Chapter 108. The Grove’s First Miracle
Author: Sikky Turner
last update2026-01-04 23:13:08

The child screamed before anyone saw him move. The sound cut through the grove like a blade. Birds burst from the branches. Leaves shook. Every person present turned at once.

The boy lay on a woven mat near the heart-root, his small legs thin and still. His mother dropped the cup in her hands.

Water splashed across the soil. She rushed forward and fell to her knees, grabbing his shoulders.

“What is it?” she said. “What hurts?”

The boy’s mouth stayed open. His eyes were wide, fixed on his own feet. His toes were shaking.

Just a little. Barely more than a twitch. But they moved again. Then again. Slow. Uneven. Real.

The grove went quiet. No wind moved the leaves. No insects buzzed. Even the stream nearby seemed to pause.

Rick stood three steps away, one hand resting on the bark of the heart-root. He did not speak. He did not move. His fingers pressed harder into the living wood.

The bark felt warm. It pulsed once, steady and deep, like a breath taken by the land itself.

The boy’s mothe
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