight is not yet over."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the villagers. Liam stepped forward, mapping out the journey ahead. "We must prepare for a journey eastward—a trek through lands unknown where the void's influence festers in ways we have yet to comprehend."