Chapter 56: The Shadow of Blood
---
The chill in the air deepened as Lyra's mother stepped from the shadows, her presence both a balm and a blade. Her eyes glowing emberslocked onto Lyra's with an intensity that cut through the chaos.
"Child," she whispered, voice both familiar and foreign, "you have wandered far, but the roots bind us all."
Kael's breath caught. He reached for Lyra, but she didn't move. The storm inside her had stilled for a moment but the silence screamed.
Oran's eyes narrowed. "This is the truth we buried too deep. Your mother is not gone… she was bound to the tree to protect something far greater than any curse."
Lyra's heart pounded. Memories shattered fragments flashed behind her eyes. A lullaby. A warning. A sacrifice.
The whispers around them grew louder, and the earth beneath their feet seemed to pulse in response.
Maerin stepped closer, her voice low but fierce. "If the blood ties are real, then this isn't just about names or curses. It's about family. And that changes everything."
Lyra's mother reached out, fingers brushing the air toward Lyra.
"Come home, Lyra. Join me in the roots. Together, we can be whole again."
Lyra's gaze flickered between the spectral woman and Kael's desperate eyes.
Her voice barely above a whisper: "What... do you want from me?"
As the ancient tree groaned, a sharp crack split the night.
The roots surged, wrapping around Lyra's legs.
She gasped as the shadows of the past and present began to pull her toward the heart of Whisperwood.
Kael lunged forward
"Not this time."