Chapter 58: Shadows of the Past

As Ava traveled from village to village, rebuilding lives and spirits, a growing unease began to settle within her. Beneath the surface of the newfound hope, a darkness lingered, a shadow cast by the remnants of the Forsaken's reign.Rumors of strange occurrences began to circulate. Disappearances in remote areas, unexplained livestock deaths, and eerie lights in the night sky. These were more than mere coincidences. They were signs, echoes of the old evil.Ava knew she couldn't ignore these whispers. The Forsaken might have been driven back, but their influence lingered, a malignant seed planted deep in the earth. She began to investigate these reports, traveling to the places where the darkness seemed to seep through.In a desolate forest, known locally as the Whispering Woods, she found evidence of unnatural activity. Trees were twisted and gnarled, their leaves withered and brown. The ground was scarred with strange symbols, similar to those she had seen in the forgotten temple.As she delved deeper into the woods, the air grew heavy with an oppressive silence. A sense of dread washed over her, a familiar feeling, a reminder of the battles she had fought. Then, she saw it - a dark, swirling vortex, a gateway to something sinister.It was a confrontation she had feared, yet prepared for. With the Sunlance at her side, she stepped into the vortex, disappearing into the unknown. The fate of the world, once again, rested on her shoulders.