"The Earth Mother is all-knowing… You think you could go against her will?"
The Sun Guardian's presence radiated authority like the midday sun—searing, absolute. Their failed escape unraveled instantly under his gaze.
They were escorted back to the sacred shrine—back to the heartwood sanctum where the Earth Mother resided.
Inside the shrine, the light was soft and golden, filtered through enchanted leaves that never withered. The air shimmered with the breath of divinity.
Kaeylin Silverleaf knelt before the immense figure embedded into the living bark of the Great Tree. Vines wrapped around the Earth Mother's torso like veins, her form both woman and nature itself.
Kaeylin lowered her head in shame. "Earth Mother... I was wrong."
The Earth Mother gazed upon her with compassion in her evergreen eyes. Her voice was the rustle of wind through leaves—soft, ancient, and filled with knowing.
"Tell me, my child. Tell me what lies in your heart."
