Raine pressed his palm against the rough bark of the ancient tree. In an instant, a scorching flood of energy surged into his body. His vision was drowned in a blinding green light, and his ears filled with an ancient chant woven from a thousand voices. The Life Crystal hanging on his chest trembled violently, as if trying to break free and merge with the ancient tree.
"Raine!" Ravenna's startled cry seemed to come from far away.
Agonizing pain spread from the point of contact throughout his entire body. Raine felt that what flowed through his veins was no longer blood, but liquid sunlight. His elven ears burned fiercely, and countless fragments of memories flashed before his eyes—not his own memories, but those of the ancient giant tree.
He saw a vast forest from ancient times, ten times larger than the current Elven Court. At the center of the forest stood twelve towering world trees, their branches interlocking in the sky to form a lush, vibrant canopy. Beneath the trees, elves, dwarves, humans, and even orcs lived in peace, paying homage to the great trees.
"We are the Watchers," the ancient tree's voice echoed in Raine's mind, "guardians who maintain the balance of life in this world."
The scene suddenly shifted. Raine saw darkness pouring from a rift in the sky like viscous ink tainting the heavens. One by one, the twelve great trees toppled, bound and shackled by pitch-black chains. In the end, only this one remained—hidden deep underground by the dwarves.
"They call us the World Trees, rewriting history and turning us into legends..." The ancient tree's voice was filled with sorrow, "But the truth is, we were hunted and imprisoned because the Abyssal Lord feared the power we wielded united."
Raine's throat tightened. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because the blood of the Watchers flows through you, elf. Your ancestors were not born from the World Tree—you are descendants of the Watchers, the last guardian lineage."
Pain in the real world dragged Raine back to the cavern. He found himself kneeling, his palm still pressed against the bark, and the Life Crystal half-embedded in the tree's surface, emitting a dazzling green light. More astonishingly, the black chains began to snap one by one, turning to black smoke that dissipated into the air.
"Raine, stop!" Ravenna tried to pull him away but was repelled by an invisible force. "The seal is breaking!"
At that moment, at the cavern's entrance, the dark purple magic condensed into a towering figure. It had a humanoid shape, but its head was a shifting mass of tormented faces—sometimes old, sometimes childlike, sometimes beastly.
"Finally… found you…" The Abyssal Lord's voice scraped like nails on glass, "The last seed of life…"
Ravenna quickly positioned herself between Raine and the baby, forming intricate magical seals with her hands.
"Wall of Frost!"
A thick wall of ice surged up from the ground, separating them from the Abyssal Lord. But Raine knew this was only a temporary delay—Ravenna's face was pale as death, her magical energy nearly exhausted.
The baby suddenly let out a clear, bright laugh and wobbled toward the ancient tree. His tiny hand touched the tree trunk, only inches from Raine's palm. In an instant, the tender green sprout on the tree's withered trunk grew visibly, transforming into a slender branch adorned with three jade-like leaves.
The Abyssal Lord screamed a piercing shriek, cracks spreading rapidly over the ice wall.
"Hand over the Seed of Life!" it roared, "He belongs to the Abyss!"
Raine felt the tree transferring some power to him and the baby—an ancient and pure life energy. His muscles grew stronger, his senses sharpened tenfold, and he could even hear the underground river flowing outside the cavern. But with this gift came a pressing urgency from the ancient tree.
"Raine, listen to me," the tree's voice weakened, "My time is short... The Abyssal Lord is only a vanguard; stronger beings are awakening behind him..."
Suddenly, a chain snapped with a deafening crack. The Abyssal Lord seized the chance to break through the ice wall, its dark purple magic reaching out like tentacles toward the three of them.
"Take him away!" the ancient tree commanded, "Head east... seek the second Watcher... the dwarven runes... will guide you..."
Raine instinctively scooped up the baby with one arm and grabbed Ravenna's hand with the other.
"Run!"
At that moment, the ancient tree's remains unleashed one final burst of energy. Countless tender green branches shot out from the trunk like arrows, striking the Abyssal Lord. The dark purple figure was pinned against the cavern wall, howling in agony.
"Hurry! Now's your chance!" the tree's voice grew faint, "Remember… the Seed of Life is the last hope…"
Raine pulled Ravenna as they sprinted toward a narrow passage on the other side of the cavern. Behind them, the roars of the Abyssal Lord mixed with the cracking sounds of breaking branches.
Just as they were about to enter the passage, Raine glanced back—he saw the ancient tree's remains rapidly withering, the new shoots dissolving into shimmering motes of light that vanished into the air.
The passage was pitch black, illuminated only by a faint blue glow from Ravenna's fingertips. The three stumbled forward, the distant rumbles of the cavern collapsing echoing behind them.
"That baby… what exactly is he?" Ravenna asked, gasping for breath. "Why did the Abyssal Lord call him the 'Seed of Life'?"
Raine looked down at the infant cradled in his arms, who was quietly sucking on his finger, golden eyes softly glowing in the dark. He hesitated but didn't voice his growing suspicion.
"I don't know either," he admitted honestly, "but the ancient tree seemed to recognize him… and chose to trust him."
The tunnel began to slope upward, and the air gradually felt fresher. After another arduous half hour, they finally saw a glimmer of natural light. The exit was obscured by thick vines, which Raine carefully parted with his dagger. The bright sunlight made him squint.
They climbed out onto a steep hillside. Below stretched a vast rolling forest, and on the distant horizon stood a towering mountain peak reaching into the clouds.
"That's… the Dragonspine Mountains in the east," Ravenna said in surprise. "We've been transported at least two hundred miles!"
Raine scanned the area, then suddenly noticed faint green markings appearing on his arm—ancient elvish script slowly flowing across his skin.
"Wait… this is…"
"Dwarven runes?" Ravenna leaned in for a closer look. "No… this is… the Watchers' script?"
Raine focused hard, trying to decipher the glowing script on his arm:
"'When... darkness returns... seek... the Watchers of steel and flame...'"
He looked up toward the distant mountains. "The ancient tree said the second Watcher is in the east… these runes must be the guide."
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them. From the tunnel entrance they had just fled, a dark purple smoke erupted, swirling in the air and condensing into the shape of a massive, ominous eye.
"He's caught up with us!" Ravenna shouted.
Without hesitation, Raine scooped up the infant and sprinted down the hillside. Ravenna followed closely behind, tossing a handful of silver-glimmering powder over her shoulder.
"Mist Veil!" she cried.
The silver dust quickly thickened into a dense fog, temporarily obscuring the sinister eye. The three plunged into the shelter of the dense forest canopy, pressing eastward under the cover of shadows.
After running for about an hour, they reached the banks of a clear, babbling stream. Raine finally allowed himself to stop and catch his breath, gently placing the baby on the soft grass. The little one seemed blissfully unaware of their flight, happily playing with a wildflower.
Ravenna knelt by the stream, cupping water to wash her face. "We need a plan. If what the ancient tree said is true — that there are eleven more Watchers like this… and the Abyssal forces are hunting them down…"
Raine watched the green runes fading slowly from his arm. "First, we need to figure out who this child really is. Second, what exactly does 'the Watcher of steel and flame' mean?" He paused, then added, "And… I still need to digest what the ancient tree told me—the truth about the elves' origin…"
Ravenna stepped closer, gently taking his hand. "No matter the truth, it won't change who you are."
Raine was about to respond when the baby suddenly made a soft cooing sound. They both turned to see the wildflower in the baby's hand growing, blooming, bearing fruit, and then cycling through the process again — all at an incredible speed.
"That… that's not normal," Ravenna whispered. "Even the highest order of life magic can't do that."
The baby seemed to have had enough fun and casually tossed the flower aside. The moment the flower touched the ground, a ring of tender green shoots rapidly spread outwards, forming a small, perfectly circular patch of lush grass.
Raine and Ravenna exchanged shocked glances. The ancient tree called him the "Seed of Life"… and now it all took on a terrifying new meaning.
"We have to protect him," Raine said in a low, firm voice. "At any cost."
Ravenna nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "First, we head to the Dragonspine Mountains. There's a dwarven fortress there. If 'the Watcher of steel and flame' means anything, the dwarves will know the clues."
As night fell, they found a dry cave deep within the forest to spend the night. Ravenna set up protective runes at the entrance, while Raine used elven skills to craft a simple shelter inside.
The baby was already asleep on Raine's cloak, his small chest rising and falling steadily. Raine watched him quietly, his mind swirling with thoughts. This seemingly ordinary little life was the "last hope" the ancient tree spoke of… and he, an exiled elven guardian, had suddenly been burdened with the fate of the entire world.
Ravenna leaned against him, closing her tired eyes. "Tomorrow will be better… at least we've lost that monster for now."
Raine gazed out at the starry sky. The ancient tree's words echoed in his mind. On the eastern horizon, a shooting star streaked across the night, trailing an eerie green flame — like a distant signal.
He didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was clear — their journey was only just beginning, and the shadow of the Abyss was spreading fast.