Chapter42: Renewed Faith

*Maerilee* The sun beats down on us mercilessly as we trudge forward, the rocky terrain stretching endlessly in every direction. My legs ache, and every step feels heavier than the last, but I push on. We have to. There’s no room for weakness now, not with the stakes as high as they are. Brook leads the way with Akin and River close behind, their sharp gazes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. I follow, and Permiton lingers at the rear, as silent and enigmatic as ever. The landscape changes as we go. The jagged hills grow steeper, the vegetation sparser. By the time we reach the base of a tall cliff, the sun is sinking low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. The cliff towers over us, a wall of stone that seems almost impossible to scale. My heart sinks at the sight of it. There doesn’t seem to be a path around it. Brook turns to face us, his usually lighthearted expression somber. “This is it,” he says, his voice quiet but firm. “The Bright Waters are at the to