The delegation led them back to Ashborne by a different route than Selena had taken before, passing through wastelands that had been completely barren during her previous journey. As they traveled, Selena found herself unable to resist touching the ash—not consciously imposing growth, but simply connecting with it, letting her changed flames flow through her fingertips into the dead soil.
And wherever she touched, transformation followed.
Not immediately. Not dramatically. But hours after they passed, life began to emerge—small shoots pushing through gray matter, flowers blooming in patterns that suggested intentionality without revealing intelligence behind them, grasses spreading to stabilize the shifting ash. The shades who had chosen botanical form were spreading, seeding themselves ahead of Selena's path, preparing the ground for natural growth.
