The world was dust. Rubble pressed in from every side, choking air, smothering light. The cavern that had roared with fire and screams now lay buried beneath stone.Somewhere in the dark, soldiers groaned. Some called for help. Others did not call at all.Rex’s cough echoed faintly, his voice hoarse. “Kai, Amara, anyone?”The sound died into silence again. For a moment, it felt as if the earth itself had swallowed them all.Kai’s eyes opened to darkness. Pain racked his chest, every breath sharp. His sword lay broken beside him, its glow faint but still alive.He tried to move, but rubble pinned his legs. Dust filled his throat, then he remembered Amara. The strike. The collapse. His heart surged with fear. “Amara!” he shouted, voice cracking. “Amara!”No answer. He clawed at the stone with bloody hands, forcing himself free inch by inch. His body screamed, but his heart screamed louder.A few feet away, Rex pushed rubble aside, dragging himself upright. His uniform was torn, his face

The green fire ripped through the cavern like a storm. The stone cracked. Roots writhed. Soldiers screamed. The blast hurled everyone backward.Kai shielded his face with his arm, but the heat seared his skin. His sword glowed, trembling in his grip.Through the fire, Amara floated, her body blazing like a living flame. Her eyes were nothing but emerald light.She was not herself. Not anymore. The Gardener spoke through her lips, its voice echoing like a thousand whispers. “Now you will see what eternity looks like.”Kai forced himself to his knees. Blood dripped from his brow, his body battered, but his grip on the sword never loosened. “No,” he muttered, his voice raw. “You don’t get eternity. Not with her.”He rose to his feet, staggering, but his eyes stayed fixed on her. “Amara!” he shouted over the roar of fire. “I don’t care what it says, you are not gone! You hear me? You are not gone!”Her face twitched. For just a moment, the green fire flickered, gold light trying to push t

The root struck like a spear, fast and merciless. Kai swung with everything he had left. His blade met the tendril, sparks and light bursting across the cavern. The force rattled his bones, nearly snapping his arms. The shockwave hurled him back, but he clutched Amara tight, refusing to drop her. They hit the stone hard, his ribs screaming, his lungs empty of air. The cavern trembled, more rocks raining from the ceiling. Firelight, gold and green, burned across every surface.For a moment, silence fell, then the Gardener roared. “You dare defy me with her weak light? You dare think love can shatter me? I am eternal!”Amara stirred in his arms, her body still glowing faintly gold. Her skin burned hot, sweat dripping down her temples. “Kai,” Her voice was a whisper, fragile but sharp enough to cut him. “Don’t stop. Don’t you dare stop now.”He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice breaking. “I’m here. I’ll never stop.”She gasped, her hands clutching his chest. “Then help me burn it

Dust filled the air. The sound of falling stone slowly faded. What had been a cavern was now a tomb.Kai lay half-buried in rubble, blood running down his face. His arms still clutched Amara tight against his chest.For a moment, he couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The silence was so deep it rang in his ears.Then he coughed, dragging in air thick with smoke. Pain ripped through his ribs, but he ignored it.He looked down. Amara lay limp in his arms, her hair spread across his shoulder, her face pale as death. “Amara,” His voice cracked. He shook her gently. “Stay with me. Please.”No answer. He pressed his ear to her chest. At first, nothing. Then, faint. A weak, uneven beat. Her heart was still there. Barely. Kai let out a broken laugh, tears blinding his eyes. “You stubborn miracle.” But then he saw it. Faint, glowing veins under her skin. Gold, yes. But also green. His stomach turned cold.A groan came from the rocks. “Kai, you alive?”It was one of the soldiers. His helmet crack

The night was burning green. The village shook as the spire grew taller, its roots cracking through houses, tearing apart stone and wood. Torches dropped, their flames swallowed by the spreading glow. Kai stood in the middle of the street, sword raised high, his body trembling. His eyes locked on Amara, who knelt at his feet, her arms bound in writhing roots. Her eyes flickered, gold, then green, then gold again. Tears ran down her face.“Kai,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Do it. Please. End me before he takes everything.”The villagers shouted all around him, their voices full of panic and rage. “Kill her! She’s the source! She’s not human anymore!”The scarred woman with the crossbow leveled her weapon at Amara’s chest. Her voice was hard as iron. “If you won’t, I will.”Kai’s heart pounded. His sword shook. His breath came in broken gasps. He was trapped.“No!” Kai roared. His voice echoed like thunder. He swung his sword, cutting the air in front of the woman, the blade g