The next morning came without incident.
No roars.No tremors strong enough for anyone but Aren to notice.
But Hearthvale did not return to normal.
Villagers moved cautiously, always keeping one eye on the tree line. Even the livestock seemed restless. The chickens in the Brennar coop refused to leave their shelter; the dogs near the western farms barked at empty fields.
To Aren, the air felt heavier.
Not dangerous—just aware.
Aren walked to the outskirts, stopping near the Willowshade Tree. The leaves swayed slightly even though the morning air was still.
He placed a hand on the trunk.
The Dao threads pulsed, faint but steady… and then shifted, like ripples spreading through water.
Aren frowned.
This pulse was not the same as yesterday's tremors. Those had felt like movement. This felt like attention.
Something inside the forest was aware of the village.
And aware of him.
"Aren!"
Lio jogged toward him, worry written all over his face. "What are you doing out here alone? Mother told you to stay close."
"I'm close."
"You know what I mean."
Aren ignored the concern and tapped the tree bark once, listening to the threads. The pulse faded quickly, almost as if withdrawing when interrupted.
Lio followed his gaze. "Are you sensing it again?"
"Yes."
Lio shifted uneasily. "We should tell the elder."
Aren said nothing. His mind was on the retreating pulse. Whatever was inside the Lowwood didn't want contact—it wanted knowledge.
It was observing.
Just like he did.
Back in the village square, the elder gathered a small group to discuss the situation.
Aren stood at the edge of the group, quiet and still.
The elder addressed the villagers. "There have been no attacks, but the forest is active. Dao beasts don't roar without reason."
A farmer raised his hand. "Should we evacuate?"
The elder shook his head. "We don't abandon our homes over a single sound. But we stay alert. No one goes near the forest without my permission."
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Lio leaned toward Aren. "See? Even he's being cautious."
Aren didn't respond. He was watching the elder.
Why forbid them from approaching the forest?Fear?Or knowledge he hadn't shared?
The elder's eyes flicked to Aren more than once during the meeting. Each time carried a mixture of curiosity and unease.
By midday, tension had settled into Hearthvale like fog. People stayed indoors unless necessary. The forge remained silent. The children no longer ran through the roads; their parents kept them inside.
Aren walked alone past shuttered windows.
He noticed something new.
Animals were avoiding the Willowshade Tree.
A stray dog approached the tree's shade but halted abruptly, ears flattening, before retreating with a low whine. Birds that normally perched on its branches flew a wide arc around it.
Aren stepped closer, studying the ground. The Dao threads here were thicker than elsewhere in the village, woven deeply into the roots.
He touched the soil lightly.
A heartbeat.
Soft.Slow.Faint.
And not his.
He pulled his hand away—not in fear, but calculation.
That evening, as he ate dinner with his family, his mother asked, "Did anything strange happen today?"
"Yes," Aren said.
His parents froze. Lio shot him a sharp look.
"What?" their father asked.
"Animals avoid the Willowshade Tree now."
Silence fell over the table.
His mother placed her spoon down carefully. "Aren… are you sure?"
"Yes."
His father exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Just what we needed…"
Lio whispered, "…the tree again."
Their mother turned to Aren, worry heavy in her eyes. "Please don't go near it anymore."
Aren met her gaze. "Why?"
"Because something is wrong," she said. "And you always seem to be closest to it."
Aren didn't reply. He didn't agree. He didn't disagree.
He simply understood that avoiding the tree would not answer his questions. And answers mattered more to him than rules.
Later that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Aren slipped outside and walked to the Willowshade Tree once more.
Moonlight filtered through the branches, painting faint patterns on the ground.
He knelt and placed a hand on the roots.
The pulse returned instantly.
Stronger.Closer.
Not threatening.Not friendly.
Curious.
Aren closed his eyes and listened.
Two patterns overlapped—the steady rhythm of the tree… and another, deeper one far in the forest. They resonated for a moment, then faded into the soil.
Aren opened his eyes.
Something was reaching through the Dao paths.Looking.Seeking.
Not randomly.
Deliberately.
Aren whispered, "What do you want?"
Only the night answered.