Chapter 213

A wave of energy strikes like a physical force, throwing us backward in the grove, shaking it violently.

My body hits the ground hard, the air knocked from my lungs. The pendant on my chest shakes weakly, its light dimming like a dying candle.

I force myself upright, my vision swimming. The merged entity stands at the center of the clearing. It forms a swirling mass of light and shadow. The energy radiating from it is suffocating, a mix of rage and sorrow, unrelenting power.

Dane’s already on his feet, his eyes fixed on the entity.

“We have to stop this,” he says, his voice urgent but steady. Lirien shakes beside me.

“If that absorbs the grove’s heart, the balance will be gone,” it says. “All will fall.”

It moves towards the glowing heart, and the shifting, enormous form surges a step with it, moving like living metal, and even the roots move around, helpless as moths around bright light.

I scramble to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me. “What do we do?” I ask, my voice breaking.

"Chapter 213 cannot fall into its hands."

“But how?” I shout. “I don’t even know what to choose!”

Dane steps closer, his jaw tight. “We don’t have time for doubt, Aurora. I’ll keep it busy, you focus on the heart.”

Before I can protest, Dane charges toward the entity. His movements are swift and deliberate, his blade glinting faintly in the grove’s flickering light.

The entity turns, its voice a guttural growl. “You dare challenge me, mortal?"

Dane doesn’t respond. He dodges under one of its huge arms, changing into its dark form with quick precision. The blows don’t seem to inflict any serious damage, but they keep the entity busy, its attention torn.

I turn to the heart, its light pulsating in an erratic rhythm. The pendant at my neck responds, its glow strengthening marginally as I draw closer.

“You have to link with it,” Lirien says as he floats beside me. “The heart will only respond to the intent that is firm in its purpose.”

“But I don’t know what to do,” I whisper, shaking.

“Then choose,” Lirien says, the firmness of his voice tight. “Because hesitation will tear everything apart."

Chapter 213 like fire.

The instant I touch it, my mind is flooded by visions, vivid, overpowering. I see the pack thriving without the grove, their bonds strong, their laughter echoing through a sunlit forest. They are vulnerable, unprotected from the threats that lurk beyond their borders.

The vision changes. I see the grove renewed, its roots pulsing and its energy intact.

The pack stays together, its strength multiplied by the power of the grove. Yet I see me, too, my spirit dissolving into the tree, my life given in exchange for the balance of its heartbeat.

The pendant on my chest throbs once, a flicker of light dancing on my skin with each pulse of the heart.

“Both paths carry risks,” Lirien says, its voice distant in the chaos of my thoughts. “But the heart will only respond to one.”

A sharp cry pulls me from the visions. My eyes snap open to see Dane thrown backward, his body hitting the ground hard. He struggles to rise, his movements slow and pained.

“Dane!” I shout, starting toward him.

The entity roars, its attention turning to me. Its eyes, ablaze with

Chapter 213 green fire, lock onto mine.

“You cannot escape your destiny, Luna,” it growls, the voice rumbling through the grove.

I freeze, the weight of its presence pinning me in place. The shadows around it moved, growing larger and more menacing.

Dane heaves himself to his feet, his breathing ragged.

“Aurora,” he says, his voice strained. “You have to finish this. Don’t let it win.” I glance at him, my chest tightening.

Every instinct screams at me to run to his side, to protect him. But I know he’s right.

The heart pulses again, its light brighter now, as if urging me for The entity takes a step closer, its enormous body leaning over me.

“You think you can defy me?” it snarls. “You are nothing but a pawn, a vessel for the grove’s will.”

Its words light something inside of me, a spark of defiance that sears through my fear.

“I’m more than that,” I say, my voice firming. “I’m the one that gets to choose how this ends.”

I slap both palms against the heart, covering it with their warmth.

Chapter 213 sharper and clearer.

The pack groves, the limitless possibilities, they swirl around me, each fighting for my attention.

The clearing seems to shudder, roots whipping through the air like flails as the grove responds to my touch.

It roars, its shape stuttering as if it were caught in some sort of personal gale.

“You cannot master what you do not comprehend!” he bellows, his voice cracking through like thunder.

Lirien’s voice cuts through the din, steady but insistent.

“Focus, Aurora. The heart will follow your will, but only if it is clear.”

I close my eyes, and the mayhem around me fades into insignificance as I concentrate on the pulsating rhythm of the heart.

The light from the pendant stabilizes, its warmth a beacon in the darkness.

“I know what I have to do,” I whisper.

The heart pulses beneath my hands, its rhythm faltering, its light going out. The roots of the grove twist and lash about, wild and mad.

Behind me, Dane’s body lies still, his breaths shallow. My gaze lingers on him; the sight sends a pang through my chest.

Chapter 213

Lirien’s voice then filled my mind, calm, yet commanding. “This is your moment, Aurora. Choose now.”