The starship's engine sputtered to a halt as it touched down in the clearing outside Ma Lan's village. Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, dappling the grass with gold, and the air smelled of pine and ripe tomatoes—familiar, comforting scents that made Lin Che's chest feel light.
Xiao Ya was the first to jump out, her metal flower tucked behind her ear, as she ran toward the village. "Ma Lan! The tomatoes!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the trees.
Lin Che, Su Qing, and Mo Ying followed, stretching their legs after the short flight. The village square came into view moments later—children chasing each other, women hanging laundry, and Ma Lan standing by the well, her hands on her hips, a smile on her face.
"There you are!" Ma Lan said, pulling them into hugs. "Thought you'd never get here—the tomatoes have been ripe for days." She turned to Mo Ying, her eyes widening at the starship. "Is that…?"
"Jax's starship," Mo Ying said, grinning. "Flew us here in an hour. Beats walking."
They spent the afternoon in the garden behind Lin Che and Su Qing's old house. The tomatoes hung heavy on the vines, their skins bright red, and the herbs smelled of mint and rosemary. Xiao Ya picked a tomato, biting into it, juice dripping down her chin.
"The plants are worried," she said suddenly, wiping her mouth. Her hands glowed faintly green as she knelt beside a tomato vine. "They say something's wrong in the deep forest—something old. A seal. It's breaking."
Lin Che's smile faded. A seal. The Spirit Plant Ruins came to mind—Guardian relics, ancient magic. "What kind of seal?" he asked.
Xiao Ya closed her eyes, listening. "It's made of stone. Has runes on it—like the ones in the ruins. The plants say it's holding something back. Something dark. If it breaks…." She trailed off, shivering.
Su Qing pulled her Arcane Manual from her bag, flipping to a page marked with a stone seal sketch. "My grandmother's notes," she said, her voice tight. "She wrote about a 'Forest Seal'—hidden in the deep forest, built by the Guardians to trap a 'void beast.' A creature made of pure darkness, stronger than any Shadow Shard. The seal draws power from the forest's plants—if the plants weaken, the seal breaks."
Mo Ying's grin faded. "Void beast? Stronger than Shadow Shards?" She tightened her grip on her wrench. "We need to fix the seal. Before it breaks completely."
Ma Lan nodded, her face serious. "The deep forest—no one goes there. Too thick, too many dangerous animals. But the plants—they'll guide you, Xiao Ya."
That night, they packed their supplies: Su Qing's Arcane Manual, Lin Che's knife, the light shard (Lin Che had taken it from the ruins, just in case), Mo Ying's tools, and a basket of tomatoes and dried meat. Li Wei had stayed in the city to help Jax finish the starship, but he'd given them a map of the deep forest—marked with safe paths and dangerous thickets.
They left at dawn, Xiao Ya leading the way, her hands glowing green as she talked to the trees. The forest grew thicker as they walked—trees taller, vines thicker, sunlight harder to see. The air grew cooler, and the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the distant call of a bird.
"The seal is ahead," Xiao Ya said, stopping at the edge of a clearing. "The plants say it's in the center—under a big oak tree."
They stepped into the clearing, and Lin Che's breath caught. In the center, a massive stone seal stood, its surface covered in glowing green runes—just like the ones in the Spirit Plant Ruins. But the runes were fading, their light dim, and cracks spiderwebbed across the stone. Dark mist seeped through the cracks, curling toward the sky.
"The void beast is inside," Su Qing whispered, her hands glowing green. "The seal is breaking—look at the runes. They're almost gone."
Mo Ying walked around the seal, examining the cracks. "We can fix it," she said. "The stone's not broken all the way—if we can recharge the runes with Arcane energy, we can seal the cracks."
Xiao Ya knelt beside the seal, pressing her hands to the stone. Her hands glowed brighter, and the runes flickered, their light growing slightly. "The plants can help," she said. "They'll send energy to the runes. But we need more—Arcane energy, the light shard's power."
Lin Che pulled the light shard from his pocket, its silver glow flaring. He pressed it to the seal, and the runes lit up—bright green, then silver, then back to green. The cracks stopped spreading, and the dark mist slowed.
Su Qing closed her eyes, chanting a long Arcane spell, her hands glowing bright green. She pressed her palms to the seal, and the runes pulsed, their light spreading across the stone. The cracks began to seal, the dark mist fading.
Mo Ying grabbed her tools, hammering small metal plates over the remaining cracks—reinforcing the stone, keeping the mist inside. "That should hold," she said, stepping back.
But as they watched, the seal trembled. The runes flickered, their light dimming again. Dark mist seeped through the metal plates, thicker this time.
"The void beast is fighting back," Su Qing said, her voice tight. "The seal needs more energy—more than we can give. We need to find the Guardian Relic that powers it. My grandmother's notes say it's a 'Forest Heart'—a crystal that draws energy from the forest. It's hidden somewhere in the deep forest."
Xiao Ya's eyes widened. "The plants say they know where it is," she said. "It's in a cave—by a waterfall. The cave is guarded by stone wolves. But the plants can calm them."
Lin Che nodded. "Let's go. We don't have much time. The seal won't hold forever."
They walked toward the waterfall, Xiao Ya leading the way, the light shard in Lin Che's hand glowing faintly. The forest grew darker, the air thicker, but Xiao Ya didn't hesitate—she knew the way, guided by the plants.
As they approached the waterfall, Lin Che heard it: the sound of water crashing against rocks, the growl of stone wolves.
The cave was ahead, hidden behind the waterfall. And at the entrance, two stone wolves stood—their eyes glowing red, their jaws open, ready to attack.
"The plants will calm them," Xiao Ya said, stepping forward. Her hands glowed green, and she whispered to the wolves. The wolves' red eyes faded, their jaws closing, their bodies relaxing.
"They're safe now," Xiao Ya said, smiling.
They stepped into the cave, the waterfall roaring behind them. The cave was dark, but the light shard's glow illuminated the way. At the center, a crystal sat on a stone pedestal—bright green, pulsing with energy.
"The Forest Heart," Su Qing said, her voice filled with awe.
Lin Che walked forward, picking up the crystal. It was warm in his hand, its energy spreading through his body. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed, matching the crystal's light.
"We need to get back to the seal," he said. "Fast."
They ran back through the forest, the Forest Heart in Lin Che's hand, the stone wolves watching them go. The seal was still trembling when they arrived, the runes almost dark, the dark mist pouring through the cracks.
Lin Che pressed the Forest Heart to the seal.
The crystal's green light exploded, spreading across the stone. The runes lit up, bright and steady, the cracks sealing completely. The dark mist vanished, sucked back into the seal. The forest around them seemed to breathe a sigh of relief—the trees rustled, the birds sang, the plants glowed.
They stepped back, watching the seal. The runes pulsed softly, the Forest Heart now part of the stone, its light merging with the runes.
"The seal is fixed," Su Qing said, her voice soft. "The void beast is trapped again."
Xiao Ya smiled, her hands glowing green. "The plants are happy," she said. "They say the seal will hold—now that it has the Forest Heart. The void beast can't get out."
Lin Che nodded, but his jaw was tight. The void beast. Another darkness, another threat. They'd stopped it this time, but how many more were there? How many ancient seals were breaking, how many dark creatures were waiting to be freed?
Mo Ying clapped him on the back. "We stopped it," she said. "That's what matters. One threat at a time."
Lin Che smiled. She was right. One threat at a time. Together.
They walked back to the village, the sun setting behind them. The forest was quiet, peaceful, the plants singing softly. For now, the seal was fixed. For now, the void beast was trapped.
But Lin Che knew—their journey wasn't over. There were more seals, more relics, more darkness to fight.
But they had each other. And that was enough.
The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed faintly, a silent promise. The awakened one's work continued.
And they were ready.