As the sunlight spilled over the forest, casting golden beams through the trees, it felt like the world was finally taking a breath after an eternity of suffocating darkness. For a moment, none of us spoke. We just stood there, each of us absorbing the stillness. The faint glow of the orb pulsed rhythmically beside me, its light now soft and reassuring, like a promise kept.
Liam broke the silence first, collapsing onto the grass with a groan. “If I never see another shadow creature again, it’ll be too soon.”
Mal leaned against a tree, brushing dirt off her knives before slipping them back into their holsters. “Don’t jinx it,” she muttered. Her voice was casual, but her eyes betrayed her exhaustion, darting around the forest as though another wave of creatures might appear at any moment.
Logan helped me sit down against the nearest boulder, his movements uncharacteristically gentle. “You look like hell,” he said, though there was no teasing in his tone.
“Gee, thanks,” I replied, managing a weak smile.
“I’m serious,” he said, crouching next to me. His golden eyes locked on mine, studying me intently. “You scared me back there.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted, though I could feel how unconvincing I sounded. My body felt like it had been wrung out like a sponge. My limbs were heavy, my head pounding, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“You almost weren’t,” he countered, his jaw tightening. “You went right into the center of the heart’s corruption. If I hadn’t-”
“You did exactly what you were supposed to do,” I interrupted, my tone firm despite my exhaustion. “We had a plan, and we followed it. And we’re here because of that.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t get it,” he muttered under his breath, almost too quietly for me to hear. Before I could press him, he stood abruptly and turned toward Liam. “We can’t stay here. The void heart might be gone, but this place isn’t safe yet.”
Liam groaned, forcing himself upright. “Can we at least take a minute? I don’t think my legs work right now.”
“I agree,” Mal chimed in, sliding down to sit with her back against the tree. “Let’s not kill ourselves running off after we just avoided dying.”
Logan frowned but didn’t argue. He turned back to me, his gaze softening again. “You should rest, too.”
I nodded, letting my eyes close for a moment. The air smelled clean, the faint scent of grass and earth replacing the metallic tang of corruption. It was almost enough to make me believe we were truly safe. But the orb’s faint hum in my lap reminded me that our fight wasn’t over.
“Do you think it’s really gone?” Mal asked, breaking the fragile silence.
“The void heart is destroyed,” Liam answered, though his tone was hesitant. “But something like that… it leaves traces. Echoes, maybe. Whatever happened here, it’ll take time for the land to heal.”
I opened my eyes and looked at the orb, its light steady but subdued now. “And what about this?” I asked. “Is it… normal again?”
Liam’s brow furrowed as he leaned closer to inspect it. “The orb was made to balance forces like the void,” he said thoughtfully. “But it was also acting as a conduit for your energy, Audrey. Whatever bond you formed with it, it’s stronger now.”
“What does that mean?” Logan asked, his voice sharp with concern. “Is she stuck with it?”
“I don’t know,” Liam admitted, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not hurting her, though. If anything, I think it’s keeping her stable. Without it, the void might have-”
“I don’t want to think about that,” I cut in quickly, feeling a cold knot of fear tighten in my stomach. The whispers of the void heart still lingered in my mind, faint but persistent, like a distant memory I couldn’t fully shake.
Logan took a step closer, his presence grounding me. “We’ll figure this out. All of it.”
His words were comforting, but the weight of what we’d done-and what might still come-pressed heavy on my chest. “We destroyed the void heart,” I said aloud, as if saying it would make it feel real. “We did what we had to.”
“Yeah,” Mal agreed, but there was no triumph in her voice. “But what’s next?”
Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath us rumbled, faint at first but growing stronger. Logan was on high alert instantly, his claws half-extended. Mal grabbed her knives again, her eyes darting around the forest.
“It’s the aftermath,” Liam said quickly, raising his hands as glowing runes hovered faintly above his palms. “The cavern’s collapse disrupted the land. Just… hold on.”
The tremors faded after a few moments, leaving an eerie stillness in their wake. But something was different now. The air was charged, not with malice, but with potential.
“This place feels… alive,” Mal said, frowning. She tilted
her head, her sharp eyes scanning the woods. The tension in her shoulders hadn’t fully relaxed, but there was something lighter in her voice. “I don’t know how else to describe it. The energy here-it’s like the forest is breathing again.”
Liam nodded, brushing dirt off his hands as he stood. “She’s right. The void heart might be gone, but it’s left a… ripple. Whatever corruption it brought with it won’t vanish overnight, but the natural energy of this place is trying to restore itself.”
Logan was still on edge, his sharp gaze darting from shadow to shadow. “Trying doesn’t mean it will. If there’s any remnant of that thing-”
“There isn’t.” Liam cut him off firmly, for once his tone unyielding. “The orb did its job, and Audrey finished it. It’ll take time, but the void heart can’t reform without an anchor.”
I felt Logan’s eyes on me again, and I forced myself to look up at him. His worry was a constant pressure, and I didn’t know whether to be comforted or weighed down by it. “Liam’s right,” I said softly. “The fight here is over. We did what we came to do.”
Logan’s jaw worked, his internal struggle evident, but finally, he gave a sharp nod. “Fine. But we’re not staying here. Not after this.” He turned to Mal. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” she said, shrugging, though her face was pale. “But yeah, I agree. Let’s get out of here.”
“Agreed,” Liam said, giving a weak smile. “I could use a bed. Or a coma. Or both.”
Logan extended a hand to me. “Can you stand?”
I hesitated, staring at his hand for a moment before taking it.