Chapter 80 – The Fissure Awakens
The night hung heavy over the Blackwood, thick and suffocating. A low mist crawled over the roots, curling around the trio like fingers seeking to choke them. Ironroot stood at the edge of the clearing, muscles tense, eyes fixed on the fissure in the mountains. It pulsed faintly, black as a void, but he could feel it more than see it — a living, breathing hunger that had been awakened by their previous struggle.
Titanbound's molten fists glowed dimly, casting flickering light across shattered roots and splintered trees. Sweat streaked his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "It's not just the forest anymore," he muttered. "I can feel it… it's watching us. Waiting. And when it moves… it's going to strike like a hurricane."
Shadowblade crouched low, blades glinting faintly in the dim light. "It's not waiting, Titanbound," she said, voice tight with tension. "It's calculating. Every movement we made last night, every strike we landed, it's adapting. And the fissure…" Her gaze shifted toward the black maw of the mountains. "…It's awakening."
Ironroot swallowed hard, hands trembling as green energy flickered along his veins. The Blackwood beneath him pulsed faintly, unevenly. The forest had obeyed him after the last battle, but the fractures remained. Threads of resistance pulsed faintly in the roots — reminders of the entity's lingering control. If I push too hard… I risk shattering everything.
Suddenly, the fissure shuddered violently, sending tremors through the clearing. Roots lashed upward, snapping and twisting, some striking Titanbound, some lunging at Shadowblade, while others surged toward Ironroot himself.
Titanbound roared, molten fists erupting as he smashed a tree in the path of a lunging root. "It's attacking! All of it! Get ready!"
Shadowblade darted forward, blades slicing through the attacking roots and shadows. "It's focusing on us directly this time! Ironroot, if you falter… we die!"
Ironroot clenched his fists, forcing green energy into the Blackwood. Some roots obeyed, coiling around attacking shadows and striking them down. Others resisted violently, lashing at him with incredible force. Pain shot through his arms as the resistance fought against his control. It's probing me… pushing me to the limit… trying to fracture my connection to the Blackwood.
A massive root surged toward Titanbound, coiling around his leg with crushing force. He slammed a molten fist into it, burning the root, but three more struck simultaneously from different directions. "Ironroot! Now!" he shouted.
Ironroot's mind screamed as he poured more energy into the roots, forcing them into obedience. Green light flared violently, striking the attacking roots and shadows, driving them back toward the fissure. The lattice of control trembled under the strain, the Blackwood's pulse flickering like a candle in a storm.
From the fissure, a massive shadow emerged, coiling like smoke but forming jagged, humanoid shapes. Its ember eyes burned brighter, scanning the clearing with intelligence and malice. The entity spoke directly into Ironroot's mind, its voice a razor slicing through thought: Your allies are weak. Your roots fracture. You will fail before the night ends.
Ironroot staggered, clutching his head. The mental assault was immense, a weight pressing on his skull from every angle. I cannot fail… I cannot…
Titanbound roared, punching the ground, molten energy erupting outward. Shockwaves shattered the nearest roots and trees, but the entity's influence bent the forest against them. Shadowblade leapt into action, slicing through the rebellious roots with surgical precision, cutting a path for Titanbound and Ironroot alike.
Ironroot's hands glowed brighter, veins pulsing with energy as he forced the lattice tighter. Roots surged upward, striking shadows and restraining parts of the forest under his control. Some obeyed fully, some partially, and some still resisted, snapping violently in defiance. If I lose control… the Blackwood dies with me.
The entity's voice roared in his mind again, sharper, more insistent: You are fracturing. You cannot hold them. They will die. And when they do… the root will collapse.
Ironroot's vision blurred. He could feel faint threads of rebellion in the Blackwood, small fractures growing in intensity. The forest pulsed around him, uncertain, hesitant. His pulse raced, chest heaving. I have to hold it… for them… or we all die.
Titanbound slashed through a massive root that attempted to strike Ironroot, flames flaring in a brilliant arc. "You're not alone, Ironroot! We fight with you!"
Shadowblade's blades danced through the air, cutting down the nearest roots attacking her. "Stay focused! Don't let it separate us!"
Ironroot clenched his fists, forcing energy outward. A pulse of green light surged through the roots, stabilizing the lattice temporarily. The rebellious roots froze mid-strike, some coiling obediently, some still resisting but unable to act fully. The forest stilled — just for a heartbeat.
The fissure pulsed violently, sending a surge of shadows outward. This time, the attack was precise, targeting Titanbound and Shadowblade directly. Roots struck like spears, jagged and fast, trying to pin them to the ground.
Titanbound slammed his fists repeatedly into the roots, flames burning through the obstacles. Pain shot through him with every strike, but he held, refusing to give ground. Shadowblade darted through the air, cutting roots with her blades, slashing at anything that dared come near Ironroot.
Ironroot forced more energy into the lattice, green light flaring. The roots bent, twisted, and struck the attacking shadows with renewed precision. He could feel his strength waning, his connection to the Blackwood trembling under the strain. If I push too hard… I might fracture it completely… or worse… myself.
The entity's ember eyes narrowed, watching, calculating. A low, mental hum pulsed through the clearing — the fissure was absorbing energy, drawing strength from the chaos, feeding on the attacks and resistance alike. Ironroot realized with a sinking certainty: The fissure itself is alive… and it's hungry.
Titanbound groaned, struggling to hold against a massive root that tried to pin him. "Ironroot! What the hell is that fissure doing?!"
"It's feeding!" Ironroot gasped, sweat dripping from his brow. "The fissure… it absorbs energy from the forest… and from us! That's how it strengthens itself!"
Shadowblade's eyes widened. "If it keeps feeding, it will overwhelm us completely. We can't fight it like this forever!"
The entity's mental voice sliced through again: Your allies will fall. Your roots will fracture. Your mind will break. And then… the Blackwood will be mine.
Ironroot gritted his teeth, green energy flaring along his veins. He slammed both fists into the ground, forcing every ounce of his will into the lattice of roots. The forest surged violently, coiling and striking with precision, pushing the shadows back toward the fissure.
Titanbound and Shadowblade reinforced the attack, striking the nearest roots and shadows with molten fire and blades. Together, they created a fragile corridor of control in the chaos.
The fissure pulsed violently, black energy spiraling outward like living smoke, trying to crush the lattice and the trio within it. Ironroot's vision blurred with pain and concentration, sweat and blood streaking his face. I have to hold… I must hold…
With a final surge, the lattice flared bright green, roots snapping into place with obedience, striking the attacking shadows and forcing them into the fissure's mouth. The forest stilled, trembling but partially obedient once more.
The entity remained at the edge of the clearing, massive and jagged, ember eyes blazing. The fissure pulsed faintly, as if absorbing its own victory, feeding off the strain and chaos of the battle.
Titanbound lowered his fists, chest heaving. "We… held it. For now."
Shadowblade nodded grimly. "But that fissure… it's more dangerous than anything we've faced. And next time, it will strike harder."
Ironroot sank to one knee, hands trembling, energy flickering along his veins. The Blackwood beneath him pulsed faintly, unevenly — a wounded heartbeat, warning of fractures yet to come.
"We survive," Ironroot said quietly, voice strained. "We endure. And when it comes again… we fight harder. Together."
The forest whispered around them, hesitant but listening. The fissure pulsed in the distance, a reminder that the entity was far from defeated.
And Ironroot knew, with a chilling certainty, that the next assault would not only test the Blackwood — it would test them… their bonds, their courage, and their very will to survive.