The next morning broke with a low hum from the fields. It wasn't the usual rhythm of life Ikenna had grown used to—it was heavier, slower, like the land itself was bracing for something. Even the birds were silent.
He stood at the center of the field, packing his satchel with dried roots, healing salves, and the sealed scrolls of cultivation techniques. Beside him, Adaeze strapped her twin short blades to her belt.
"You really mean to walk all the way into the Eastern Mountains," she said, not looking at him. "Where the earth breathes smoke and rivers burn with minerals?"
"I don't have a choice," Ikenna said. "The Soil's Blood is the only thing that can break the Devourer's link to my spirit core. If Orodi drinks it first, the whole land dies."
Adaeze turned sharply. "Then we run, not walk."
He smiled faintly. "You always were better with swords than patience."
They both turned as the barn door creaked open. Elder Nnadozie stepped out, leaning on his staff, a faint golden aura circling his form. Behind him came Jalun and Amara, carrying clay jars filled with spirit fertilizer and glowing stones.
"These will guide you through the Deep Paths," the elder said, handing the jars over. "The tunnels beneath the mountains are alive. They'll react to the roots and stones like nerves in a living body. If they go dark, turn back."
Ikenna bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder. When I return—"
The old man stopped him with a raised hand. "Don't promise what isn't certain. Just return if the soil wills it."
Adaeze crossed her arms. "And if the soil doesn't will it?"
"Then he'll become part of it," Nnadozie said quietly. "And perhaps that is how Guardians are truly born."
By midmorning, the two were already deep within the forest that bordered the mountain's base. The trees were older here—massive roots twisted through the ground like serpents, and the air smelled of moss and rain.
Ikenna paused as a faint vibration pulsed through the earth. He knelt, pressing a hand into the soil. "It's awake… The mountain's roots are aware of us."
Adaeze glanced around warily. "Aware and welcoming, or aware and waiting to crush us?"
"Both, maybe."
They walked on until the trees began to thin and the ground turned rocky. Steam hissed from fissures in the ground. Strange glowing moss grew along the stone walls, lighting the narrow path.
They were close.
But when Ikenna touched the soil again, something inside him recoiled. The energy beneath was wrong—tainted.
He drew back sharply. "He's already been here."
"Orodi?" Adaeze asked.
Ikenna nodded. "His essence seeps into the roots. He's ahead of us."
Adaeze's jaw tightened. "Then we catch up."
By nightfall, they reached the entrance to a deep cavern. The opening pulsed with faint light, runes etched into the stone like scars. A sign of ancient cultivation—older than even Nnadozie's teachings.
Adaeze drew her blades. "Do we go in?"
Ikenna hesitated. The earth beneath the cavern felt strange—not hostile, but restless. "Yes," he said finally. "But stay close. The Soil's Blood isn't unguarded."
They stepped into the darkness.
The deeper they went, the warmer the air grew. Water dripped steadily from stalactites above, echoing like heartbeats. Then the path opened into a massive underground basin.
The sight stole their breath.
Before them stretched a lake of shimmering liquid earth, glowing gold and green, pulsing with life. Every ripple radiated spiritual energy so dense it made the air hum. The Soil's Blood.
But they weren't alone.
Across the basin stood a tall, cloaked figure—its back turned. Black mist coiled around its form, seeping into the ground.
"Orodi," Ikenna said.
The figure turned slowly. His face was pale, eyes hollow, his form half-corporeal like shadow made flesh. "Guardian of the Root," he murmured. "So you've come to die beneath the heart you tried to save."
Adaeze stepped forward, blades raised. "You won't take another step toward that pool."
Orodi tilted his head. "Little warrior, you think I need to walk to reach it?"
The ground exploded beneath them. Tendrils of corrupted roots burst upward, wrapping around their legs. Adaeze sliced through them with twin strikes, the roots hissing as green sap burned black.
Ikenna slammed his staff into the soil, channeling pure energy downward. Golden veins shot through the cavern floor, colliding with the dark ones Orodi commanded. The air vibrated violently as the two forces clashed.
"You can't win, Guardian!" Orodi roared, his form swelling with dark mist. "Your bond feeds me! Every pulse of your heart strengthens mine!"
Ikenna grimaced, sweat dripping down his brow. "Then I'll change the rhythm."
He closed his eyes, feeling the land's pulse—its pain, its memory, its hope. Then he reached deeper, into the bond that connected them both.
And for the first time, instead of fighting the darkness—he opened himself to it.
The cavern screamed as their energies merged. Orodi staggered back, his form flickering. "What—what are you doing?"
"Balance," Ikenna gasped. "You came from the soil's fear. I'll return you to its peace."
He thrust his staff into the ground. Light burst upward, blinding and raw. The soil beneath the pool churned, golden waves surging toward Orodi.
The Devourer shrieked as the light engulfed him, his body breaking apart into shards of ash and wind.
Adaeze ran forward, grabbing Ikenna as his legs gave out. "Ikenna! Hey—stay with me!"
His eyes fluttered, faint gold light fading from his skin. "It's done… but the bond isn't gone. Just quiet."
She held him tightly, trembling. "Then we find a way to silence it for good."
The cavern began to rumble—the Soil's Blood reacting to the clash of energies. The walls glowed brighter, then dimmed again.
As they turned to leave, Ikenna glanced once more at the shimmering pool. For a heartbeat, he thought he saw a reflection—not of himself, but of a vast figure watching from beneath the surface.
The same voice that had once spoken through the land whispered again—soft, warning, almost sorrowful.
"The soil remembers, Guardian… but memory is not always kind."
The light faded.
And somewhere deep in the mountain, a new heartbeat began.