After the chaos in the village and the tension in the forest, the thick stone walls of the castle seemed to absorb all sound. Only Sofia's footsteps echoed through the long corridor leading to the eastern tower, where Miral was.
It was a quiet hour. Not night, not fully day. Pale blue light filtered through the tall stained-glass windows, like an old memory of morning. Each step echoed softly, as if the walls themselves recognized her.
Without realizing it, Sofia pressed a hand to her chest. The medallion was there. Warm. Not burning. Not dangerous.
Present.
Like a heart that knew a truth was about to be spoken.
She knocked gently.
— Come in, said a calm voice—ancient, yet alive.
The door opened without a sound. Sofia stepped inside and closed it behind her.
Miral stood by the tall window, hands behind his back, looking out toward the forest beyond the castle walls. He did not turn right away, as if waiting for her to speak first.
— The Shadows asked for my medallion, Sofia said plainly.
Miral closed his eyes for a moment.
— I knew this day would come, he said quietly.
He turned to face her. His gaze was the same as always—gentle, but deep, as if he were always seeing two worlds at once.
— Tell me something, Sofia. Do you still have the blue crystal I gave you when you were a child?"
The question struck her unexpectedly.
.— The crystal…?"she repeated.
And the memory returned.
The earth pulsing like a living heart.
Light rising between the roots.
A figure made of glow.
The light chose you, Sofia.
— Yes, she said softly. "I think… I do."
— Where is it?
— In a drawer. I put it there after Nico was born. He almost swallowed it once… I was scared. I hid it. I never thought about it again."
Miral nodded slowly.
— That is how it needed to be.
Sofia looked at him, uneasy.
— The medallion, the crystal, and Dragoș's ring are not separate objects," Miral continued. . — They are parts of the same ancient vow. A bond made not between people… but between the forest and its first protector."
Sofia swallowed.
— You… were Paul?" she asked quietly.
Miral raised his hand. Light gathered around it, breathing softly.
— Yes. I was. And three others with me. We were the Guardians of the Forest.
The air grew heavy—not with fear, but with the weight of a truth carried too long in silence.
— Miral, Sofia said gently. "If you are Paul… then tell me what you can. About your life back then."
Miral lowered his gaze. For the first time, he looked tired.
— I don't remember everything," he admitted. "Reincarnation does not preserve all things. Some memories are broken. Some are sealed."
The air trembled.
Sofia's medallion began to pulse.
Not a voice.
A feeling.
A certainty rising from deep within.
You can help him… if you truly want to.
Sofia inhaled sharply, understanding.
— It's not just about memories," she said softly. "It's about you."
Miral studied her.
— What do you mean?
— We don't have to force them," Sofia replied. "We can let them come… slowly. As they are.
Miral was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded.
—Then begin, he said. "With what was pure."
Light from the medallion wove together with the mark on Sofia's chest.
The room dissolved.
Paul was eight years old.
He ran barefoot through wet grass, knees scraped, laughter bright and real. He carved small wooden figures and helped his mother whenever he could. Most of all, he cared for Raul—his younger brother, fragile and often sick.
"I'm here," Paul always told him.
And he meant it.
Years passed.
Paul grew quieter, stronger. The village began to rely on him. Raul changed too—not cruel, just deeply wounded.
Bianca was there.
Not as tragedy.
As light.
She laughed easily. She helped others without being asked. She stayed close to Raul when others mocked him.
Paul's love did not come suddenly.
It came slowly.
Because Bianca was kind.
Because she saw pain.
Because with her, he felt calm.
When Paul told her he loved her, it was simple.
And Bianca chose him.
Just as she later told Sofia.
Raul saw everything.
Confusion first.
Then pain.
Then jealousy.
One night, Raul fled into the forest.
After that, nothing was the same.
Paul blamed himself.
He trained for one full year.
Not for power.
But from guilt.
From love.
From a promise made in childhood.
"I won't leave."
Then, one day, a woman from the village came running.
"Paul! Raul… Raul attacked the village!"
Paul did not ask how.
He did not ask why.
He already knew.
The vision did not show the battle.
It did not need to.
Only what followed.
The ground trembling.
The forest answering.
Paul on his knees—alive.
And for the first time, the forest recognized him.
Not as a child.
But as a vow.
"You chose to fight," said Codrion's ancient voice. "The world is not yet saved. But you may protect it."
Light rose from the earth.
Paul became the first Guardian of the Forest.
Around him stood those he had protected.
A young girl.
"My name is Oana," she said.
A young boy.
"Alex."
The Mark of Light appeared on Oana's hand.
The Mark of the Moon on Alex's.
Paul understood.
Nearby stood two older children—Vlad and Alexandra.
The Shadow had touched them.
"They will forget," Paul whispered.
"So they can live," Oana answered.
The forest trembled.