The Shadow Crystal

The the burden of that thought clung to me in the days that followed. The Arcane Guard continued their training, pushing me harder each day, but no amount of physical drills or magical lessons could ease the unease growing inside me. Something was missing. There was a gap in the knowledge I had, a feeling that the hourglass, powerful as it was, couldn’t stand alone against the darkness I had glimpsed in my dreams.

One night, restless and unable to sleep, I found myself wandering the halls of the manor, my thoughts heavy. The hourglass was securely fastened at my side, its rhythmic hum a constant reminder of the forces I had barely begun to understand. As I descended the staircase into one of the lower wings, the air seemed to grow cooler, and an unfamiliar pull guided my steps toward a part of the manor I had never explored.