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The sun dipped low behind the jagged peaks as the group made camp beside a winding forest stream. The air was thick with the lingering magic from the trial, but for the first time in days, there was a sense of calm.
Aelira sat by the fire, cradling the glowing fragment of the Hollow Queen's soul. The warmth from it pulsed softly, a fragile beacon in the growing dusk.
Thorne sharpened his axe with slow precision, glancing over at her "You did well back there, fierce as fire."
Aelira managed a tired smile. "Couldn't have done it without you all."
Lyra leaned back against a tree, her eyes fixed on the stars that are beginning to appear across the sky. "You're learning fast Sunvale, but surviving the trial doesn't mean the real fight's over."
Her voice dropped, hesitant, like she wasn't sure whether to share or stay silent, Oren's keen eyes caught the shift.
"What's on your mind, Lyra?" Aelira asked gently.
The rogue hesitated, then sighed "there's more to me than you've seen, before I was a shadow in the city's underbelly, I was… part of something darker."
She looked away, tracing patterns in the dirt "my family are once bound to the Hollow Queen's court, I ran when I saw what she was becoming."
The group fell silent, absorbing the weight of her confession.
Kaelon's usually quiet presence shifted as he stepped closer, "So your past is tied to hers."
Lyra nodded "Exactly, and that means the Hollow Queen's reach is deeper than we thought."
Oren ruffled his feathers thoughtfully "Knowing this changes how we approach our next steps, we must be cautious."
Thorne cracked his knuckles "Good thing we've got a rogue who knows the enemy's game."
Aelira met Lyra's gaze, determination shining in both their eyes "Whatever shadows you carry, we face them together."
The campfire flickered, shadows dancing on the trees, an echo of battles fought, secrets shared, and bonds forged stronger in the quiet night.
Tomorrow, the journey would continue, but tonight, they were a family, scarred but unbreakable.
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