The wind howled through the jagged peaks of the Stormsoul Mountains, carrying with it the acrid scent of ash and ozone. Beneath a blood-red sky, the elements writhed and raged, their once harmonious dance reduced to chaos. Rivers boiled and surged against scorched earth, while flames consumed the air itself, leaving the heavens choked in ash.
At the heart of this tumult stood a lone figure cloaked in shadow, their outstretched hands commanding the primal forces of creation and destruction. A shard of corrupted Skyforge steel glimmered ominously in their grasp, pulsating with stolen power. Each wave of the figure's hand sent ripples of discord through the realm, pitting fire against water, air against earth.
From the safety of their mountain stronghold, the Elemental Council watched in dismay as the delicate balance they had preserved for centuries crumbled before their eyes. The Skyforge, once a beacon of unity, now seemed a distant memory, its power perverted to sow division.
“The accord is broken,” an ancient voice murmured, heavy with grief. “The elements no longer heed us. They obey another.”
In the quiet village of Windmere, Kael awoke with a start, his chest heaving as if he had run a great distance. His dreams had been vivid—flames spiraling into a tempest, earth shattering beneath a tidal wave, and a dark presence at the center of it all. He didn’t yet understand the vision, but he felt its weight pressing on his soul.
Unbeknownst to Kael, the forces at play were far greater than any he had faced before. The shadow manipulating the elements was no ordinary adversary; it was a force determined to reshape the realm by plunging it into unending strife.
And as the first embers of rebellion ignited, the realm would soon discover that even the mightiest forge could falter under the weight of betrayal.
