The forest shifted as they pressed on. Lanterns glimmered in the distance, strung like stars between towering trunks. Wooden walkways curved around branches, and soft runes glowed faintly in the bark. Even the air felt different—cleaner, sharper, alive with quiet watchfulness.
Elara's eyes lit up, her pace quickening as she tugged Rael along. "We're close. I know these lights. This is the path to my village."
Rael forced a small nod, though each step felt heavier than the last. His wounds throbbed, his breath uneven. The forest blurred around him until only Elara's hand on his sleeve kept him steady.
Then shadows dropped from above. Two tall elves stood before them, bows drawn and arrows nocked. Their voices cut through the stillness like blades.
"Human. Halt."
Rael stopped, swaying as he tried to lift his hand in peace. "I… don't mean harm."
One guard sneered. "The Wilds reek of your kind. No human walks here without bringing danger."
The second, older elf kept his bow steady but narrowed his eyes at the girl standing beside Rael. His voice cracked with disbelief.
"Elara?"
The younger scoffed. "What nonsense—" but then recognition dawned. "By the roots… it is her."
Elara stepped forward, chin lifted though her voice trembled. "I've come home. And he"—she pointed back to Rael—"saved me when the Wilds would've taken me. You will not harm him."
The older elf lowered his bow at once, bowing his head. "Granddaughter of the Elder… forgive us."
The younger hesitated, jaw tight. "Child, do you know what you bring? Humans carry ruin wherever they go. To lead him into our heart is—"
"Enough!" Elara's voice cracked through the clearing. Her small frame shook, but she stood firm. "Would you rather I had died in the dark? He carried me here. His blood bought every step. If you shame him, you shame me."
Rael blinked at her, a faint, weary smile tugging at his lips. "You… argue fiercer than I can stand right now." His knees buckled, and Elara rushed to catch his arm, steadying him against her small shoulder.
The younger guard's bow dipped at last, though suspicion still clouded his face. "The Elder must see this."
They moved forward, the guards flanking them. As they entered the village, whispers spread like ripples in a pond. Elves peered from windows, mothers pulling children back, voices hushed but sharp.
"A human?"
"Brought by the Elder's bloodline?"
"What madness is this?"
Rael kept his eyes low, the weight of every stare pressing heavier than his wounds. But Elara walked beside him with head held high, refusing to let him falter.
The path curved until the great tree came into view, its trunk massive, roots sprawling like veins across the earth. At its base stood the Elder's Hall, doors carved with spirals that seemed to shift under the lantern light.
The older guard bowed slightly to Elara. "We will take you no further. The Grand Elder waits within."
Elara's grip on Rael's sleeve tightened. She whispered, voice firm despite the tremor beneath it.
"You'll be safe here. I'll make sure of it."
Rael glanced at her, then at the looming doors. Safe was far from certain—but he had no choice but to trust her.
And together, they stepped toward the Hall.