The chamber stayed quiet long after the flower stopped moving.
Kael leaned against the far wall, sharpening the edge of his blade with slow, calculated movements. Leon paced like a caged wolf. Arin sat near Yun Lan, knees tucked in, his dark lashes shadowing his pale eyes. He looked shaken stil, but uncertain, quiet in a way that made Yun Lan ache.
She handed him a water flask.
"Thanks," Arin muttered, forcing a smile.
"You okay?" she asked.
He nodded, though his eyes flicked to the flower again. "Yeah. Just…. This is getting darker than I expected."
Leon overheard and scoffed softly. "Welcome to the nightmare."
"We've been through worse," Yun Lan said. "We'll get through this too."
Arin looked up at her like she was the last candle in a dark hallway. He wasn't a child, no—but his sensitivity made him seem younger. His soft demeanor stood in contrast to Leon's fire and Kael's ice. Still, there was strength in him. The kind that appeared when everything else was gone.
Kael stood. "We move now. The relic is close."
They gathered their things and followed him through a narrow passage that sloped downward. The walls began to change—no longer rough stone, but smooth marble veined with vines. Green light pulsed faintly from the moss along the walls.
"Do you feel that?" Yun Lan whispered.
Leon nodded. "Magic."
Kael's voice was low. "We're nearing the Grove of Elserin. That's where the sixth relic was sealed long ago."
"And this one?" Arin asked. "What is it?"
"A staff," Kael replied. "One forged in the first age. With a gem that holds the breath of the wind and the rage of the forest."
They walked for another hour before the tunnel opened.
The Grove of Elserin wasn't a grove at all—it was a subterranean jungle.
Massive green vines coiled around ancient pillars. Trees with silver leaves stretched to the high stone ceiling. A river of glowing water cut through the center, and in the middle—raised on a platform of moss and root—stood the relic.
The staff.
It was tall, made of blackened wood that shimmered with gold veins. At its top sat a green gem the size of a fist, glowing softly like it held a storm inside. Vines wrapped around it protectively, as if shielding it from the unworthy.
Yun Lan felt a pull.
Like it knew her.
Like it wanted her.
She took a step forward.
Kael held out a hand. "Careful. This relic tests those who try to claim it."
"I can feel it calling me," Yun Lan whispered.
Leon stepped closer to her. "And that's exactly why I don't trust it."
"It's not evil," she said.
Arin's voice was quiet. "It's beautiful."
Yun Lan stepped toward the platform. The vines moved slightly at her approach, shivering like something half-asleep sensing footsteps. The gem pulsed brighter.
As she climbed the steps, Leon reached for her wrist. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do," she said softly. "This one's mine. I know it."
She reached the top.
The vines parted slowly, reluctantly, revealing more of the staff's shaft, which now glimmered faintly with green runes. Yun Lan reached out—heart pounding, palms damp—and placed her hand on the wood.
The reaction was immediate.
A blast of green energy surged from the relic and slammed into her chest.
Yun Lan flew backward, hitting the stone hard. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she let out a cry of pain. The staff flared brighter, and the vines rewrapped tightly, hissing.
"YUN LAN!" Leon and Arin shouted in unison.
Leon sprinted to her side and caught her as she tried to sit up. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I—" She coughed again, more blood spilling down her chin. "It rejected me…"
"Damn it!" Leon knelt beside her. "You could've died."
"I'm fine," she whispered.
Kael approached slowly. "It tested your spirit. And it wasn't ready."
Leon glared at him. "You knew this would happen."
Kael's tone was calm. "I said it would test her. I didn't say how."
Yun Lan wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Her limbs trembled, but her eyes locked on the relic again.
It was glowing still.
Brighter now.
And somehow… humming.
She stood slowly, ignoring the dizziness.
"Are you insane?!" Leon growled, grabbing her arm.
"I have to try again," she whispered.
"No, you don't—"
"Yes," she snapped, looking at him. "I do. It's mine. I can feel it in my blood. It just…."
Leon stared at her. "You just coughed up blood!"
Yun Lan touched his cheek softly. "Then catch me again if I fall."
She turned and climbed the steps once more. Her chest burned, and her hands shook—but she stood tall as she reached the top.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
She reached out with both hands.
And placed her palms firmly on the staff.
The vines trembled.
The gem pulsed once.
Twice.
Then, it exploded with green light, flooding the entire grove with an emerald blaze. Wind howled around her, leaves scattering like birds startled into flight. The staff groaned like an old tree waking from centuries of slumber.
Yun Lan stood her ground, teeth clenched against the pressure.
"I'm not afraid of you," she whispered. "I am the one you've waited for. I am not here to control you."
Silence.
Then, the vines loosened—slowly.
They unwrapped from the staff's shaft, slithering away like loyal servants.
The glow softened.
The hum stilled.
And the staff lowered itself gently into her hands.
Yun Lan gasped.
It was warm. Alive. The magic flowed through her veins like wild electricity—dizzying and pure. Her pain faded. Her chest no longer burned.
Behind her, Leon exhaled in awe.
"She did it," Leon said, smiling with stunned pride. "Damn. She really did it."
Kael stepped forward and bowed his head. "The sixth relic has chosen."
Yun Lan turned toward them, the staff in her hand radiating green fire.
"I'm fine now," she said.
Leon shook his head in disbelief. "You're insane."
"But you love me for it," she teased, her voice faint but sincere.
Leon froze.
Yun Lan blinked.
Even Arin raised his brows.
Kael turned away to give them the illusion of privacy.
Leon stepped closer, his voice low. "Don't say things you don't mean."
"I don't say anything I don't mean," Yun Lan said quietly, heart pounding. "You know that."
Leon's gaze softened, the fire behind his eyes dimming just a little. "I swear, you're going to be the death of me.
They started back toward the edge of the grove.
Arin walked ahead, holding a small green leaf he'd picked off the shrine wall.
"I don't know where we're headed next," he murmured. "But I know we're walking toward something huge."
Kael nodded. "The seventh relic."
Leon looked at the horizon. "And after that?"
Yun Lan's fingers tightened around the staff.
"The eight,nine and ten relic and after that we will stop him."