Chapter 208

AURORA

I stumbled backward, the weight of the grove’s truths heavy upon my chest. The glowing green eyes of the figure seemed to pierce through me, its words echoing in my mind like a haunting darkness.

“The grove does not give answers, only truths.”

Before I could utter a word, the ground beside me shook wildly. Branches shot out from the roots, slimy and cold, wrapping around my ankles. I screamed, trying to tear myself free, but their grip tightened, hauling me closer to the corrupted roots.

The pendant at my chest surged abruptly, its light blazing like a star. The branches recoiled, their hiss like a thousand whispers, long enough for me to break free.

I stumbled to my feet, my breath coming fast. “You must go, now!” Lirien’s voice thundered, the calm replaced with urgent intensity.

I don’t need to be told twice. I ran. The grove that was so serene and beautiful now twists around me like a living nightmare.

Surges of relief coursed through me as I lurched toward it in uneven steps. I reach the edge and collapsed to my knees, the pendant’s light winking out as I cross the boundary of the grove. The air feels lighter, the suffocating energy of the grove lifting a little.

But before I can catch my breath, a voice cuts through the silence.

“Aurora.”

I froze, my heart pounding as I turned toward the sound.

Dane stands just inside the mist, his expression conflicted. His shoulders are tense, and his eyes flicker with emotions I can’t quite read.

“You’re not leaving without me,” he says softly, stepping closer.

Relief at seeing him floods through me, but it’s short-lived. The grove reacts almost instantly. The mist thickens around him, curling like clawed fingers. The ground trembles beneath his feet, the vibrations spreading through the air like a low growl.

“You shouldn’t have come,” I said, my voice rising in worry. “The grove doesn’t want you here.”

Dane looks at me, his face set with determination. “I couldn’t let you do this alone.”