The Rootborn remained kneeling, their glowing eyes dimmed in reverence. Around them, the Grove pulsed gently with energy, no longer hostile, as if the forest itself had recognized Alex's presence. But to him, it felt… heavy.
Not pride.
Not power.
A burden.
Alex stood in stunned silence, barely hearing Kairo and Eira behind him.
"You… inherited the memories of the First Guardian?" Eira repeated, her voice uneasy.
Alex nodded slowly. "Not just memories… something deeper. Like instincts, emotions. It's like I can feel what he felt." His gaze fell on the Rootborn. "And they feel like… my soldiers."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "And what if the First Guardian wasn't a hero?"
Silence.
Eira didn't interrupt. Her grip on her bow had tightened slightly.
Alex turned toward them, his expression serious. "I don't know if he was. But I know what I saw. They started as protectors—then the Source corrupted them. Civil war. Betrayal. I don't want to repeat that."
Eira stepped forward. "Then don't lead like him."
That hit him.
Because he wasn't sure he had a choice.
Suddenly, one of the Rootborn—taller than the others—stood and stepped forward. Unlike the rest, its bark was cracked with red energy, pulsing like veins.
"We do not kneel out of worship," it spoke, voice more guttural than the others. "We kneel because we remember. And we remember the price of your return."
Alex blinked. "What do you mean?"
The Rootborn raised its arm. From beneath the moss, it revealed a crystal shard—blackened and jagged.
"Your awakening has stirred others."
A burst of dark energy crackled from the shard.
"The Forsaken Guardians will rise."
Alex stepped back, heart thudding. "Forsaken?"
The Rootborn nodded. "Those who rejected balance. Who fed off the corrupted Source and swore vengeance. They were sealed… but your presence has fractured the chains."
Eira tensed. "So your return… may have doomed us?"
"No," the Rootborn said. "His return was inevitable. What matters now… is what path he chooses."
A heavy weight settled on Alex's shoulders again. "Then tell me—how do I stop them?"
The Rootborn turned, pointing toward the far end of the Grove. A massive gate, overgrown with vines and engraved with ancient symbols, loomed in the shadows.
"Through there lies the Heartwood Archives. The truth of the Source. The key to resisting the Forsaken."
Alex started toward it, but the Rootborn raised its hand.
"You go alone."
"What?"
"The Archives recognize only those bound by the Source. To enter with companions would destroy them."
Eira stepped forward. "He's not going in there alone."
But Alex raised a hand. "It's okay. I need to understand what I've become… and what I might face."
He looked at her and Kairo, his
voice steady. "If I don't come back in an hour—leave. Prepare the others."