Next morning? Everything felt... heavier.Not in a bad way—more like the jungle was leaning in. Watching. Listening. Like it knew the crew just leveled up.
Mist hugged the trees. Sun peeked through like it didn't wanna wake the shadows.
Arka stood by the edge of the lookout, gear strapped, focus locked. "We're headin' out to the ridge," he said, voice calm but locked in. "Glow zone's waitin'."
Tam yawned. "Hope it's not waitin' with teeth."
Yen tossed him a spore pouch. "Chew one of these if your nerves start talkin'. Tastes like dirt, but it chills your gut."
Kiki leapt down from a branch, claws silent on bark. He was ready. Always ready.
🌿 Trail to the Ridge
The squad moved quiet. Like ghosts with backpacks. Leaves barely crunched underfoot—thanks to that Jungle Sync boost. Even Echo stayed low, lights dimmed.
Halfway up, the vibe shifted.
Stone markers. Old. Covered in moss, but the angles were too perfect to be natural. Like someone tried to erase a doorway, but the jungle couldn't quite finish the job.
Mira brushed off a symbol. "Same script as the tablet," she muttered. "Something about... balance?"
Arka ran a hand over the carving. It pulsed warm for a split second. Just once. Enough to feel.
🔆 Skyfall Ridge – Bloom Zone
They reached the top—and there it was.
A circle of glowing plants. Not bioluminescent like jungle bugs. This glow was tech. Controlled. Slow pulses, like a heartbeat synced to something deep underground.
At the center? A stone altar. Cracked. Half-buried. But alive.
Echo hovered closer. "Signal match. Verdant Core confirmed."
"What even is the Verdant Core?" Yen asked, whispering.
"Old world stuff," Arka said. "Whatever this is... it's been waitin' for someone to light it back up."
He stepped into the bloom ring.
Instantly, the glow shifted color.Green to gold.Then—
💡 SYSTEM PINGSeedbearer IdentifiedSynchronization in progress...
Everyone froze.
Tam's voice came out thin. "Bro... what did you just do?"
Arka didn't move. Couldn't.Visions flashed—brief, like lightning behind his eyes.
Vines made of glass. Towers wrapped in roots. People planting light into soil. Laughing. Then vanishing.
The altar dimmed. Arka stumbled back.
"You good?" Mira caught him.
"I saw..." He blinked. "Stuff. People. The builders. They weren't just surviving. They were tuning the world. Like gardeners—but with code and roots."
Echo chimed in. "Verdant Core: Phase One Re-Linked."
🌌 Later That Night – Campfire Return
Back at camp, no one talked much. Just silence, fire crackles, and big thoughts.
Kiki curled close to Arka again, eyes half-shut, like he already knew this was just the beginning.
Lina finally broke the silence. "So... what now?"
Arka looked up at the stars. "Now we figure out why the jungle remembers us."
🌀 TRIBE STATUS UPDATE
Arka: Seedbearer Synced 🌱
Kiki: Jungle Sync Active 🐾
Mira: Script Translator Upgrade 📜
Echo: Memory Link Partially Restored 📶
Tam: Lowkey Nervous, Still Funny
Yen: Trap Blueprints Level 2 🔧
Base: Holding Strong
Fog Valley: Still Unexplored
Verdant Core: Online (Phase One)