The Blight Rain had passed.
When the sun finally broke through the heavy clouds, its light was soft but weak, casting long shadows over the garden. The earth was darkened, its surface streaked with patterns left by the toxic rain. Everything looked damp and worn, but not yet broken.
Elliot stepped outside first, the cool air hitting his face like a refreshing gust of wind. He inhaled deeply, feeling the pulse of the garden beneath his feet—a quiet, steady rhythm, as though the Heartroot had quietly called everything back to life.
Lyra followed, her silver hair now damp but still shining faintly in the dimming light. She took in the garden, scanning the damage. The leaves of the sunleaf plants were drooping, their edges curled from the rain. The glowshrooms had dimmed, their protective aura weakened by the onslaught. The Thornlash vines were tangled in knots, as though fighting to hold their ground.
"It could have been worse," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.
Elliot nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't perfect. The garden's not strong enough to keep it all out. We need to find a way to make it better."
They walked slowly through the garden, checking each plant, touching the still-wilting crops. The Heartroot Tree stood tall in the center, its glow flickering like a heartbeat, stronger than it had been the night before, but still far from perfect.
Lyra crouched by a patch of sunleaf plants, examining their leaves closely. "These ones... they're not completely gone. The edges are burned, but the center still has life in it. If we tend to them, they might recover."
Elliot squatted beside her, pulling a handful of damp soil from the earth. His fingers felt the pulse of life in it—a faint but unmistakable energy, like the garden itself was still alive and fighting.
He glanced up at the Heartroot, then to Lyra. "There's something else I need to find. After the dream I had, I know the Heartroot isn't the only thing I need to wake."
Lyra frowned, looking up at him. "What do you mean? What else is there?"
"I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "But it's something old. Something buried. I think... I think there's a seed, something important, hidden in this land. Something that could help us."
Lyra stood up, brushing dirt from her knees. "We'll find it. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can make it work."
Together, they continued their search through the garden, checking the patches of soil where the plants had struggled to grow.
Then, near the northern edge of the garden, something caught Elliot's eye.
A glint in the soil, where a large chunk of stone had partially crumbled away. It wasn't the typical rock—they had seen plenty of those during the storms—but something more ancient, something out of place. His fingers dug into the earth, brushing aside dirt and moss until he uncovered a small, round stone. The surface was smooth, but it emitted a faint pulse that felt familiar, almost like the Heartroot, but different.
"It's a seed," Lyra murmured, her voice low with awe.
Elliot turned the stone over in his hands, studying it closely. "But this one's not like any seed I've seen. It feels... older. Much older."
As he examined it, the stone cracked in his hand, and inside, something began to grow—slowly, unfurling like a delicate fern. The plant sprouted in an intricate pattern, its leaves sharp and dark, like something from a forgotten world.
Lyra knelt beside him. "What is this?"
Elliot's heart quickened. "I don't know... but I think it's part of what the Heartroot was trying to tell me."
The seed pulsed in his hand once more, and the air seemed to grow heavier, charged with anticipation. They both felt it—the sensation of something ancient, something powerful awakening.
Then the stone shattered completely, leaving only the seedling in Elliot's palm.
Lyra looked up, her eyes wide with realization. "This could be it, Elliot. This could be the key to everything."
Elliot nodded, his mind racing. "This plant... It's different. It's not just a part of the garden—it might be a part of me now, too. We need to protect it."
Together, they carefully planted the seedling in a corner of the garden, making sure it was sheltered from any more Blight Rain. The Heartroot's soft glow flickered in response, as if recognizing the new addition.
For a while, they simply stood there, watching the tiny plant settle into the soil, feeling the weight of the moment settle between them.
"It feels like a beginning," Lyra said softly, turning to Elliot. "A real one. Not just surviving, but growing."
Elliot smiled, a quiet sense of peace settling over him. "Yes. We're not just here to fight the Blight. We're here to heal."