*** New Roots***
Sunlight broke through the trees of Elmsworth, golden and warm, as if the forest itself exhaled in relief. Where the old Tree had stood, a new one now rose—taller, broader, and filled with leaves that shimmered in hues of dawn and dusk. It bore no fruit, not yet, but its presence was enough. Life stirred.
Mira sat beneath its branches, the orb no longer in her hands, but pulsing at the tree's core. She could feel it still—a part of her, but no longer hers to carry alone. The Between had not closed. Instead, it flowed gently through the world now, no longer a wound, but a vein of mystery that touched all things with quiet purpose.
Lena joined her, silent for a while. Then, "Do you think he found peace?"
Mira nodded. "Caelen was never evil. Just… afraid. And desperate to fix things he thought were broken beyond repair."
Bram wandered nearby, collecting seeds that fell from the new Tree. His eyes were still touched with the glow of the Between, but they had softened. Elric helped him, quieter than usual, but present—a guardian still, though his blade had not left its sheath since their return.
The Keepers had disbanded centuries ago, their legacy a myth. But now, under the sheltering limbs of the new Tree, a new council formed—not of rule, but of remembrance and guidance. They would not guard balance through control, but through trust.
Messengers came from distant corners of the world—drawn by the ripples in magic, by visions and songs. Old knowledge returned, whispered by the wind and carried by the roots.
And Mira, once merely a girl lost in the forest, became known not as a Keeper, but as a Listener. One who heard the voice of the world and answered not with power, but with understanding.
The Balance had shifted. The Between was part of life now.
And so began the Age of Whispers—where roots reached deeper, winds spoke clearer, and all things living were part of the same story.
[End of Part One]