The morning sun filtered weakly through the crumbled remains of the grand house as the Guardians sat in silence, each processing the strange, shared dream. The air was heavy, almost as if the lingering echoes of the past weighed it down.

Kai broke the silence first. "That was... us. Or at least, it felt like us. But it wasn't us, not exactly."

"They were the original Guardians," Lina said thoughtfully, running a finger over the carved staff resting across her knees. "Their trials, their triumphs... it all led to that moment we saw. The Day of Plenty."

"But what went wrong?" Reya asked, her tone troubled. "We saw the start of something beautiful, but the city we stand in now is nothing like the one we saw in our dreams. It’s a graveyard."

Amaya stood, pacing to the shattered doorway. Her fingers traced the grooves in the stone where hinges had once held a grand door. "The shadows. Illiana said the shadows came. They ruined everything." She turned back to face the others, her jaw tight. "We need to figure out what happened here. Why Kali'dar fell."

Before anyone could respond, the faintest whisper echoed through the room. It was a soft sound, like leaves brushing together in a gentle wind.

“...come back... save us...”

The Guardians froze, their eyes darting around the room.

“You heard that, right?” Reya whispered.

"Yeah," Kai said, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword instinctively. "And it’s not the first time. Someone—or something—is trying to tell us something."

Lina stood, her staff glowing faintly as she moved toward the source of the sound. "It’s coming from the obelisk," she said, her voice steady.

The group hurried outside, where the obelisk still stood, towering and silent. But as they approached, the air around it seemed to shimmer, and the faint echoes of voices from their dream began to swirl.

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Amaya hesitated, her fingers twitching at her sides. "Do we touch it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Kai stepped forward. "We’ve come this far. If it’s another vision, maybe it’ll tell us what we need to know."

He placed a hand on the obelisk’s smooth surface. The stone was cool to the touch, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a rush of wind and light, the world around them dissolved.

The Guardians found themselves standing in the heart of Kali'dar once more, but this time, it was different. The sky was overcast, and the city seemed darker, its vibrant energy replaced by a tense, foreboding silence.

People moved through the streets, their faces etched with worry. In the distance, the obelisk was absent again, replaced by a massive black stone set into a pedestal. Its surface seemed to writhe and twist, as if alive.

They saw Illiana again, standing in the center of a crowd, her face pale but determined. The same tall, strange man from their previous vision stood beside her, his expression grave.

"This is the day it all went wrong," Amaya said softly, a chill running down her spine.

Illiana raised her hands, silencing the murmuring crowd. "People of Kali'dar," she began, her voice steady but carrying an undertone of fear. "Today, we face a great test. The shadows threaten our land, our homes, our lives. But we are strong. We are united."

A ripple of agreement passed through the crowd, though it was half-hearted.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the back. "And yet you would trust them?"

The crowd parted, and a man stepped forward, his face twisted with anger. He pointed directly at the strange man beside Illiana. "You invited this darkness into our valley! You and your promises of peace!"

The man didn’t flinch, his expression calm but resolute. "The shadows came not because of us but because of the imbalance already present in this land. We offered a chance to bind our strengths together, to push back the darkness—"

"You lie!" the man shouted, cutting him off. "This crystal, this... abomination, is the source of our doom!"

The black stone on the pedestal began to glow faintly, a sickly, pulsing light. The crowd stirred uneasily, and the whispers grew louder.

Suddenly, Illiana’s voice cut through the noise. "Enough!" She stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "If we are to survive, we must stand together. The Guardians will do what they must. We will seal the shadows, no matter the cost."

The man who had spoken out sneered. "And what cost will that be, Illiana? Your life? Ours? Or your child’s?"

Illiana froze, the color draining from her face. The group watched in stunned silence as the scene began to fade, the voices and images dissolving into nothingness.

The Guardians woke abruptly, back in the present-day ruins of Kali'dar. The obelisk pulsed faintly behind them, its light dimming.

Amaya spoke first, her voice shaking. "Her child. The shadows… they came for her daughter, didn’t they?"

Kai clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "And somehow, that crystal, that black stone, is tied to it all. We have to find it."

Lina nodded, her expression grim. "If it’s still here, buried in the ruins... it might be the key to stopping the shadows for good."

Reya shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "But if it’s not destroyed, it could be the end of us too."

The group exchanged a silent understanding. Whatever the risks, they had to uncover the truth of Kali'dar’s fall—and face whatever darkness still lingered in its shadows.