Chapter 78 – Fractures in the Roots
The Blackwood shivered.
Ironroot felt it the moment he stepped forward. Beneath his feet, the soil pulsed unevenly, roots writhing not in submission but in protest. The surge he had forced into the fissure the night before had bought a temporary reprieve, but the forest's heartbeat had grown faint, hesitant. Its pulse was no longer entirely his own.
Titanbound moved beside him, molten fists still glowing dimly, sweat running down his brow. "Something's wrong," he said, voice low. "The forest… it's hiding from us."
Ironroot didn't answer. His hands were trembling, brushing against the roots that twisted underfoot. Normally, the Blackwood would respond immediately to his touch, obedient and loyal. Now, the roots flinched, recoiling slightly before obeying.
The fissure in the mountains pulsed faintly, black as void, and he could feel it again — the presence of the entity, testing, probing, reaching. Its intelligence brushed his mind with a precision that made his skull ache.
Shadowblade's voice cut through his thoughts. "It's not just testing the Blackwood anymore. It's targeting you directly."
Ironroot clenched his teeth, forcing green energy into the roots around him, trying to anchor the forest's pulse. Some obeyed, snapping upward like serpents. Others twisted violently in refusal. It's pulling at the very connection, he realized. It's trying to fracture me from the inside out.
A tremor ran through the clearing. Then another. Roots erupted violently from the soil, some striking Titanbound, some shooting at Shadowblade, while others lunged toward Ironroot.
Titanbound slammed a fist into the ground, molten fire erupting outward, deflecting the roots. "Enough! If it wants a fight, it'll get one!"
Shadowblade leapt above the thrashing roots, spinning and cutting through them with precision. But for every root severed, two more took its place, sharper, faster, harder. The forest was no longer just alive—it was weaponized, controlled by something older and smarter than the Watcher.
Ironroot gritted his teeth. "It's learning from us. Every strike, every movement… it adapts. Titanbound, Shadowblade — you need to stay mobile!"
The ancient presence's voice entered his mind, low and commanding: You are fractured. You cannot hold them together. The roots betray your weakness. Your allies will fall first.
Ironroot staggered, gripping his head. The mental pressure was immense, like a vice tightening around his skull. "No! I am Ironroot! I am the Blackwood!" he roared.
The roots responded partially, flaring with green energy, but the strain was visible. Some twisted violently, others stopped moving altogether, refusing to obey. I am breaking, he thought, panic rising. If I lose control… everything dies.
A massive root lunged directly at his chest, faster than his reactions. He slammed a fist into it, energy crackling outward, but the backlash threw him backward into the jagged rocks. Pain exploded across his side.
Titanbound and Shadowblade rushed to him, striking at the roots and debris as the forest itself seemed to rise against them.
"We can't let it touch him!" Shadowblade shouted, slashing a root that tried to coil around Ironroot's leg.
Titanbound's fists blazed, cracking the ground beneath them and sending a shockwave that momentarily disrupted the attacking roots. "Keep him alive! Whatever that thing is… it knows our moves before we do!"
Ironroot forced himself upright, green energy flaring along his veins. He raised both hands, sending a pulse outward, trying to regain control over the rebellious Blackwood. But the roots that had been loyal before now split and twisted against each other, striking at nothing and everything, creating chaos even in his defense.
A massive shadow surged through the clearing — the figure from the mountains. Its arms extended, and the shadows trailing behind it thickened, coalescing into jagged shapes that merged with the forest. Trees bent, roots lunged, soil erupted, and the air was thick with malevolent energy.
The entity spoke directly into Ironroot's mind, its words like steel grinding through his thoughts: Your allies are weak. Your control is flawed. You are not enough. Watch them die.
Titanbound froze mid-strike as a root wrapped around his ankle, yanking him violently. Flames burst outward, burning some of the blackened roots, but more surged to replace them. "Ironroot!" he shouted, struggling against the force.
Shadowblade's movements became frantic as roots coiled around her wrists and ankles. She slashed repeatedly, slicing through wood and shadow alike, but the entity's control over the forest made each swing a battle against the environment itself.
Ironroot's mind screamed. I cannot fail… I cannot…
He slammed his palms into the earth, pouring all of his energy into a single, desperate lattice of roots and green light. The roots surged, attempting to corral the forest, to bend it back under his control. Some obeyed. Some snapped violently against the will of the lattice. The effort left Ironroot trembling, sweat dripping from his brow, blood trickling from his palms.
The entity's mental voice became a roar: You cannot hold them! Your mind shatters! Your roots will betray you!
Ironroot's green energy flared brighter, a living pulse radiating from the ground beneath him. "I AM THE BLACKWOOD!" he screamed, forcing every fiber of his being into the roots, into the soil, into the pulse that connected him to the forest.
The forest hesitated. The roots froze mid-strike. The shadows paused. Even the entity's massive figure faltered, its ember eyes narrowing, scanning the lattice that held them at bay.
Titanbound slammed the ground again, molten energy flaring, while Shadowblade moved in tandem, cutting the nearest rebellious roots. Together, they reinforced Ironroot's lattice, forming a fragile triangle of survival amidst the chaos.
But the strain was immense. The lattice trembled. The Blackwood's pulse flickered, unsure, uncertain. Ironroot's vision blurred with pain and concentration. He could feel tiny fractures forming in the network, threads of resistance growing stronger. If these fractures grow… I lose control… I lose everything…
From the distance, the fissure pulsed violently, black and hungry. A faint whisper escaped, carried on the wind and into their minds: Bring them closer. Let them see the fracture. Let them break.
Ironroot's chest heaved. The Blackwood beneath him pulsed unevenly, some roots loyal, some hesitant, some actively rebelling. The pressure of the entity's mind was like a vise, twisting at the lattice, pulling at his control, probing every weakness.
Titanbound shouted again, flames erupting like a beacon. "Ironroot! Don't let it break you! We are here! We fight WITH you!"
Shadowblade cut through a root that tried to coil around Ironroot's waist. "He's not alone! We'll hold them! Stay strong!"
Ironroot clenched his fists, forcing the lattice tighter. Green energy flared violently, roots snapping and reforming in a chaotic dance of obedience and defiance. The forest roared around them, and the figure from the mountains raised its massive arm, sending a pulse of shadows into the lattice.
Ironroot felt it pierce his mind, a sharp, twisting pain. You are fracturing…
And then, unexpectedly, the fissure beneath the mountains shuddered, drawing the shadows and corrupted roots toward it. The entity's control weakened for a moment. Ironroot seized it, pushing every ounce of energy into the lattice, forcing the forest and the shadows into the fissure's mouth.
The entity's roar echoed across the clearing, a mixture of rage and surprise. It retreated slightly, but its ember eyes remained fixed, watching, calculating.
Titanbound and Shadowblade pressed their advantage, striking with synchronized precision, reinforcing Ironroot's control. Slowly, the forest stilled. The rebellious roots, though still trembling, began to obey again, and the lattice held — barely.
Ironroot sank to one knee, exhausted, green energy flickering along his veins. The Blackwood beneath him pulsed slowly, unevenly, like a wounded heartbeat.
Titanbound placed a hand on his shoulder. "You held it… for now. But whatever that thing is… it's only beginning."
Shadowblade wiped sweat and blood from her brow, eyes scanning the treeline. "And next time… it will strike harder. It will know us. It will test every bond we have — and it will exploit every fracture."
Ironroot clenched his fists, green energy faintly flaring one last time. "Then we prepare. We endure. And when it comes again… we will stand. Together. Or the Blackwood dies with me."
The forest whispered in response — hesitant, wary, but still connected. The entity in the distance retreated slowly, its ember eyes never leaving them.
And Ironroot realized, with a sinking certainty, that the war had only just begun.