The morning light filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, but the grove hummed with quiet urgency rather than peace. Liam stood at the edge of the inner sanctum, his body still thrumming from the previous night's battle. The new **Veil Piercer** passive pulsed behind his eyes, sharpening the world into layers of truth and illusion. Faint red threads—void tendrils invisible to most—wriggled at the edges of the forest, testing the wards.
Ti approached silently, her hand slipping into his. The bond sang softly, a steady rhythm that eased the ache in his newly healed side. "The Tree drew strength from our strike. The saplings are stabilizing faster than expected."
Citra bounded up behind her, eyes bright despite the shadows under them. "I helped! The elders showed me how to weave moonlight into the roots. Look!" She gestured, and a nearby sapling straightened, its dark veins fading to faint silver scars.
