Prologue – The Curse of Marvins
They say the forest has a soul—one that watches, remembers, and punishes. But deeper still, in the heart where no mortal dares to wander, lived a man forgotten by time.
His name was Marvins.
He looked no older than twenty-five, with wild, wind-kissed hair and storm-gray eyes that held the weight of countless lifetimes. But Marvins had walked the earth for more than a thousand years. Not as a god. Not as a demon. But as something in between—immortal, cursed, and bound to the forest like roots to soil.
No one remembered how his story began. Neither did he.
Only fragments remained—visions of fire, a woman screaming his name, and a blinding light that sealed his fate.
Since that day, the forest had been his prison and his protector.
It gave him power—strength beyond imagining, the ability to hear whispers in the wind, and blood that healed rather than spilled.
But it came at a cruel cost.
He could never leave.
The moment he tried to step beyond the edge of the trees, pain would seize him like fire licking his bones. His vision would blur, his hands tremble, and a deep emptiness would claw at his chest. The forest wasn't just where he lived—it was where he belonged. Where he was trapped.
Decades passed like days. The world outside changed—empires rose and crumbled—but Marvins remained. He had everything but company. Immortality was never silent; it was a long, echoing ache.
He had forgotten what it meant to care.
Until her.
It happened on a twilight soaked in gold and sorrow. The sun bled through the canopy above, casting trembling shadows on the forest floor. The wind grew still—as if holding its breath.
That's when he saw her.
A woman.
Young. Fragile. Beautiful.
Her body lay curled at the foot of a twisted tree, her skin as pale as moonlight. Blood smeared her temple. Her chest rose and fell in tiny, struggling gasps. She was dying. Alone.
Marvins stared. His heart, long dormant, gave a sudden, sharp beat.
Why was she here? How did she find this place?
He didn't know. He only knew he couldn't walk away.
He knelt beside her and touched her cheek—it was cold, too cold. A desperate fire ignited in him. And before he could think, before he could stop, a part of him surged forward—raw and ancient.
His power. His essence. His very soul.
It poured into her, a glowing warmth that lit her veins and pulled her back from death's door. Her eyes fluttered, lips parting for air.
But something was wrong.
Marvins gasped and staggered back, clutching his chest. A connection had been made—stronger than anything he had felt before. A bond now tied him to her. From that moment forward, if he didn't see her, didn't feel her near, his power would fade. His body would weaken. His mind would fracture.
She had become the center of his existence.
He had saved her.
And in doing so, she had unknowingly become his destiny.
---
Chapter One – The Meeting
The forest had never been so quiet.
Marvins stood still beneath a towering tree, his head tilted slightly as if listening to something the wind was too shy to speak aloud. For centuries, he had walked these woods with no company but the rustling of leaves and the murmur of ancient roots. But today… something was different.
The silence was wrong.
Then he felt it—like a ripple in the stillness of a pond.
A heartbeat.
Faint, fragile… human.
He moved.
In seconds, he crossed the moss-covered earth like a shadow—silent, swift, untraceable. The pull grew stronger with each step, like invisible threads guiding him toward something—no, someone.
And then, through a tangle of vines and broken branches, he saw her.
She lay on the ground, her dress torn and stained, her skin scratched and bruised. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow, like a candle flickering before the wind took it.
Marvins dropped to his knees beside her, stunned.
Who was she?
How did she get here?
This part of the forest hadn't seen a human in over a hundred years. It was forbidden. Dangerous. No path led here—only secrets did.
His hand hovered over her chest. Her heartbeat was slowing.
"Don't go," he whispered—his own voice sounding foreign to him.
Without thinking, he pressed his palm gently to her sternum.
A flash.
Heat surged from his hand, pouring into her body.
Light danced across her skin. His power—ancient and alive—reached into her like a spark reaching dry wood.
Her back arched. She gasped.
And just like that, she breathed again.
Marvins stumbled backward, his breath short. He could feel it—something inside him had broken. Or been given. He felt lighter, but not in the way one feels after freedom. It was like he had lost something vital.
The girl stirred, groaning.
He watched as her eyes fluttered open—deep brown, clouded with confusion and pain. For a moment, they locked eyes.
Time. Stopped.
There was no forest. No curse. No past.
Just her. And him.
"Where… am I?" she whispered, her voice weak as a breeze.
Marvins opened his mouth to answer, but no words came.
Because in that instant, a force hit him—a wave of emptiness so sudden and sharp he staggered to his feet. His vision dimmed. His knees buckled.
What… was happening?
Then, it passed. As quickly as it came.
She reached for him, her fingers trembling. "Who are you?"
"I…" he managed, his voice hoarse. "I don't know anymore."
She tried to sit up, and he quickly steadied her. Their touch sparked again—not power this time, but something else. Something alive.
She was human. Fragile. Mortal.
And yet… a part of him now lived inside her. He could feel it.
"I'm Marvins," he said at last, his voice calm despite the storm raging within him. "And you should not be here."
She blinked slowly. "My name is Eze…"
Then her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Marvins caught her before she hit the ground. For a long moment, he simply held her in his arms, staring down at her peaceful face.
Something had changed.
And the forest, ever watchful, knew it too.
---
Chapter Two – The Bond
When Eze opened her eyes again, she was wrapped in warmth.
The ceiling above her was made of polished wood, and sunlight filtered through tall windows that looked out onto thick, whispering trees. A faint scent of herbs and firewood lingered in the air. Birds chirped softly outside, as though afraid to break the silence within.
She sat up slowly.
A sharp ache pulsed in her temple. She winced and touched the bandage on her head—freshly wrapped. Someone had taken care of her. But who? And how did she end up here?
The door creaked open.
Marvins stood in the doorway, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the floor. His hair was slightly damp, clinging to his forehead, and he carried a tray with a bowl of something steaming.
Their eyes met.
"Good," he said quietly. "You're awake."
Eze blinked. "I remember you… from the forest."
Marvins nodded and walked closer. "You were dying."
Her chest tightened. Flashes came back—running, falling, pain… and then, a strange warmth. A voice calling her back from the edge.
"You saved me," she whispered.
He looked away, setting the tray on the table beside her. "I did what I had to do."
Eze studied him. There was something odd about him—something both wild and ancient. He didn't just live in the forest. He was the forest.
"You're not like other people, are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a breath.
Marvins didn't answer.
Instead, he stirred the soup and handed her the spoon. "Eat. You need strength."
She hesitated, then took the spoon. The soup was hot and earthy, surprisingly comforting. As she ate, she kept stealing glances at him. He moved with grace, but every movement was deliberate, controlled—like a man who had fought monsters and danced with ghosts.
She couldn't deny it—she felt… drawn to him.
But what she didn't know was that he felt the same—only tenfold.
Since the moment he gave her part of his essence, Marvins had been tethered to Eze in a way he could not explain. When she stirred in her sleep, his chest fluttered. When she breathed, he breathed easier. But the moment she was out of sight, even for minutes, something inside him began to weaken—like roots losing water.
It terrified him.
Not because he feared death. But because he feared need.
He had lived over a thousand years with nothing but silence. And now… this girl—this stranger—had become the center of his existence.
She wiped her mouth and set the bowl aside. "You haven't told me who you really are."
"I'm Marvins," he said softly. "I've lived in this forest longer than time remembers."
Eze gave a small laugh. "That's not possible."
He didn't smile.
Her laughter faded.
"You're serious."
"I haven't aged in centuries. I haven't left these woods in over a thousand years."
Eze stared at him, unsure whether to run or cry.
"But… how?"
He sighed and looked out the window. "There was a curse… long ago. I broke a vow, loved someone I shouldn't, and the forest took me in as punishment. It gave me immortality—but not freedom."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And now you're trapped."
He turned to face her again. "Not just trapped anymore."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
He stepped closer, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.
"When I saved you," he said, "a piece of me was transferred into you. My power… my soul. Since that moment, we've been connected. If I go too long without seeing you, I begin to fade."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"You're saying… I'm keeping you alive?"
"Yes," he said. "And I didn't choose it."
Eze stood from the bed, her heartbeat racing. "So I'm just… some sort of battery to you?"
"No," he said quickly. "It's more than that. I feel—something I haven't felt in ages. And it's not just power. It's…"
He paused.
"It's you, Eze."
A long silence fell between them.
Outside, the sky had begun to darken. The trees rustled nervously.
And far beyond, in the parts of the forest even Marvins dared not tread, something ancient stirred.
Something that felt the change in him.
Something that hated it.
---
Chapter Three – Secrets Revealed
Night fell thick and heavy over the forest.
Inside the wooden cottage, the fire crackled low, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Eze sat curled in a blanket by the hearth, her mind racing. She could still feel Marvins' words echoing in her chest.
"We've been connected… If I go too long without seeing you, I begin to fade."
It didn't make sense. None of it did. And yet, deep down, she knew he wasn't lying.
Marvins stood at the window, his back to her, watching the trees sway in the wind. The silence between them was no longer awkward—it was heavy, waiting.
"Tell me everything," Eze said softly. "Please. The truth. All of it."
He didn't move for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"I was once human," he began. "A long time ago. My name wasn't Marvins back then. I had another name, another life. I lived in a village at the edge of this forest, long before maps were drawn. I was a healer. A protector. People trusted me…"
His voice trailed off, bitter.
Eze leaned forward. "What happened?"
"I fell in love—with someone I was forbidden to touch. She was promised to another… a powerful leader. But we were reckless. We thought love was enough."
He turned then, and Eze saw it—the pain in his eyes. Old pain, buried beneath centuries of solitude.
"When the secret was uncovered, the village was cursed. The forest—once a sacred place—turned wild and unforgiving. She was taken. And I…" He glanced down at his hands. "I was bound to it. My punishment wasn't death. It was endless life—tied to the woods that witnessed our betrayal."
Eze's throat tightened. "And you never left?"
"I couldn't." His voice was a whisper now. "Every time I tried, the forest would pull me back. I've watched empires rise and fall through the leaves. I've buried every memory I ever had. Until you."
She stood slowly, stepping closer. "What does this mean for me? For us?"
Marvins met her gaze. "It means you're in danger."
Eze's heart skipped. "From what?"
"The forest isn't just trees and shadows anymore. It's aware. Alive. And now that I've broken its rules again—by saving you—it knows. There are creatures in these woods, ancient and cruel, born of the curse. And something is coming. I felt it stir the moment I gave you my essence."
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The wind howled through the trees like a warning cry.
Eze shivered. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"I wanted to protect you." He stepped closer, his voice raw. "But I can't protect you alone. Not anymore."
Suddenly, the candles flickered.
And then—a knock.
Slow. Deliberate. From the door.
They froze.
Eze's eyes widened. "No one else lives out here… right?"
Marvins moved like lightning, placing himself between her and the door. His hand hovered near the fireplace poker—though deep inside, he knew it would be useless against what might wait outside.
The knock came again. This time louder.
Three knocks. Then silence.
Then—a voice.
Low. Mocking. Twisted with something inhuman.
"Marrrrvins…"
Eze clutched his arm.
His blood ran cold.
He knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in a thousand years. It belonged to something he once sealed beneath the roots of the old forest. Something that shouldn't have been able to speak again.
"Stay behind me," he whispered.
The door creaked.
And the past came knocking.
---
Chapter Four – The Broken Seal
The door burst open.
But no one stood there.
Just the wind. Cold and unnatural, slithering into the room like smoke.
Marvins stepped forward cautiously, his eyes scanning the trees beyond the threshold. Nothing. Not a sound. Not a movement. But he knew better. It was close—too close.
He shut the door quickly and bolted it.
"It's starting," he muttered.
Eze gripped the edge of a nearby chair. "What is?"
Marvins turned to her, jaw clenched. "The thing that knocked… it's called Orun. A guardian of the curse. Long ago, I imprisoned it beneath the roots of the northern woods, deep in the Earth, sealed with blood and time. But something—someone—has broken the seal."
"Why now?" Eze asked, barely managing to keep her voice steady.
"Because of you. Because of us." He looked down, guilt clouding his features. "When I gave you my essence, the bond between us didn't just connect souls. It woke something. It cracked the balance."
She shook her head. "But I didn't ask for this."
"I know." His eyes softened. "That's what makes it worse."
Outside, the trees groaned, and a shape slithered past the window—quick, but unmistakably real.
Eze turned to him. "What does it want?"
"Me." He said grimly. "But it will use you to get to me."
A heavy silence fell.
Then Marvins reached under the floorboards and pulled out a small, glowing stone—no larger than a heart. It pulsed with faint blue light, wrapped in leather cords and symbols.
"This is a warding stone. It will protect you… but only for a while."
He pressed it into her hand, and the moment her skin touched it, she felt something warm and ancient press back—like hands shielding her from the cold.
"I have to go to the seal site," he said. "If it's been fully broken, Orun won't stop with us. The curse will spread."
"You're not going alone," she said.
"You have to stay here—"
"No," she cut him off. "I don't care if I'm scared. I'm already part of this. You said we're connected, right? Then I'm coming."
His expression darkened. "This isn't a story, Eze. This is war."
She stepped closer. "Then let me be your soldier."
For a moment, the firelight danced between them, casting flickers of gold in their eyes. His resolve faltered. Then finally, slowly, he nodded.
"Alright. But stay close to me. Don't run. Don't trust anything you see in the woods."
She slipped the warding stone around her neck. "I trust you. That's enough."
As they stepped into the night, the forest was no longer quiet.
Something had changed.
The leaves whispered warnings. The sky pulsed with unseen danger. And in the far distance, toward the heart of the forest, a faint red glow shimmered between the trees—like a wound torn open.
Eze tightened her grip on Marvins' hand.
Neither of them spoke.
Because whatever waited ahead… wasn't human.
And it knew they were coming.
---
Chapter Five – Beneath the Roots
They walked in silence, deeper into the forest.
The trees grew thicker, their twisted trunks like the bones of forgotten giants. Shadows moved where no light should have reached. The air turned colder, heavier, every step weighted with invisible dread.
Eze clutched the warding stone around her neck. It pulsed faintly—warm when she neared Marvins, but flickering erratically the farther they walked.
"How far is this place?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Close," Marvins said. His voice was tight. "Too close."
Ahead, the trees parted to reveal a glade.
The ground was scarred—blackened as though something had burned deep into the soil long ago. In the center stood a hollow tree, split open like a wound. Roots sprawled out from it, twisting over cracked stones carved with ancient runes.
Eze felt something shift inside her. Like her blood had turned to mist.
"This is it," Marvins said.
He stepped forward and knelt by the stone circle, tracing a hand over one of the glyphs. His fingers trembled.
"These runes sealed Orun for over a thousand years. They were etched in blood, forged by pain… and sacrifice."
Eze's brows furrowed. "Whose blood?"
Marvins hesitated.
Then looked up at her.
"My lover's," he said quietly.
Eze's breath caught. "The one you broke the vow for?"
He nodded. "She offered her life to seal the curse. I didn't stop her."
Silence swallowed them both.
"I thought it was the only way," he continued. "But the forest didn't just punish me. It remembered her too. And now… her spirit is part of this seal. If it's breaking… then so is she."
Eze stepped closer. "What does that mean?"
Before he could answer, a sound echoed from the hollow tree.
A voice.
Soft. Familiar.
"…Marvins?"
Eze froze.
It was her voice.
Her own.
"Marvins… help me…"
The voice came again, from the tree's depths.
Eze turned to Marvins, panic blooming in her chest. "That's not me."
He stood instantly. "Don't move. It's Orun. It uses memories. Echoes. It wants to pull you in."
But the tree was already changing.
The bark peeled like skin, revealing not wood—but faces. Twisting, weeping, whispering. One of them looked exactly like Eze. Another looked like a younger version of Marvins. Another—one that Eze didn't recognize—stared straight at her with hollow, empty eyes.
Suddenly, the ground split open beneath them.
Eze screamed as she fell—Marvins reaching for her hand, barely catching her wrist in time.
But something else caught her ankle.
A blackened, claw-like hand dragged her downward.
"Eze!" Marvins roared, pulling with all his might.
But the more he pulled, the more the forest seemed to fight back.
"No!" he shouted. "You can't have her! She's not yours!"
And then—light burst from her pendant.
A wave of gold shot outward, slamming into the roots, into the dark hand, forcing it to release her. She tumbled upward, into Marvins' arms.
They collapsed to the ground together, shaking.
The glow of the warding stone dimmed… but it had done its work.
Marvins held her tightly. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "What was that?"
He looked at the hollow tree, now silent once more.
"That was Orun… testing the bond. If it could trick you, make you doubt… it would have won."
Eze stared at the glowing roots beneath them. "But why me?"
"Because you matter to me," he whispered. "And that makes you his greatest weapon."
She looked into his eyes.
"I'm not afraid anymore," she said.
"You should be," he replied.
Then—without warning—the ground boomed. A loud crack split the air. One of the sealing stones shattered.
The curse was unraveling.
And somewhere deep beneath them…
…Orun opened its eyes.
---
Chapter Six – What Lies Beneath
The ground trembled.
A low groan echoed from deep underground—ancient and agonized, as though the earth itself had awakened from a cursed sleep. Marvins rose to his feet, pulling Eze behind him.
"One of the seals is gone," he muttered. "The others won't hold for long."
The once-silent trees around them now rustled with intent. Leaves fluttered like whispers. Shapes darted between the trunks—no longer hiding.
The forest was alive. And it was watching.
"Is there any way to stop this?" Eze asked.
"There might be," Marvins said, scanning the surrounding stones. "But it will cost more than blood this time. The curse was built on betrayal and sealed by sacrifice. To stop Orun, someone must face what lies beneath—and survive it."
Eze stiffened. "You mean go down there?"
Marvins didn't respond.
He knelt again and pressed both palms to the soil. The ground glowed faintly beneath his touch. The roots of the hollow tree shifted, groaning open like the jaws of a slumbering beast. A stairway spiraled downward into darkness.
"I have to go," he said.
"Then I'm coming with you," Eze replied without hesitation.
Marvins turned to her. "If you enter… you'll see things. Things meant to destroy you from the inside. Orun feeds on fear. It recreates it. It becomes it."
She stepped beside him. "Then it's about time something feared me."
For a moment, he smiled.
Then they descended.
Each step downward peeled away the sounds of the world above. No birds. No wind. Just the distant drip of water and the echo of their footsteps on ancient stone.
The air grew thick.
And suddenly—Eze was alone.
The stairway was gone. The walls were gone. Marvins was gone.
She stood in the middle of a village—not a modern one, but something old. Dusty. Familiar.
A woman's scream pierced the air.
Then she saw herself—running barefoot through the village, clutching a child. Behind her, flames devoured huts and trees alike. Men with torches chased her, shouting words she couldn't understand.
Eze froze.
"I've never—this isn't real…"
But it felt real. The heat. The fear. The weight of the child in her arms.
Then—one of the men pulled off his mask.
It was her father.
Eze stumbled back, gasping.
"No. He's never—he wouldn't—"
"He already did," a voice hissed.
She turned—and came face-to-face with herself. Her reflection. But her eyes were black. Her smile—cruel.
"You've always been afraid you were abandoned," the shadow said. "You've always feared you were nothing."
"Stop."
"You think Marvins cares? You're just his crutch. His anchor. Without him, you'd be back where you started—dying in the woods."
"STOP!"
The warding stone around her neck flared.
The false world cracked.
And she was back. The stairway. The roots. Marvins—kneeling ahead of her, his face twisted in pain.
"Eze…?" he gasped. "You broke it?"
"I saw… something," she said, breathless. "It tried to make me believe it. But it wasn't real."
He reached for her. "That means Orun knows you're stronger than he thought."
But just as their fingers touched, a voice exploded around them—low and guttural, seeping into the stone walls.
"The forest is mine."
A wall of black smoke poured upward, forming a towering figure of vines and bone. Glowing red eyes blinked from its chest. Its voice was everywhere.
"You cannot bind what was born free. You cannot kill what was never living."
Marvins stood, eyes blazing. "You're right, Orun. But maybe… I don't need to kill you."
He took Eze's hand and placed it over his chest.
"I need to set her free."
Suddenly, the ground cracked again—revealing a crystal buried in the roots. Inside the crystal, a woman's body shimmered—glowing faintly. Beautiful. Sad.
Eze's breath caught.
"Is that…?"
Marvins nodded. "Her name was Liona."
The figure above them snarled.
"Touch her… and you will lose everything."
But Eze stepped forward anyway.
She could feel the pulse of Liona's essence inside the crystal.
And then—a voice.
Not Orun.
Not Marvins.
Liona.
"Free me… not with power. But with truth."
Eze didn't know what that meant… until she closed her eyes and whispered:
"You were not forgotten. You were loved. He never stopped."
The crystal glowed brighter.
Orun shrieked.
Cracks burst through the walls.
And the seal… shattered.
But not in destruction.
In release.
The air grew still.
The smoke vanished.
And Liona's spirit rose, soft and golden, eyes gentle as they met Marvins'.
She smiled.
Then turned to Eze.
"You are braver than you know."
And then… she was gone.
The glade above grew silent once more.
And the forest… finally sighed in peace.
---
Chapter Seven – Between Two Worlds
Morning light filtered through the treetops.
For the first time in what felt like centuries, the forest was still—not in waiting, not in warning… but in peace. Birds sang freely, leaves rustled in rhythm with the breeze, and the air was light again.
Marvins stood at the edge of the glade, watching the sun break through the branches. His silhouette looked softer now—less shadowed by the weight of the curse that had bound him for so long.
Eze stirred behind him, wrapped in a wool blanket, resting by the fire he'd rebuilt.
She blinked groggily. "Did we survive?"
Marvins turned, a faint smile on his lips. "It would appear so."
She sat up slowly, every muscle aching from the night before, but her heart was quiet—for once, not in fear, but in wonder.
"What happens now?" she asked
---
Chapter Eight – Echoes of Us
The village was smaller than she remembered.
Children played by the roadside, goats wandered lazily, and the scent of charcoal fires drifted through the morning air. But to Eze, it all felt… foreign. Distant. As if she were seeing it through a veil of memory.
It had been only weeks since she vanished into the wilderness.
But in her heart, it felt like years.
Marvins walked beside her, cloaked and hooded. His movements were cautious but calm. His eyes flicked to every corner, alert—but not afraid. He didn't belong here, not in the human world. But he was trying—for her.
They reached the compound where her aunt lived. The wooden gate was half-open, swaying in the breeze.
"You sure you want to do this?" he asked.
Eze glanced at him. "They think I died. They deserve to know the truth."
He nodded and stepped back, giving her space.
She entered slowly.
The moment her aunt saw her, the woman screamed—not in horror, but in disbelief. In seconds, arms wrapped around Eze's neck, and tears soaked her shoulder.
"I prayed every night," her aunt whispered. "I never stopped."
Neither did she.
Of course! Let's bring the tension and emotion to a crescendo in Chapter Nine – Fire and Ash as promised. Here's the continuation:
---
Chapter Nine – Fire and Ash
The bond is tested. The past returns. And only truth can survive the flames.
The first fire started at the edge of the village.
It licked through the dry brush, slow at first, then furious—fed by panic and superstition. The flames painted the night in violent color as villagers gathered with torches, chanting old warnings in fearful tones.
"Witchcraft," someone shouted. "He brought the curse back with him!"
"It's the girl—they say he gave her his soul!"
"She walks in dreams. She speaks to shadows!"
The mob had returned to what it knew best—fear.
And fear always demanded a sacrifice.
---
Eze stood by the edge of the woods, watching the fire crawl closer. Her hands trembled, not with fear—but fury.
"Why are they doing this?" she whispered.
Marvins stood beside her, eyes like storm clouds. "Because they can't understand what they cannot control. When people see power they don't have, they burn it."
A memory flickered behind his gaze.
"They did the same to her," he added quietly.
"Liona," Eze said.
He nodded. "They feared her light. They feared my love for her. So they turned her to ash."
Eze turned to him, jaw set. "They're not doing it again."
A torch landed near the edge of the forest, sending a rush of heat up the roots of an old tree.
Behind them, the woods groaned. The forest remembered fire. It remembered pain.
And this time—it would fight back.
---
Marvins stepped forward.
He raised his arms and whispered in a language older than any written text. The trees responded, pulling their roots from the earth like awakened titans. Vines crept toward the flames, swallowing the fire with cold earth and leaf.
But it wasn't enough. The villagers kept coming.
Until—
"STOP!" Eze's voice rang out, sharp as thunder.
She stepped forward, between the villagers and the forest. Between fire and fury.
She held up the crystal pendant Liona had once been trapped in.
"You call me cursed," she said, voice unwavering. "But the real curse is fear. It's what destroyed your past. Don't let it destroy your future."
Some lowered their torches. Others hesitated.
Then the village elder—old, blind in one eye—stepped forward.
"I saw your kind before," he said hoarsely. "She was gentle. She loved him, and the forest loved her back. But we took that from her."
He turned to the crowd.
"This girl… this forest… they are not our enemies. They are our salvation."
Silence fell.
Then torches dropped. One by one.
The fire smoldered. The hate cooled.
But far beyond the crowd, a single figure remained in the dark.
Watching.
Smiling.
Waiting.
---
Chapter Ten – The Choice
The fire was gone.
Ash floated through the dawn like snow, soft and gray.
The villagers stood in silence, staring at the blackened ruin of Eze's home. No one spoke. No one cheered. There was no victory in what they had done.
Then a shift in the rubble.
A hand.
Marvins rose slowly, burned but alive—his power shielding Eze beneath his cloak. Her face was streaked with soot, her breath shallow.
He looked down at her. "You're safe…"
But something was wrong.
The light in her eyes dimmed.
"No," he whispered. "No—don't leave me."
She smiled faintly. "I'm here. I'm just tired…"
He pulled her close, letting his tears fall for the first time in centuries.
And from the trees—the forest came to them.
The earth pulsed beneath the village. Vines unfurled through the soil, not in vengeance, but in healing. A single ancient tree burst through the center of the ruins, its branches blooming instantly, golden leaves catching the light.
The villagers gasped.
A voice echoed on the wind.
"It is done."
The spirit of the forest—Liona's essence—rose one last time. She looked at Eze, then at Marvins.
"She chose love over fear," Liona said. "So now… you must choose, too."
---
Chapter Eleven --- The Final Choice
Liona raised two hands—and with them, opened two paths.
One, toward the wilderness, now reborn and peaceful. A place Marvins could live freely.
The other, toward the world of humans, where Eze belonged—but where he could never fully exist.
Eze opened her eyes.
"I… don't want to lose you," she whispered.
Marvins held her tighter. "You've given me more than time. You gave me meaning."
He looked at Liona. "If I go with her… I'll fade."
Liona nodded. "But your love will live. And so will she."
Eze reached up. "Then let me go with you. Let the world believe what it wants. I'll choose the wild. I'll choose you."
Tears burned in his golden eyes.
"But you'll lose everything," he said.
"I've already found everything," she replied.
The wind picked up.
The forest sighed.
And then—hand in hand—they stepped toward the trees.
The people watched as the forest parted for them, welcoming them back. Not as intruders.
But as part of it.
The leaves closed.