Maya's heart pounded as she stepped through the obsidian portal, emerging into a realm where shadows danced with malevolent life. The air itself seemed to whisper secrets of forgotten souls, and in the distance, a figure approached—one she had hoped never to see again. "Elena?" Maya's voice cracked as she recognized her sister's silhouette, though something was terribly wrong. Elena's once-bright eyes now glowed with an eerie purple light, and shadows writhed around her like living serpents. "Hello, sister," Elena said, her voice carrying an otherworldly echo. "I've been waiting for you to join me in the Shadow King's court. He has shown me such wonders, such power beyond imagination." Maya drew her blade, its silver surface reflecting the twisted landscape around them. "What has he done to you? This isn't you, Elena. Fight it!" Elena laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Fight it? I embraced it willingly. The Shadow King offered me everything our world denied me—power, purpose, immortality. And now, he wants to offer you the same." The ground beneath them began to shift and crack, revealing glimpses of the mortal realm below. Maya could see their hometown, the people they had sworn to protect, all unaware of the danger looming above them. "The barriers between worlds grow thin," Elena continued, raising her hand as shadows coalesced into a dark mirror. "Soon, the Shadow King will have enough soul fragments to merge the realms permanently. And you, dear sister, will help him complete his collection." Maya steadied herself, knowing that the sister she once knew might be lost forever, but determined to find a way to save both Elena and their world from the encroaching darkness.