A lone woman trudged through a snow-covered field, a raging storm swallowing her in its fury. Blinding gusts whipped icy flakes around her, the snow biting into her exposed skin like shards of glass. Her white cloak offered little protection from the relentless cold, blending her small frame into the endless wasteland of white. With her hood pulled low, her face was hidden, but her slow, deliberate steps revealed the weight of her thoughts.
Through the swirling storm, a black rock loomed ahead, stark and out of place against the snowy expanse. She approached it hesitantly, her boots crunching softly in the frozen ground beneath her. Standing before the stone, she looked down and sighed heavily, her breath escaping in a visible plume. Shaking her head, she turned to face another figure following behind her.
The second woman, slightly taller and cloaked in solid black, moved with ease despite the storm’s wrath. She stopped a few paces away, her voice cutting through the wind.
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“We failed again,” the first woman said, her tone heavy with sadness.
“We can’t give up, Eira. We have to keep trying. Do you really want it to end like this?” the second woman replied, her voice firm.
Eira’s gaze drifted upward, her pale blue eyes searching the swirling skies. “Eldric is growing tired, Syra. There’s no way he can keep this up.” A single tear escaped, carving a frozen trail down her cheek as it froze against her skin.
Syra stepped closer, determination etched on her face. “He will. After all, he is—”
Her words were drowned out by the roar of the wind, which surged with renewed force. Snow peeled away from the black stone, revealing a message engraved upon its surface: There is another way.
Both women stared at the words, their eyes narrowing as they studied the cryptic message.
“I think it’s time we widen our horizons,” Syra said, her voice steady.
Eira opened her mouth to respond, but another ferocious gust of wind howled through the field, enveloping them in a blinding swirl of white. When the storm settled, the black stone bore new words: Reunion.