The portal's pull vanished in a rush of cold air, leaving Lin Che, Su Qing, and Xiao Ya stumbling onto a stone floor. For a heartbeat, everything was dark—then a faint, greenish light seeped in from somewhere ahead, painting the walls with soft, trembling shadows.
Lin Che steadied Su Qing, who swayed slightly, her face pale. "You okay?" he asked, his hand lingering on her arm. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed faintly, as if resonating with the light around them.
Su Qing nodded, taking a slow breath. "Just… dizzy. Portals never agree with me. Where are we?"
Xiao Ya had already stepped forward, her small hands brushing the wall. The stone was smooth, carved with the same intricate symbols as the altar outside—but here, the symbols hummed, as if alive. "The plants," she whispered, her eyes wide. "They're happy here. Like this place is… home."
Lin Che followed her gaze to the source of the light: clusters of glowing moss, clinging to the ceiling and walls. The moss cast a warm, emerald glow over the space—a vast chamber, its ceiling so high it vanished into darkness. At the far end, a stone archway stood, draped in vines that shimmered with the same green light as the moss.
"This must be the Spirit Plant Ruins," Su Qing said, her voice soft with awe. "My grandmother told me about them—said they were built by the first Spirit Plant Guardians, back when the forest was still green. She said the ruins hold secrets… but I never thought they were real."
Lin Che stepped toward the archway, his boots clicking on the stone. The Star Marrow on his wrist grew warmer, and a memory flickered—Ling An's hands, tracing the symbols on a stone wall, her voice firm: "The moss is a guardian. It only glows for those with pure intent." He paused, glancing back at Su Qing and Xiao Ya. "We should be careful. Zhao Kun said more of his men are coming—if the portal's still open, they might follow."
Su Qing nodded, moving to stand beside him. She pulled a small, leather-bound book from her pocket—the Arcane Manual Lin Che had hidden, now recovered. "My grandmother's notes say the ruins have a 'heart'—a chamber where the old Guardians stored their knowledge. If we can find it, maybe we'll learn more about the Star Marrow. About why the Zhao family wants it."
Xiao Ya suddenly gasped, pointing to the vines draped over the archway. "The vines—they're moving. They want us to follow."
Sure enough, the vines were twisting slowly, as if guiding them toward the archway. Lin Che exchanged a look with Su Qing, then stepped through. The other side was a narrow corridor, its walls lined with more glowing moss. The air smelled of damp earth and something sweet—like the scent of flowers blooming at dawn.
They walked in silence, the only sound their breathing and the soft rustle of the vines. Xiao Ya kept her hands near the walls, murmuring to the moss as they went. "The moss says we're getting closer to the heart," she said after a while. "It says there's a 'light' waiting for us—something important."
Lin Che's wrist burned suddenly, and he froze. The Star Marrow's glow flared, casting silver light over the corridor. A vision flashed before his eyes: a young woman with Ling An's face, standing in a chamber filled with glowing crystals, her hands raised as she spoke to a vine. "The Star Marrow will wake when the forest needs it most," she said. "It will guide the chosen one… but only if they're willing to listen."
The vision faded, leaving Lin Che dizzy. "Ling An," he whispered. "I saw her. She was here—talking about the Star Marrow."
Su Qing's eyes widened. "The first Spirit Plant Guardian? The Star Marrow is connected to her?"
Before Lin Che could answer, Xiao Ya let out a small cry. "Look!"
At the end of the corridor, a large chamber opened up. In the center, a stone pedestal stood, topped with a crystal that glowed with the same silver light as the Star Marrow. Vines wrapped around the pedestal, their leaves shimmering, and the air hummed with energy.
"That's the heart," Su Qing said, her voice trembling. "The knowledge chamber."
They stepped into the chamber, and the crystal flared brighter. The Star Marrow on Lin Che's wrist responded, sending a pulse of silver light toward the crystal. For a moment, the two lights merged—silver and green weaving together in the air—and then the walls of the chamber lit up, covered in glowing symbols that swirled like constellations.
"The symbols—they're telling a story," Xiao Ya said, stepping closer to the wall. "About the forest… and a darkness that came. The Guardians used the Star Marrow to push it back. But the darkness didn't go away—it hid. Waiting."
Lin Che's heart raced. The Zhao family. The Arcane crystal. Could they be trying to wake the darkness?
Su Qing stepped toward the pedestal, her hand hovering over the crystal. "My grandmother's notes said the Star Marrow is a 'key'—not just to the ruins, but to something bigger. Something that can protect the forest… or destroy it." She glanced at Lin Che. "You're the chosen one, aren't you? The one Ling An talked about."
Lin Che hesitated. He was just a workshop apprentice—someone who'd never been brave, never been special. But the Star Marrow's glow, the visions of Ling An, the way the plants responded to him… maybe Su Qing was right. Maybe he was meant for more.
Before he could speak, a loud crash echoed from the corridor.
"The Zhao family," Su Qing whispered, grabbing Lin Che's arm. "They found the portal."
Lin Che spun toward the corridor, his hand tightening around the rusted knife at his belt. He could hear voices—angry, shouting—and the sound of boots thudding against the stone.
Xiao Ya stepped forward, her hands glowing bright green. "The vines will help. They'll block the corridor." She closed her eyes, murmuring to the plants, and the vines in the corridor began to twist and grow, weaving together into a thick wall.
But the thuds grew louder, and the vines trembled. "There are too many of them," Xiao Ya said, her voice shaking. "The vines can't hold forever."
Su Qing grabbed Lin Che's wrist, pulling him toward the pedestal. "The crystal—we need to take it. It's the only way. My grandmother said it holds the Guardians' power. If we have it, we can fight back."
Lin Che nodded. He reached for the crystal, his fingers brushing its smooth surface. The Star Marrow's glow flared, and the crystal lifted from the pedestal, floating into his hand.
The moment he touched it, the chamber shook. The symbols on the walls faded, and the glowing moss dimmed. The vine wall in the corridor snapped with a loud crack, and the first of the Zhao family's thugs burst through.
"Get them!" Zhao Hu shouted, pointing at Lin Che. "The kid's got the crystal!"
Lin Che grabbed Su Qing and Xiao Ya's hands. "We need to find another way out. The portal's not safe."
Xiao Ya nodded, her eyes scanning the chamber. "The moss—there's a door behind the pedestal. The plants say it leads to the forest, far from here."
They ran toward the pedestal, ducking as a club flew past Lin Che's head. The thugs were close—too close. Lin Che could hear their heavy breathing, their shouts, the sound of metal hitting stone.
Behind the pedestal, a small stone door stood, hidden by vines. Xiao Ya pressed her hand to the door, and the vines pulled back, revealing a narrow passage.
"Go!" Lin Che shouted, pushing Su Qing and Xiao Ya through. He turned, holding the crystal up. The Star Marrow's light flared, and a burst of silver energy shot toward the thugs, knocking them back.
Zhao Hu stumbled, his eyes wide with fear. "What the hell is that?"
Lin Che didn't answer. He stepped into the passage, slamming the door shut behind him. The vines wrapped around the door, sealing it shut.
The passage was dark, but the crystal in Lin Che's hand glowed, lighting the way. They ran, their breaths coming in gasps, until the passage opened up into a small clearing—deep in Black Stone Forest, far from the ruins.
Lin Che collapsed onto the ground, the crystal still in his hand. Su Qing and Xiao Ya sat beside him, their chests heaving.
"We did it," Su Qing said, a small smile on her face. "We escaped."
Lin Che nodded, looking at the crystal. It glowed softly, matching the Star Marrow's light. He thought of the vision of Ling An, of the symbols on the wall, of the darkness the Guardians had fought.
The Zhao family was still after them. The darkness was still waiting. But now, they had the crystal. They had each other.
And they had the Star Marrow.
Lin Che closed his hand around the crystal, feeling its warmth. The journey was far from over. But for now, they were safe.
And that was enough.