"Every truth buried will one day find its way back to the light."
The deeper they went, the thicker the air became. The roots above their heads pulsed faintly with golden veins of light, like the forest itself was alive and breathing. The tunnel sloped downward until it opened into a cavern so vast that the ceiling disappeared into mist.
At the center of that cavern stood something neither of them expected.
A great tree grew from a pool of still water, its trunk black as obsidian and its branches shimmering with faint silver leaves. Beneath its roots, a soft red glow pulsed like the beat of a living heart. The light reflected on the water's surface, rippling in slow, steady rhythm.
Kael whistled softly. "If that is not the heart of the forest, I do not know what is."
Lior stepped closer. The air near the tree was warm, humming with power. His chest ached as if something deep inside him recognized the rhythm. "It feels… familiar."
"Do not tell me this thing is alive," Kael muttered, peering around.
"It is," a voice answered.
They both turned sharply. From the shadows beneath the roots emerged a figure cloaked in green and silver, her eyes glowing faintly gold. Her presence carried the weight of the forest itself, ancient and watchful.
Lior's fingers twitched toward his sword, but the woman raised her hand. "Peace, child of flame. I have waited for you."
Kael frowned. "You know him?"
"I know what he carries," she said softly. Her gaze lingered on Lior. "The broken flame seeks to mend itself, but the wound it bears runs deep."
Lior swallowed. "Who are you?"
"I am Elaris, the guardian spirit of this forest. I tend to the memories buried within its roots." She walked closer, her feet leaving no ripples on the water. "And you, Lior, are bound to those memories more tightly than you understand."
The red glow beneath the roots brightened, and visions flickered across the water's surface. Lior saw flashes of himself standing among burning ruins, sword raised high. Shadows surrounded him, their screams echoing in the flames.
He stumbled back, clutching his head. "No. That cannot be me."
Elaris's expression softened. "You remember only what your soul allows. But the truth is not kind."
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, do not listen to her too fast. Spirits like this always speak in riddles."
Elaris turned to him. "You are right to doubt, shadow-born. Yet even a riddle has its truth. You, too, have a part in his past."
Kael froze. "What are you talking about?"
"The bond between flame and shadow began long before you took your first breath," she said. "In another life, you stood on opposite sides of the same war."
Lior looked at Kael in shock. "That cannot be."
Kael's mouth opened, then closed again. "If that is true, I do not remember."
"Neither of you do," Elaris said. "Because remembering would destroy you both before your purpose is complete."
The heartlight beneath the roots began to pulse faster, casting deep red waves across the cavern. The air grew heavy, and the whispering of the forest turned sharp and urgent.
Elaris's voice lowered. "It awakens. The heart stirs because something beyond the forest calls to it. The shadow rises again in the north, and it remembers the flame that once defied it."
Lior steadied himself. "Tell me what I must do."
She regarded him carefully. "To heal what was broken, you must reclaim what was lost. Beyond this forest lies the city of Valenreach, buried under centuries of ash. There you will find the Crown of Remnants, the key to the truth you seek."
Kael frowned. "A crown again? What is it with this world and cursed jewelry?"
Elaris almost smiled. "Some symbols are not meant to be worn, but to be understood."
Lior took a deep breath. "And if we fail?"
The guardian's eyes darkened. "Then the forest will fall silent forever, and the world will follow."
The roots trembled as a deep rumble echoed through the cavern. The glow beneath the tree flared bright red, then dimmed rapidly.
Elaris turned toward the tree, her form flickering. "It is beginning. Go, now!"
Lior hesitated. "What about you?"
She smiled sadly. "My duty ends where yours begins." Her voice became distant. "Remember, Lior. The flame is not meant to destroy. It is meant to guide."
Her body turned to light, scattering into motes that drifted upward into the canopy. The cavern shook harder, cracks spreading across the ground.
Kael grabbed Lior's arm. "Time to go!"
They ran up the sloping tunnel as the sound of splitting wood and shattering stone roared behind them. Roots snapped like whips, and fragments of glowing bark fell from above. The light of the heart flickered and went out, leaving only darkness.
When they finally reached the surface, the forest was no longer silent. A low, mournful wail filled the air, the voice of the land itself crying out in pain. Trees bent toward the ground as if mourning.
Lior turned back once, staring into the mist. For a brief moment, he saw the faint outline of Elaris among the fading light. Then she was gone.
Kael exhaled. "Well, that was cheerful. So, Valenreach next?"
Lior nodded, his eyes still on the forest. "Yes. But first, we must find a way to cross the northern plains."
Kael groaned. "Great. More walking. I hope the crown appreciates the effort."
Despite the ache in his chest, Lior smiled faintly. "Let us hope it is worth the journey."
They stepped out of the forest's shadow and into the open sunlight, unaware that high above them, black wings circled in the clouds.
The hunt had begun.