The shaking under the Kingdom of Dawn did not stop.It got stronger.The streets shook.Old towers creaked.Small cracks spread through the stone under Arias' feet.Nothing fell apart.It felt like something had just... Woken up.The mysterious voice echoed again."Keeper...""Come."The Keepers Staff rose a little in Arias' hands.Instead of pointing to the sea or the floating temple, it pointed straight down.Into the earth.Liora looked at her."What is it telling you?"Aria hesitated."It wants me to go below."Lucien's face got dark."Below?"He shook his head slowly."There shouldn't be anything under the Kingdom of Dawn."The River whispered,"There is."All eyes turned to the glowing Staff.The River continued."Before the Tree reached the sky...""...its roots touched the world."The ground split open in the center of the square.Not violently.Smoothly.The stone folded apart like flower petals.A spiral staircase of glowing stone appeared under it.Green roots climbed up it

The Ocean of Faith is a special place.The sapphire light on the Keepers Staff was shining.It was not shining very bright.It was not stable.The five awakened Branches were shining very bright. The sapphire light was not.It was just flickering like a star in the night.Aria was watching it.She said "Faith" quietly.The Gardener nodded.The Gardener said "It has heard you."The Gardener also said "It has not chosen you yet."The ancient tree made a noise.The black veins on the tree stopped moving where the sapphire light touched them.Only for a moment.Then they started movingAria said, "There is no time."The Gardener looked at the glowing roots.The Gardener said "There never is."The Gardener put her hand on the Keepers Staff.The Gardener said "The Tree will guide you now."The Staff started floating in the air.The six glowing Branches showed another vision.A picture of the world appeared above them.Five Branches were shining very bright.Hope was shining beside them.Fai

The lighthouse was quiet now.The waves crashing against the rocks were not making as much noise as they usually did.Aria was standing still, her hand holding the Keepers Staff tightly.The Watcher was looking at her calmly.He did not look like a monster at all.He was not scary or mean.He was wearing gray robes.His face had lines on it from being old.His silver hair was resting on his shoulders.His eyes told a different story.Aria saw a lot of things in his eyes.She saw kingdoms being built and destroyed.She saw children playing and old men dying.She saw whole civilizations coming and going like waves in the water.The Watcher had seen everything.He remembered it all.Caelan stepped in front of Aria between her and the Watcher."You cannot be here, " he said.The Watcher looked at Caelan kindly."I have always been here, " he said.His voice was quiet and certain."The Keeper has reached the Sixth Branch " he said."It was time, " he added.Aria finally spoke up."You said

The battlefield was still there but it felt small all of a sudden.The Watchers voice was everywhere. It made everything else seem unimportant.The fighting. The shadows went away.Everyone, even the people who were hurt, looked up at the sky.The clouds above the Kingdom of Dawn were all swirly and silver and gold.In the middle of all those clouds the symbol of the Tree of Memory showed up.It had seven branches and six of them were shining.One of them was waiting to shine.The Watcher came down from the sky and he did not walk, he just appeared.Everyone got really quiet when he showed up.Even the Shadow General put down his weapon.The Watcher looked at Aria. Said, "The time has come."The Keepers Staff started floating in the air. The seven branches went up towards the sky.The seventh branch was still dark.The Watcher said, "Final Trial."Everyone heard those words, no matter where they were in the Kingdom of Dawn.Aria took a step forward. Asked, "What happens now?"The Watc

The world was shaken by an awakening.It was not like an earthquake or a storm.It was much quieter.Deeper.Every living thing felt it.The Tree of Memory had finally awakened all seven Branches of the Tree of Memory.These Branches are Compassion.Trust.Courage.Wisdom.Hope.Faith.Sacrifice.The golden light spread beyond the white space.It went through the Kingdom of Dawn.Across the Sea of Silence.Into every forgotten corner of the world.Aria stood beside Rowan as the Keepers Staff transformed.The wood that once looked ancient and fragile now appeared alive.Its roots glowed beneath the surface.Its seven Branches reached upward like a version of the Tree of Memory itself.Something was different.Aria felt it.The connection.The voice.The constant presence of the River.It was fading.The River spoke one time."Keeper..."Aria closed her eyes.She had expected sadness.Fear.Regret.Instead she felt gratitude.She said "You were with me from the beginning."The Rivers '