The sea was calm in the early morning light as Heebyuk, Renyen, and the Kalingoot warriors stood on their ship, waiting for the right moment.
When Renyen gave the nod, several fighters stepped forward and activated the forged identity tokens. Each token gave off a faint glow, almost matching the pulse of the real Emerald Cove tokens.
Almost.
Heebyuk knew it. Renyen knew it. Everyone did. These tokens would fool the protective formation only for a short time—just long enough to slip through. But that was enough.
They leapt off the ship and landed on the sandy shore of the Emerald Cove Island.
The moment their feet touched the sand, the ground trembled as if testing them. Thin roots under the earth shifted like snakes sensing prey. For a breath, the entire forest seemed to pause.
Then the forged tokens flared, projecting the illusion of "authorized identity."
The vines relaxed. The pressure faded.
"It's working," Renyen whispered, relief clear in his voice.
