That could explain the lingering corruption, the way it resisted purification even when absorbed through her curse. Something that didn't belong to this world's cycle of life and decay. Something older and stronger than that.
The idea settled in her gut like a stone.
She tilted her head back, staring up at the vast canopy of the World Tree. Its leaves shimmered faintly, each one whispering with the soft music of the wind. Somewhere deep within, she could feel the faint, weary pulse of the guardian spirit's presence.
'Child of fate… something still sleeps beneath my roots…'
The echo of the guardian's earlier words resonated faintly in her mind, unbidden.
Her breath caught. Could that be it?
