Chapter 45: Roots of Betrayal
The sun hadn't yet risen, but the skies over Nemeton had already begun to shift from deep blue to a pale gray, casting a dim light over the ancient forest. Riku sat on the edge of a massive petrified root, the vision of the Ashenroot woman still heavy in his mind. He hadn't slept. The image of her silhouette against the ashen wasteland burned behind his eyes, echoing her question in an endless loop:
"When power demands sacrifice… will you still call it a gift?"
His pendant had cooled again, dull against his chest, as if exhausted from the encounter.
Footsteps behind him.
"I figured you'd be up." Airi's voice was gentle, but tired. She offered him a steaming mug of herbal tea. "You were gone for a while last night."
Riku accepted it silently. "I saw her. The Ashenroot."
Airi blinked. "You mean…?"
"She spoke to me. Not in riddles like the Garden's visions. Clear. Almost human."
He relayed what happened—the ashen field, the swirling dust, her words, her presence. Airi listened, biting her lip.
"She could be a memory. A ghost left by the Seed."
"No," Riku said firmly. "She was aware. She knew me. She knew about the Bloom King prophecy."
"Then we need to be careful," she said. "If Ashenroot is sentient… and if it sees the Bloom as a betrayal—what does that mean for us?"
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Later That Day – The Scholar's Quarters
Kaoru had uncovered several tomes buried beneath moss and stone, ancient Keeper records that hadn't been touched in generations. He worked tirelessly alongside Veyla and Sera, cross-referencing Bloom timelines and unrecorded Seed anomalies.
"I think I found something," he finally said, eyes flicking across pages. "Ashenroot isn't listed among the known Seeds. But it is referenced in pre-Bloom texts as a 'Griever's Curse.'"
Sera stepped closer. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kaoru pointed to a faded illustration—a tree, cracked and weeping sap like blood, surrounded by silhouettes clutching their chests.
"It says it was born from a 'mourning soul who rejected rebirth.'"
Veyla paled. "That's not just a metaphor. She must've once been a chosen one—a host—who couldn't handle the Bloom's call. Instead of blooming… she fractured."
Kaoru nodded grimly. "And now, she exists outside the Bloom. Not light, not dark. Just… refusal."
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That Night – Fire Circle of Truth
Toma struck flint against steel, sparks catching into a small flame that quickly roared into a steady fire. Around it, the group gathered. Even Rei, usually aloof, sat quietly, arms crossed.
Riku stood.
"We need to talk about Ashenroot. And what it means for our path."
He explained the vision again for those who hadn't heard. Then Kaoru stepped in, showing the illustration. Veyla expanded on her theories.
A heavy silence fell after.
Toma broke it. "So what are we saying? That this thing—Ashenroot—is watching us? Waiting?"
"She may be guiding us," Sera added. "Testing Riku. Challenging what the Bloom means."
Rei chuckled darkly. "Well, maybe she has a point. We've been running around collecting Seeds like kids on a scavenger hunt. But we've never questioned why the Bloom was hidden to begin with."
Riku looked at him. "You think we're being used?"
"I think power like this always has a price," Rei replied. "And we haven't seen the bill yet."
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Three Days Later – The Vale of Mirrors
The group set out toward the next Seed location: a place known as the Vale of Mirrors, where reality bent and time warped. It was said that only those sure of themselves could navigate it without going mad.
They traveled in silence at first, the tension of Ashenroot's presence lingering. But soon, the terrain forced them to communicate—tunnels split, light refracted in impossible ways, echoes whispered lies.
"Don't believe what you see here," Veyla warned. "The Vale will reflect your fears. Your regrets."
One by one, they began to falter.
Toma saw visions of his lost brother—blaming him.
Sera watched her younger self abandon the healer's path.
Kaoru heard voices from his academy days, mocking his worth.
Even Airi stumbled, seeing an older version of herself—alone, forgotten.
But Riku's vision was different.
He saw her again. Ashenroot. But this time, not in ash.
She stood in a field of red blossoms. Alive. Beautiful. Sad.
"You came," she said.
Riku clenched his fists. "Why are you showing me this?"
"Because you haven't yet made your choice."
"I have. I'll follow the Bloom. I'll become the Bloom King."
She walked closer.
"And when you're asked to sacrifice everything? Your heart? Your friends? Her?"
Airi's face flashed behind his eyes.
"What will you do then, Riku?"
He opened his mouth—but the vision shattered.
He fell forward, gasping, and realized he had exited the Vale.
---
Outside the Vale
One by one, the others emerged, changed, shaken. Rei was last, walking with a hollow expression.
"I saw her," he said quietly. "My mother. The day she died."
Riku placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We all saw something," Riku said. "But we made it through."
Veyla approached them, holding a Seed in her hands. Unlike the others, it was crystal-clear, shimmering with unstable light.
"The Seed of Reflection," she said. "It's yours now, Riku."
He took it—but this time, the bloom didn't trigger. It pulsed once, then dimmed.
Riku stared.
Ashenroot's voice whispered in his head:
"Not all Seeds want to bloom."
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