A low hum filled the chamber, vibrating through the floor, the walls, until it was impossible to tell whether it was coming from the shard, the Earth itself, or something within it. Athan clenched his fists.
This wasn't just the start of something new. It was a rebirth.
Zaryans' voice broke through his thoughts, low and steady. "You feel it, don't you? The weight of the decision."
Athan turned, his gaze locked on Zaryans. The Lythron stood, still and watchful, its glowing eyes never leaving the shard.
"I feel it," Athan said, his voice tinged with something darker now. "But I don't know if I can understand it. I don't know if I want to understand it."
Zaryans tilted his head slightly. "Understanding is not the key. Trust is. You taught us that. Now it is time to teach the world."
Athan exhaled sharply, pacing across the observation deck, his mind racing. The roots were already spreading through the land. He could feel the pulse of the Earth beneath his feet, a sensation that was both alien and familiar. The Lythrons were connected to it now, perhaps to something deeper, older than either species had known. The shard, the roots, the tree itself, they were all part of a greater whole. A unity.
The vision of the tree loomed in his mind once again, its towering form rising from the heart of the planet. He could almost hear it, a soft whisper in the wind, a low murmur beneath the rumbling pulse of the shard. The tree was a promise.
But a promise of what?
"Zaryans," Athan said, his voice strained, "what happens if we can't shape this? What if the tree becomes something we cannot control?"
Lythron's gaze remained steady. "Control is an illusion, Athan. You taught us that too. We don't control the future, we create it."
Athan's jaw tightened as he turned back to the shard. Its pulse had quickened. It wasn't just resonating with the Lythrons anymore, it was resonating with everything. With the Earth, with the sky, with the people below.
The question now was whether humanity would be swept along in its tide or whether they would resist and fight the change.
A deep breath. A moment of clarity.
"We don't have the luxury of resisting," Athan said softly, turning back to the map displayed before him. "It's already begun. And if we can't guide it, if we can't be the ones to steer this ship, then we'll be lost."
Zaryans' eyes glowed brighter, a pulse of light flickering within them. "You understand, then?"
"I understand," Athan replied, voice firm. "We guide this. We help it grow, shape it into something that can benefit both species. We don't have the luxury of waiting any longer."
The first wave of resonance sites had been established, but they had only just begun. Three more were needed, in key regions across the planet. It was time to expand. It was time to move forward.
Athan stood straighter, the weight of his responsibility heavy but clear. He couldn't afford to be uncertain now. "Prepare for the next wave," he ordered, his voice sharp with purpose. "We're expanding the resonance field. All Tamers, prepare to deploy."
Zaryans stepped forward, his form immense against the backdrop of the shard. "We will guide them. We will guide you."
Athan's mind raced ahead, thinking of the task ahead. The second and third resonance sites had to be synchronized perfectly, or the connection would be unstable. It would spread across the world, and it would change everything. But it was a risk worth taking. They couldn't afford to let the tree wither. Not now. Not when it had already begun to grow.
"Athan," Zaryans said, his voice softening. "We trust you. But do you trust yourself?"
Athan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned back to the shard, staring at the pulsing light that was now a steady hum in the back of his mind. It wasn't just the physical manifestation of the tree that troubled him, it was the ramifications of what would come next.
If humanity and the Lythrons could not form a bond that was more than just a psychic connection, what would become of them? Would they flourish together, or would this "new dawn" tear them apart in a way they could never imagine?
"I trust," Athan said quietly, as the weight of his decision settled into his chest. "I trust in the bond we've formed. I trust in what we can create together."
The doors slid open behind him, and the rest of the Tamers entered, their faces determined. They knew what was coming, they knew the risks but they were ready. Together, they could do this.
The weight of their unity, of the bond they shared with the Lythrons, was what would make them stronger. They had all walked this path together, and now they would walk it further, into the unknown.
One by one, the Tamers left the room, heading to their stations. Zaryans lingered for a moment longer, his eyes heavy with thought.
"Do you believe we can shape this, Athan?" he asked softly.
Athan met his gaze, his mind already racing through calculations and strategies. "We don't have a choice."
As the doors slid closed behind them, Athan stood alone for a moment, gazing at the shard. Its pulse seemed to thrum, louder now, as if it were breathing with him, in sync.
The world was changing. And in its heart, the tree grew. It was waiting for their answer.
He exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the railing. The decision had been made. The path ahead was uncertain, the consequences yet to be seen. But there was no turning back.
He could feel the world shift beneath him, the weight of every choice pressing on his chest. He had taken a step into the unknown, a step that might either save or doom them all. He couldn't predict which.
And then he realized, with cold clarity: the world would never be the same again.
In the distance, the sky shifted.
The tree had begun to grow from the root.