Chapter 212

AURORA

“I’m with you, Aurora,” he says. “Whatever happens.”

The ground beneath me shakes, the walls of the chamber collapsing as darkness moves upwards, turning into a weird human shape.

The air freezes, the mad energy of the grove burning around us like a storm.

I stumble backward, my breathing fast and shallow, my heart racing in my chest.

The figure solidifies; its form is ever-changing, a mixture of darkness and faint light.

A voice cuts through the chaos, deep and commanding.

“I am the Witness,” he says, his tone vibrating through the clearing. “Keeper of balance. You cannot restore the grove without my consent.”

I stare hard at the figure as my mind whirls.

“What do you mean?” I demand, attempting to keep my voice steady.

The Witness leans his head, eyes of light seizing mine.

Kael’s failure doubled it, but the rot started much before him.” Dane steps forward, his sword still in hand. “And what does that mean for Aurora?” he asks, sharp.

“She’s trying to fix this.” His eyes hold onto mine without wavering. “Her intentions are irrelevant. A decision she is going to make stands to affect more than this grove, but the weight of realms beyond.”

But if anyone were to know, it would be the Witness.

I clench my fists at my sides, my frustration finally breaking out.

“Then tell me, what am I supposed to do?” I snap. “How can I make it right?”

The Witness’s form ripples, his voice softer but no less powerful. “There is another way. A third option.”

The clearing grows quiet, and even the grove’s angry whispers are momentarily silenced. “What option?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Sever the grove’s tie to the mortal world,” the Witness says, “and break its bond with your pack, and the curse will be gone. Your people will never know its shadow again.”

The words hang in the air, heavy with implications.

Kael’s ghostly form steps forward, face twisting in anger. “No,” he growls.

“You would destroy the grove entirely? Erase centuries of connection, of history?”

“It is a clean slate,” the Witness responds, unphased by Kael’s outrage.

“The pack will no longer benefit from the grove’s protection, but neither will they suffer its curse. They will be free.”

I glance at Dane. He is clenching his jaw, thinking, as he listens to the Witness’s words.

“And what happens if we restore the grove instead?”

“The pack holds onto the connection,” the Witness replies. “But the curse will linger as it ever is; echoes are never gone. There’s always a cost being paid.”

Heavy with consequences are both my options; the weight weighs upon me as I step backward, shaking my head.

“If I cut the connection,” I say, my voice shaking, “the pack loses the protection of the grove. It’ll make them vulnerable to risks we won’t see coming.”

“But they’ll have a fresh start,” the Witness counters. “Free of this place’s shadow.”

Kael’s voice rises, sharp and desperate. “You cannot destroy the legacy of the grove, Aurora. It is the soul of the pack.”

“The pack’s soul is not in the place,” Dane objects, stepping next to me. “It’s in its people. And Aurora’s the one who has to live with this decision, not you.”

The grove quivers and shakes, the roots twisting to and fro in a seeming protest against such indecision.

Lirien appeared at that instant, dark form dancing with an air of urgency.

“The grove cannot withstand this tug of war much longer,” he says. “Aurora, you must decide. Now.”

The Witness extends its hand, voice unyielding. “Sever the bond, and the pack is free. Restore it, and they remain bound with the grove’s fate.”

Kael steps closer, his ghostly form aglow brighter. “Don’t listen to it, Aurora. The grove is our foundation. Without it, the pack will be lost.”

My mind reels as the energy of the grove presses in from every direction, thick upon my skin. The pendant at my chest shakes weakly, its light little more than a struggle against chaos.

“What if I don’t choose?” I ask, my voice small.

The Witness’s form darkens, his voice low and menacing.

“Then the grove will fall. The corruption will spread to all things: your pack, your world, and beyond.”

His fingers clasp around mine in his hand; it is a firm but grounding grasp.

“Aurora, look at me,” he says. “Whatever you choose, we face it together. But you need to choose.”

I breathe deeply, my eyes darting between the glowing heart of the grove, the towering Witness, and Kael’s pleading form.

My legs feel like lead as I take a step toward the heart.

The soft glow of the pendant seems to pump in time with my racing heartbeat.

“I…” I begin, my voice faltering. Before I can even finish, the earth shakes once more beneath my feet, and the cracks widen more.

Shadows came well up from its darkness. The Witness launches himself at Kael, his form intermingling with Kael’s in a brilliant burst of light and darkness.

The being that results from their merger towers over us, its voice a rumble of fury.

“If you cannot decide,” it growls, “then I will decide for you!”