2025-08-22 23:40:40
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Chapter 61. The Breaking Point
The chamber was alive. The walls pulsed like the inside of a beating heart. Roots twisted and writhed across the floor. Green light oozed from every surface, dripping like sap.Kai stood in the center, sword raised. His arms shook, his breath came ragged. Amara hung in the cocoon of roots before him, her face half-covered, her veins glowing green and gold at war with each other.Her eyes flickered open, faint gold breaking through. She looked at him. “Kai,” she whispered.The Gardener’s voice rumbled through the chamber, a hundred voices in one. “Do it, boy. End her. Fulfill what was always meant to be. “Kai’s grip tightened. His chest burned with fear. “Amara,” he said, voice trembling. “I won’t let you go.”Her eyes welled with tears. “Then you’ll die with me.”The roots around her tightened, squeezing her chest until she gasped. Kai shouted, slashing at them. Golden fire cut deep, sap spraying like blood. The roots hissed but regrew, stronger than before.The Gardener’s laugh sh
Chapter 60. The Sword Between Them
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
Chapter 59. Ashes of Trust
The mountain wind cut like knives. The smoke in the air stung Kai’s throat, but he didn’t care. He sat on the cracked stone, holding Amara against him, her body wrapped in his torn jacket.Her breathing was steady now, though weak. Every few moments, her skin shimmered faintly, gold veins pulsing across her arms, then flickering green.Each time the green appeared, Kai’s chest twisted tighter. The surviving soldier sat a short distance away, rifle across his knees, staring at them with hollow eyes. His face was pale, his lips cracked. Finally, the man spoke. “You know she’s not safe.”Kai’s jaw clenched. “She’s alive. That’s what matters.”“She’s infected,” the man shot back, his voice sharp, desperate. “I saw it in her eyes. It’s inside her. Maybe it already controls her. We can’t take that risk.”Kai shifted, his hand tightening around his sword. “Say that again, and I’ll prove who’s the real risk.”The soldier raised his hands, but his eyes stayed locked on Amara. Fear burned the
Chapter 58. The Seed Within
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
Chapter 57. Into the Core
The roots curled inward, weaving into bars of green fire. The air grew hot, heavy, choking with the smell of ash and blood.Kai stood in the center, sword dim in his hand, Amara trembling beside him. His chest rose and fell in ragged bursts. Every muscle screamed, every breath burned.The smaller heart throbbed just ahead, veins pulsing like drums. Its glow was different from the first, brighter, sharper, alive with hunger.The Gardener’s laughter filled the air. “See how it grows? See how it learns? Your strike made me stronger. You are the weapon of your own undoing.”Kai glared at the pulsing mass, jaw tight. “Not stronger. Just uglier.”The roots rattled in anger, scraping stone. Amara leaned on him, her voice soft but steady. “It’s adapting, Kai. Every time you hit it, it changes. If we fight it the same way, we lose.”Kai’s eyes burned. “Then we change too.”Around them, the last survivors struggled to hold their ground. Their uniforms were shredded, their helmets cracked, their
Chapter 56. Fire in the Veins
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
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