The voice echoed through the forest.
Soft.
Gentle.
Almost…
familiar.
“Elara…”
“I’ve finally found you.”
No one moved.
The light where the star had fallen slowly faded, leaving behind a thin trail of golden mist.
The Keeper’s eyes never left it.
Rose took a small step back.
Even Adrian looked uneasy.
“What was that?” Noah whispered.
For the first time since Elara had met him…
The Keeper didn’t have an answer.
“I don’t know.”
The silence didn’t last long.
A cold breeze swept across the clearing.
The golden mist began moving.
Not with the wind.
On its own.
It drifted between the trees until it reached the edge of the clearing.
Then…
It stopped.
A figure slowly appeared inside the light.
At first, Elara could only make out a silhouette.
Then the light faded completely.
It was a girl.
She looked about fifteen or sixteen.
She had long black hair that reached her waist and wore a simple white dress that looked untouched by the mud beneath her feet.
She wasn’t scared.
She wasn’t confused.
She looked around the clearing as if she had been there many times before.
Then her eyes met Elara’s.
She smiled.
“There you are.”
Elara frowned.
“Do…
I know you?”
The girl’s smile faded.
“You don’t remember.”
“I’ve never met you.”
“You have.”
The girl took another step forward.
“Just not in this life.”
Noah blinked.
“…Okay.”
“I’m officially confused.”
Adrian slowly lowered his flashlight.
“Who are you?”
The girl looked at him for a moment.
“You’ve grown old.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“You know me?”
“I did.”
“Once.”
The Keeper walked forward.
“Tell me your name.”
The girl looked at the masked figure.
For the first time, she looked surprised.
“So…”
“You’re still protecting it.”
The Keeper repeated the question.
“What is your name?”
The girl was quiet for several seconds.
Almost as if she had forgotten.
Finally…
She whispered,
“Iris.”
The moment she said her name…
The Heartwood glowed.
Not just its branches.
Its entire trunk lit up with golden light.
Lily covered her mouth.
Rose’s lantern burst back into life.
The blue flame burned brighter than before.
“No…”
Rose whispered.
“It can’t be.”
“What?” Elara asked.
Rose looked at Iris.
“I thought she disappeared.”
“I thought she was gone forever.”
Iris smiled sadly.
“I was.”
“But the Heartwood called me back.”
Before anyone could ask another question…
The ground trembled again.
This time it wasn’t violent.
It felt more like…
A heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The Heartwood was alive.
And it was getting stronger.
The black vines surrounding the clearing slowly pulled back.
Flowers that had withered only moments ago began blooming again.
Noah looked around in amazement.
“The forest is healing.”
“For now,” the Keeper replied.
“It won’t last.”
Elara couldn’t stop looking at Iris.
There was something strangely familiar about her.
Not her face.
Not her voice.
Just…
Her presence.
As if Elara had known her for years.
Iris noticed.
“You feel it too.”
Elara nodded slowly.
“Who are you?”
Instead of answering…
Iris reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a silver necklace.
A small leaf-shaped pendant hung from it.
Elara’s eyes widened.
It looked exactly like the one in her vision.
The little girl beneath the giant tree…
She had been wearing the same pendant.
“Where did you get that?”
Iris looked down at it.
“It was yours.”
Elara laughed nervously.
“No…”
“I’ve never owned that.”
“You did.”
“A long time ago.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Everyone looked at her.
“My daughter has had enough riddles.”
“If you know something…”
“Say it clearly.”
Iris looked at Evelyn.
Her smile disappeared.
“You broke your promise.”
Evelyn froze.
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
“No.”
“There wasn’t.”
The clearing became silent again.
Elara looked from one to the other.
“What promise?”
Neither of them answered.
Noah sighed.
“Can someone please explain one thing without making it sound like a puzzle?”
To everyone’s surprise…
Iris laughed.
A real laugh.
“You still complain too much.”
Noah frowned.
“Have we met too?”
She smiled.
“No.”
“But you remind me of someone.”
The Keeper suddenly looked toward the forest.
Its posture stiffened.
“They’re here.”
Adrian immediately grabbed his flashlight.
“Who?”
Before the Keeper could answer…
A loud horn echoed through the trees.
Once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
The sound didn’t come from one direction.
It came from everywhere.
The spirits began disappearing.
One by one.
Lily looked at Elara.
“We have to leave.”
“Why?”
“They’re hunting.”
“Hunting who?”
Lily didn’t answer.
She vanished before Elara could stop her.
Within seconds, every spirit was gone.
Only Rose remained.
Her face had turned pale.
“I never thought I’d hear those horns again.”
The bushes at the edge of the clearing began shaking.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Not one person.
Many.
Metal clanged against metal.
The sound of armor.
The sound of swords.
Then…
A line of figures emerged from the trees.
They wore black armor covered with strange silver symbols.
Their faces were hidden behind helmets.
Each of them carried a long spear with a blade made of black crystal.
There were at least twenty of them.
They stopped at the edge of the clearing.
No one attacked.
No one spoke.
Finally…
One of them stepped forward.
He removed his helmet.
He looked directly at Elara.
Then slowly knelt on one knee.
The soldiers behind him did the same.
The man lowered his head and said only six words.
“We’ve come for the True Heir.”
Elara’s heart stopped.
“The…
what?”
The man looked up.
His eyes were filled with certainty.
“You, Lady Elara.”
“The throne has been waiting for you.”