The Crown of Curses

Previously

…The raven’s eyes seemed to gleam with an ancient, knowing light. The familiar, comforting rhythm of her life had been shattered, replaced by the discordant clang of a destiny she never knew she carried. The shadows of the standing stones stretched long and menacing, no longer just markers of the past, but a grim harbinger of the perilous journey that lay ahead. The forge, her sanctuary, suddenly felt like a distant memory, a life she might never return to. The curse, once a vague tale, now felt like a tangible darkness, and she, Elara, the unassuming blacksmith, was its reluctant, terrified target.