Tales of Azeroth: Eclipse

Prologue: Echoes

The night sky over Tiragarde was a tapestry of restless shadows and distant stars, a quiet reminder of the battles fought and the peace that had been hard-won. The once vibrant city now lay shrouded in a heavy stillness, its streets empty, and its people sleeping, their dreams haunted by memories of war. But beneath the surface, in the quiet corners and forgotten alleyways, something was stirring.

Lunara stood on the edge of the city, the cold wind tugging at her cloak as she gazed out into the vast wilderness beyond. The moonlight cast a pale glow on her determined face, highlighting the resolve in her eyes. It had been three months since Kaelin had vanished, taken by the dark forces they had fought so hard to defeat. Three months of searching, hoping, and slowly watching that hope turn to desperation.

She had scoured every lead, followed every trail, but each path led her back to the same conclusion: Kaelin was gone, and the answers she sought lay far beyond the safety of Tiragarde's walls. Now, with nothing left to lose, Lunara knew she had to venture deeper into the unknown. The world was vast, and the darkness that had taken Kaelin still lingered, waiting, watching.

In the distance, the first rays of dawn began to creep over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and red. But the beauty of the sunrise did little to ease the tension in Lunara's heart. She knew this journey would change her, test her in ways she couldn't yet imagine. But she was ready. For Kaelin, she would face whatever darkness lay ahead.

As she turned to leave, a shadow moved in the periphery of her vision, just a flicker, but enough to set her instincts on edge. She spun around, hand reaching for the staff on her back, but there was nothing—only the silence of the waking world and the faint echo of her own heartbeat.

Back in the city, Destiny stood on the balcony of Tiragarde Keep, her gaze fixed on the stranger below. The figure was draped in dark robes, moving through the city with an unsettling grace. Something about them tugged at the edges of her memory, a feeling of unease that she couldn't quite shake. Who was this stranger, and why had they come to Tiragarde now, when the city was still licking its wounds?

Destiny's hand tightened around the railing as the stranger paused, their head tilting slightly as if they were aware of her watchful eyes. For a moment, their gaze met hers, and Destiny felt a chill run down her spine. There was something in that gaze—something ancient, something dangerous. She knew she had to find out what they wanted, but a part of her feared the truth.

As the first light of dawn washed over the city, both Lunara and Destiny made their choices. Lunara stepped into the wilds, her heart heavy but her spirit unyielding, while Destiny turned away from the balcony, determined to uncover the stranger's secrets.

In the silent dawn, Tiragarde stood on the brink of a new chapter—one that would plunge its heroes into a battle far more sinister than any they had faced before. The shadows were growing longer, the darkness deeper, and the echoes of the void whispered of a fate that none of them could escape.