The Ironroot Crypt shook as two flames clashed—one of nature, one of control.
Kaelin's vines twisted like living blades, lashing out with the fury of a spirit betrayed. Ael moved between them like a whisper of fire, each strike of his hand burning only what was necessary. He didn't want to kill her.
But Kaelin did not hesitate.
She called to the forest. The very roots beneath their feet surged, ancient and aware. They remembered the old king—the tyrant. And they hungered to test the one who had returned not as Kael'tharin the Conqueror, but as Ael… the Changed.
Elen moved to flank Kaelin, her silver blade flickering in arcs that severed incoming vines with precision. "We need to subdue her!"
"She's too deep in the pact!" Althar shouted, his runes glowing as a blast of wind knocked back a wall of thorns. "This isn't just magic—it's will!"
Veyne stepped forward, his flame coiling in slow, circular patterns. He did not attack. He simply began to hum—a low, ancient tone that trembled the stones of the crypt.
Kaelin's steps faltered.
Ael saw it—the flicker in her eyes. The moment where the forest's will was not her own.
"Veyne?" he asked, keeping one palm raised defensively.
"This was our fail-safe," Veyne said, not stopping the chant. "Each Ashborn was bound by a resonance—a signature known only to one another. If we ever fell, the song would guide us back."
Kaelin's vines trembled. She staggered. Her arms fell slightly.
Her breath hitched.
"Ael…" she whispered. "Why didn't you call us back?"
Ael lowered his flames. "Because I died."
Kaelin froze.
"I died at the hands of a world I made cruel. I woke again, in a world of magic I didn't know, stripped of all emotions. But every day since, I've felt things I didn't understand—fear, hope, warmth... even guilt."
Kaelin's lips parted. The forest trembled around her.
"I came here not to use you," Ael continued, stepping forward slowly, "but to find you. You, Kaelin. Not the guardian. Not the weapon. Just... you."
Her green-glowing eyes dimmed.
"I waited…" she said quietly. "Waited for your command. Your presence. I thought maybe if I kept protecting this place, you would return."
"You're not alone anymore."
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
The vines stilled.
Then crumbled into dust.
Kaelin collapsed to her knees, breathing hard. The forest around them exhaled, the pressure lifting. The twisted roots receded, and the crypt settled into a quiet stillness.
Elen lowered her sword but didn't sheath it. She eyed Kaelin warily. "Is it over?"
"She's free," Veyne said, finishing the chant.
Ael knelt beside Kaelin. "I'm sorry for what I made you. But I promise—this time, I'll do better."
Kaelin's head bowed. "Then let me stand with you once more. Not as Ashborn, but as Kaelin. Guardian of the Wild Flame."
Ael reached out, taking her hand.
"Then rise."
She did.
The forest stirred again, but this time with a gentler rhythm. From the far end of the crypt, a hidden chamber slid open, revealing a staircase leading down.
Althar arched an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to happen?"
Kaelin nodded. "The forest accepted you. It offers its secret—only to one who can balance fire with life."
They descended the staircase and found themselves in a room bathed in soft green light. At the center lay a stone pedestal, atop which rested a small seed encased in crystal.
"A Heartseed," Kaelin said. "A relic of the First Grove. With this, you can speak to the Wild Spirits directly."
"And possibly win their aid," Althar added.
"But if misused…" Kaelin looked to Ael, "it can awaken the forest's true rage."
Ael stepped forward. He placed a hand on the crystal.
The moment he touched it, visions rushed into his mind—ancient forests, battles fought in silence beneath canopies a thousand years old, and a great tree that spoke in dreams.
And for the first time… he felt something pure.
Gratitude.
The forest had judged him—and spared him.
He opened his eyes.
"We're one step closer to ending the Empress," Ael said. "But we can't do it alone."
Kaelin nodded. "Then let's find the next Ashborn."
As they exited the crypt, dawn was just breaking beyond the canopy, sunlight piercing the dark leaves. Ael paused at the threshold and looked back at the crypt.
For the first time, it didn't feel like a tomb.
It felt like forgiveness.