All Chapters of Wildwood: The veins of the earth : Chapter 11 - Chapter 16

The cavern stretched before them, its vast, open space filled with an oppressive silence. It felt as though the very air in the tunnel had been waiting for them—watching them as they descended. The walls of the cavern pulsed with an eerie energy, strange symbols carved into the stone, their origins unclear but their presence undeniable. The hum of power vibrated through the ground beneath their feet, filling the air with a low, constant resonance that Clara could feel deep in her chest. “This place,” Clara whispered, her voice barely audible, “it’s… ancient. Older than anything we’ve encountered so far.” Ashani stepped forward, her eyes scanning the cavern. “This isn’t just a place of power. It feels alive, like the land itself is breathing.” Clara nodded, her heart racing. The force that had once been contained within the seed was nothing compared to what they were facing now. The darkness they had fought was a symptom, not the cause. And whatever lay beneath Hollow Hill was the r

The second path was nearly invisible, tucked between gnarled roots and vines like a wound that had healed over. Isla had seen it in the carvings—fractured glyphs lost to time, etched into stone older than any language spoken aboveground. They descended in silence, the earth growing colder and denser the deeper they went. It wasn’t just the darkness that pressed in, but something older, something aware. Clara ran her hand along the wall of the narrow tunnel, her fingertips brushing against moss-covered symbols. “This isn’t a path made for walking,” she murmured. “It’s a vein.” “A vein to what?” Emily asked. Ashani moved ahead, her lantern throwing golden light against a massive slab of stone blocking their way. “A heart,” she said. “This was built to seal something in.” Isla knelt by the slab. “The glyphs… they speak of a covenant. Not a prison. A pact.” Clara’s pulse quickened. “The Yanuwah made deals with the forest. We knew that. Bloodlines tied to the land, sacrifices… But wh

The forest was silent. Not the kind of silence born of fear, but the hush that follows a long, final breath. The Seed no longer shimmered, no longer sang. It pulsed gently like a slow heartbeat buried deep within WildWood’s roots—dormant but present. Clara stood at the edge of the dark pool, the echo of Emily’s voice still in her ears. She’d stopped breathing minutes ago. Clara had held her hand the entire time. “I’m here,” Clara whispered, even now. “I never left you.” Ashani moved behind her, limping but alive, eyes wet. Isla sat farther back, hands shaking as she wrapped old cloth around her cracked wrist. No one spoke. Not until the light from the chamber finally began to dim… and the Seed exhaled one last gust of warm wind, brushing Clara’s cheeks like a memory. Then—nothing. They climbed out slowly. It took them the rest of the day to make it back to the surface, through tunnels warped by time and grief. The trees above had stilled. The hum of suffering that had once puls