The forest was silent after she vanished. Not an unnatural silence, but one born of waiting. The kind of hush that settles before a storm or a revelation. Ren stood for a moment longer at the mouth of the Hollow Watch, feeling the weight of her words pressing against his mind like an unanswered riddle.
[Memory Relay – Active]
You may now detect embedded echoes in ancient stone structures or relic-infused terrain.
Mental Load: 79% — Stabilizing...
He moved forward, eyes scanning the path ahead. The trees were thinner here, and the sky opened above in patches, revealing a dull, overcast gray. A soft mist clung low to the ground. The terrain sloped gently down toward what looked like a stone pathway—man-made or something close to it, obscured by moss and time.
A voice whispered, not in the air but in his mind.
"He's listening now. We must be careful."
Ren paused. "Was that... the system?"
Clarification: Echo Fragment – Local Resonance
Not a system communication. You are overhearing a locked memory tied to this region's frequency.
He stepped cautiously onto the stone path. With each footfall, the system flickered—tiny pulses of recognition, as if acknowledging the layered history beneath him.
Then, like peeling back the surface of water, the memory showed itself.
The stones shifted hue. A soft gold shimmered at the edges. He could see flickers of people walking—a caravan of cloaked figures, carrying bundles and staff-like weapons. The leader was a tall man with markings like vines down his arms.
"If the Seed truly awakens, the forest will return," the figure said, walking directly through Ren's space, unaware.
Another figure replied, softer: "Or the world will burn trying."
The vision dissolved.
Ren exhaled.
[Echo Archive Updated] – Caravan of the First Leaf
Partial Data Acquired – 2/5 Fragments
Current Insight: The Seed has awakened before.
"Again and again…" he muttered. "So I'm not the first."
The thought didn't make him feel less special—it made the stakes feel larger. Generations had walked this path, most forgotten, all probably fallen.
The path narrowed into a corridor of rock and thick roots, almost like a tunnel. The system pinged again—this time with a flickering panel on the edge of his vision.
New Feature: [Seed Interface: Bio-Core Companion Sync]
Unlocked due to environmental resonance and echo proximity.
Would you like to activate dormant companion shell?
Ren hesitated. "Companion?"
He tapped [Yes].
The forest pulsed around him.
At the end of the corridor, a low chime rang. The ground beneath him pulsed, and a flower-like structure emerged from the earth—petals made of bark and energy unfolding to reveal a curled shape inside.
It was a creature.
Small, barely the size of a fox. Covered in layered moss-like fur, eyes glowing with a soft green light, ears tall and twitching.
It looked up at Ren and yawned.
New Entity Detected: Companion Core – Luma-Type
Name: Not Set
Function: Environmental Sync, Minor Echo Storage, Combat Distraction, Emotional Resonance Amplifier
Bonding Status: Initializing...
The creature padded forward and sniffed at Ren's boots. Then, as if satisfied, it climbed up his cloak and curled against his shoulder.
He blinked.
"That... was fast."
Companion Bond – Accelerated
Due to Seed Synchronization: This Luma recognizes you as Origin Bearer.
You may name the companion now.
Ren looked at the creature, who stared back with half-lidded, sleepy eyes.
"…You look like you've been waiting a long time," he said quietly. "How about Moss?"
The creature chirped.
Companion Name Set: Moss
Abilities Now Active: Forest Veil (Passive) | Echo Tether (Active) | Distract Pulse (Active)
Moss shifted lightly on his shoulder and emitted a faint hum. Almost musical. A second later, the path ahead changed.
Where there had been stone, now there was something else—light trails, like veins through the land. Moss's ability had unveiled hidden pathways.
[Forest Veil] Active – You may now perceive hidden constructs for the next 10 minutes.
Detected: Echo Node Cluster – 48 meters ahead
He followed.
The hidden path weaved like a serpent through a low glade. Crumbled ruins stood like molars in the earth—half-swallowed by nature. At the center of the ruins was a pedestal, and above it hovered a shard of light, flickering in place.
Ren stepped toward it, but Moss let out a warning chirp.
He pulled up the system log.
Warning: Echo Node is Protected by Guardian Construct – Dormant
Trigger Radius: 3 meters
Solution: Redirect Guardian Function via System Override or Companion Distraction
Ren glanced at Moss. "You up for it?"
Moss chirped again and leapt down, padding silently toward the side of the ruins. With another hum, the space behind the pedestal shimmered—and a glowing, root-covered statue stood silently. One of its eyes twitched to life.
Ren moved quickly.
As the guardian turned toward Moss's distraction, Ren lunged for the shard and grasped it.
Light surged into his chest.
Echo Fragment Acquired – Node III: Verdant Defense
Ability Unlocked: Minor Root Armor (5s duration / 45s cooldown)
Echo Grid Progress: 17% Synchronized
He rolled back as the guardian turned toward him, but as soon as the shard was removed, the statue stopped. Its eye dimmed. The forest fell quiet again.
Moss padded back, tail flicking smugly.
Ren laughed under his breath. "Good job."
They sat at the edge of the glade for a moment, the glow of the shard settling into his interface. He checked the map—an overlay drawn by the system, but half-blurred.
Still so much to see.
So much to learn.
And somewhere, deeper in this forest, people like Kyra, like the Verdwalker's echoes—were waiting. Some allies. Some enemies. All tangled into this system far older than he understood.
But for now, he had a companion.
He had progress.
And most importantly—he was still standing.