[VOLUME 16: THE FIRES OF GENESIS][ARC 3: THE SHADOWED REFLECTION]
The transition from the pristine, sunlit valleys of Ogygia into the Whispering Canyon was as abrupt as walking into a wall of damp, grey cotton.
The fog didn't just obscure the path forward; it seemed to swallow the light entirely. It rolled over the jagged, black obsidian cliffs in thick, heavy waves, smelling faintly of crushed ozone, wet ash, and ancient secrets.
For the first mile, the primary hazard wasn't the terrain or the ominous mists. It was the sheer, overwhelming overcompensation of two Primeval Gods who had just spent forty-eight hours as powerless mortals.
"Aldren, put me down," Elara sighed, though a small, fond smile betrayed her annoyance.
