The Village’s Relief

Chapter 18

Third POV

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the small village nestled in the valley. The air was cool, the scent of the earth mingling with the last remnants of summer warmth. Life in the village continued as it always had—unremarkable, predictable, and tinged with the quiet resignation of those who had long since accepted their lot in life. But today, there was a palpable sense of relief in the air, a collective exhale of tension that had been building for weeks.

The villagers gathered in the central square, the hub of all activity, where the day’s gossip was shared, and decisions were made. They spoke in hushed tones, casting furtive glances at the edges of the forest that bordered their home. The forest was dense and dark, its secrets known only to those who dared venture too far. And beyond the forest lay the mountains, towering and ominous, where no villager in their right mind would tread—save for the foolhardy or the desperate.

Elara had been desp