At first, it was subtle. Then the center of the mound pushed upward, the dirt separating as something beneath it forced its way toward the surface.
The ground split open, and a shoot of green emerged.
It was tiny at first, no thicker than a finger, yet there was nothing fragile about it. A faint green light moved inside the stem, flowing through it in slow pulses that resembled veins. The plant continued to grow, it rose past Laurel's knees, then her waist, its surface gradually deepening into a richer shade of green as the stem strengthened.
Everyone was too stunned to speak.
Gabriel found himself stepping back without realizing it. "What kind of plant grows like this…" he murmured, his voice low with disbelief.
Before Laurel could answer, the ground around them rumbled.
A heavy vibration spread outward beneath their feet, but unlike the violent shocks caused by the falling meteors, it was as if something vast were settling into place far below the surface.
