The air in the settlement was still tense the morning after Henry's departure. Though most of his followers had abandoned his cause at the last moment, his defection left a scar. The people's trust in Emma and her mission was fraying, and the thin unity holding them together felt ready to snap.
Emma sat in the small gathering hall, a cramped structure with cracked wooden walls and a faint smell of smoke. Clara and Alec sat across from her at the long table, their faces etched with exhaustion. Finn stood by the door, his arms crossed as if he were guarding the space.
"Henry's still a problem," Clara said, breaking the silence. "He's out there somewhere, and he's not the type to stay quiet."
Alec leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. "He'll either come crawling back when things go south or turn into a bigger headache later. Either way, we can't waste time worrying about him."
Emma nodded but couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in her gut. Henry's defection wasn't just a personal blow—it was a symbol of how close the settlement was to fracturing entirely.
"Let's focus on what we can control," Emma said. She tapped the map laid out on the table, her finger resting on the third node's location. It was deeper in the mountains, near a narrow ravine Finn had marked as treacherous.
"The third node is here," she said. "If we don't move quickly, the Root will recover what we've already undone. We can't give it that chance."
Clara frowned. "And what happens if it throws something worse at us? That last thing nearly killed you two."
"We survived," Alec said, his tone grim. "We'll survive the next one too."
Finn stepped forward. "I've been thinking about that." He pointed at the map. "This ravine—there's an old logging road that cuts through it. If we can get close enough without being spotted, we might have the element of surprise this time."
Emma studied the map. "And if we're spotted?"
"Then we hope you've got another miracle up your sleeve," Finn replied with a thin smile.
Before they could leave, Emma knew she had to address the settlement. The people were on edge, their whispers and sideways glances a constant reminder of how precarious things had become.
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, she gathered the settlers in the central square. The firelight danced on their weary faces, casting long shadows that seemed to mirror the unease in their hearts.
Emma stood on the wooden crate that served as a makeshift platform. "I know things feel uncertain right now," she began, her voice steady but soft. "Henry's choice to leave has shaken us all. But we can't let fear drive us apart."
The crowd murmured, some nodding, others looking away.
"The Root is counting on us to falter," Emma continued. "It thrives on division, on doubt. But every node we've destroyed has made it weaker. That's how we win—not by running, not by giving up, but by standing together."
One of the settlers, a wiry woman named Mara, raised her hand. "And what if standing together gets us all killed?"
Emma met her gaze, unflinching. "Then at least we'll know we fought for something worth saving. But if we give up now, we've already lost."
The silence that followed was heavy, but when Clara stepped forward to stand beside Emma, others began to follow. Alec. Finn. Slowly, more settlers joined them, their presence a quiet but powerful show of solidarity.
Emma felt a flicker of hope. The settlement wasn't whole, but it wasn't broken either. Not yet.
They set out before dawn, the air sharp and bitter against their skin. Alec, Clara, and Finn accompanied Emma, each carrying packs loaded with supplies. The climb grew steeper as they approached the ravine, the trail narrowing until it was little more than a jagged path carved into the rock.
"Keep your eyes open," Alec said, his voice low. "If the Root has a guardian here, it won't wait for us to knock on its door."
Emma tightened her grip on her walking stick, the weight of her earlier pep talk now a heavy burden. She had to lead, but every step closer to the node felt like a step closer to disaster.
The ravine opened before them, a jagged scar in the landscape. Snow clung to the edges of the cliffs, and the faint sound of running water echoed from below. In the distance, the monolith loomed, its dark surface pulsing with energy.
"We'll have to climb down to get close," Finn said, pointing to a narrow ledge that wound its way toward the base.
Alec peered over the edge, his expression skeptical. "One wrong step, and we're done for."
Clara smirked. "Good thing you're light on your feet."
They descended slowly, every step a calculated risk. Halfway down, Emma paused, her senses tingling. The whispers had returned, faint but insistent.
"Do you hear that?" she asked.
Clara nodded, her hand resting on her weapon. "It's close."
Before they could react, the ground beneath them shifted. A massive root burst from the cliffside, striking like a serpent. Alec shoved Emma out of the way, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Move!" he shouted.
The ravine erupted into chaos. More roots emerged, each one lashing out with terrifying speed. Finn scrambled back up the ledge, his breath ragged.
"They're everywhere!" he yelled.
Emma raised her hands, the familiar hum of the Root's energy filling her veins. She reached out, willing the roots to stop, but their power was overwhelming.
Clara fired her rifle, the sharp crack echoing through the ravine. The bullet struck one of the roots, but it barely slowed down.
"We can't fight them all!" Alec shouted.
Emma gritted her teeth, focusing all her energy on the largest root. Slowly, it began to retract, the power coursing through her forcing it back into the cliff.
"Go!" she screamed. "I'll hold them off!"
"No way," Alec said, grabbing her arm. "We're not leaving you."
"We don't have a choice!" Emma snapped. "Get to the monolith! I'll catch up!"
Reluctantly, Alec and Clara retreated, dragging Finn with them. Emma stayed behind, her entire body trembling as she held the roots at bay.
By the time Emma reached the monolith, her strength was nearly gone. Alec and Clara were already there, holding off another wave of roots. Finn was crouched by the monolith, trying to find a way to destabilize it.
"About time," Alec said, panting.
Emma didn't respond. She staggered toward the monolith, placing her hands on its surface. The whispers grew deafening, but she forced herself to push past them.
The energy coursing through the monolith was stronger than the previous two, and it fought against her attempts to disrupt it. Emma felt the Root's presence pressing into her mind, its voice cold and mocking.
You cannot win. This world is ours.
Emma's vision blurred, but she held on, focusing on the cracks forming in the monolith.
Behind her, Alec and Clara continued to fight, their movements slowing as exhaustion set in. Finn shouted something, but his words were lost in the chaos.
With a final, desperate push, Emma channeled everything she had into the monolith. The cracks spread, and with a deafening roar, it shattered.
The energy dissipated, and the roots collapsed, lifeless. The oppressive presence in the air vanished, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Emma collapsed to her knees, her body shaking. Alec rushed to her side, his face pale.
"You did it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Clara slumped against a rock, her rifle resting in her lap. "Barely."
Finn stood over the shattered remains of the monolith, his expression grim. "That's three down. How many more to go?"
Emma forced herself to stand, her legs trembling. "Enough to finish this."
As they began the long climb back to the settlement, Emma couldn't shake the feeling that the Root's warning wasn't just a threat—it was a promise.
The fight was far from over, and the next battle would be even harder.