The Shadows Return

The dawn in Crestwood was a pale, trembling thing, barely able to break through the heavy clouds that seemed to press down on the town. The streets, usually alive with the bustle of morning routines, lay silent and empty. The air was thick with a strange, electric tension, as if the whole town was holding its breath, waiting for something unseen to move.

Sarah stood at her bedroom window, watching as the weak sunlight struggled to reach the ground. She pressed her hand against the cold glass, feeling the weight of exhaustion in her bones. The events of the previous night replayed in her mind-the battle in the Hollow, the explosion of light and ash, the fading of Lila’s scar. She should have felt relief, but instead, her heart thudded with unease.