Roxo Paars paused, her fingers brushing against the cool surface of the azure portal. The mist clung to her elaborate braid, dampening the feathers woven within. This was it; the final step in the ritual. For weeks she had gathered the shimmering scales from the lake’s elusive moonfish, each one a fragment of forgotten dreams. Now, arranged upon this floating dais, they pulsed with an ethereal light, powering the doorway to Aethelgard. The villagers whispered tales of that realm, a place where memories solidified and regrets took form. Roxo wasn't seeking glory or power; she sought only to mend a fractured past, to offer solace to a grieving heart trapped within its shimmering walls. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open, the blue light spilling out like liquid starlight, beckoning her into the unknown depths of Aethelgard’s embrace. The water rippled around her feet as she stepped forward, ready to face whatever awaited on the other side.