Chapter 71 The Third Shard

• The marshlands were a world apart from the frozen forests of the North. Thick fog clung to the ground, curling around half-sunken ruins that jutted from the water like broken teeth. The air smelled of rot and stagnant water, and every step threatened to sink boots deeper into mud.
• Kelvin tightened his grip on his sword as the group pressed forward, his golden eyes scanning the ruins ahead. “Stay close. The shard is near. I can feel its pull.”
• Lucia, pale but resolute, kept to his side. Despite the curse’s toll, her aura seemed steadier today, as though determination anchored her body where frailty tried to pull it down. The faint glow around her fingers brightened with each step.