Kai sank to his knees, his arms wrapped around Amara’s limp body. Her head rested against his chest, her dark hair damp with black sap.“Amara…” His voice broke, shaking. His tears fell onto her pale face. “No. Please. Don’t leave me.”Her body was cold, her glow gone. The cocoon was shattered around them, its roots shriveled into ash.The Gardener’s laughter echoed through the cavern, low and rumbling like thunder. “So ends love. So begins soil. This is the crown you inherit, heir. All loss… all mine.”Kai clutched her tighter, his chest burning. “You did this. Not her. You.”The shadow behind him grew taller, darker, stretching across the cavern walls. “No, heir. You did this. With your own hand. With your own blade.”Kai shook violently, his teeth clenched. His heart screamed to deny it, but his mind replayed the moment, the sword piercing, the cocoon cracking, her cry. His hands trembled around her body. His scream tore through the hollow.Far above, Kevin floated in mid-air, his