The lotus tree's roots coiled tight around Nagasith, a natural cage woven from thick, gnarled wood. Bright prodded the serpent's unconscious form with his stick, snickering when Nagasith didn't stir.
"Bet he never thought he'd get trapped by a tree," he said. "Serves him right for ruining our peace."
Nam smacked his hand away, finishing the last knot on a vine binding Nagasith's wrists. "Quit poking him. If he wakes up, you're the one dealing with his venom."
She turned to Lila, who stood close to Tong, her eyes wide as she took in the valley—fingers twisting the hem of her tattered sleeve. "You holding up okay? Need any healing balm for the cuts?"
Lila nodded, smiling shyly. "I'm fine. Thank you—for getting me out of there." Her gaze drifted to the lotus tree, then to Tan Kai's palm, where the jade glowed softly. "That's the lotus heart jade, isn't it? Tong told me stories about it."
Tan Kai held it out gently, letting her glance at the carved lotus. "Agus and Lina buried it here. We just put the shards back together."
Lila's eyes lit up, like she'd just seen something out of a fairy tale. "My grandma used to talk about them—said they fought to keep the valley safe. I never thought I'd see the jade for real."
Bright perked up, shoving his stick into the grass. "Hey, speaking of things we should see—where's the mango tree? I swear I smelled something sweet earlier."
Tong laughed—a real, light sound, not the forced huff they'd grown used to. "Follow the stream. There's a grove on the bank—Lina used to take me there when we were kids. Best mangoes in the valley."
The stream babbled through the valley, its clear water reflecting the pink-and-gold sky. Lotus blooms floated on its surface; Lila pointed out wild berry patches as they walked, and Nam paused to tuck a handful into her pouch.
"You'll want these," she said, tossing one to Bright. It bounced off his chest before he fumbled to catch it. "Sweet, and they'll keep your energy up."
Bright popped it into his mouth, grinning. "Not as good as mangoes, but I'll take it."
Yara walked beside Tan Kai, her hand brushing his occasionally—fingers grazing his wrist where the jade's heat had left a faint pink mark.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked, nodding at the spot.
Tan Kai shook his head, squeezing her hand. "Nah. Worth it, though. We actually did it—beat Nagasith."
Yara smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "We did. Together."
The mango grove appeared ahead, sunlight filtering through leaves heavy with ripe, orange fruit. Bright let out a whoop, sprinting toward the nearest tree and climbing it in three quick moves—kicking a mango loose that hit the ground with a thud.
He yanked a mango from a bough, biting into it messily. Juice dribbled down his chin, a seed stuck to his cheek. "Guys—this is heaven! Way better than dried ones!"
Lila laughed, twisting a mango off a low branch and wiping its skin on her sleeve. "Told you. These are sweeter than the stale bread Nagasith's goons fed us."
Tong joined her, lifting her up by the waist so she could reach a plump mango hanging higher. For a moment, they looked like any other pair of siblings—no marks, no venom, just quiet ease.
Tan Kai leaned against a tree, watching them. Yara stood beside him, her shoulder pressing against his. The jade in his palm hummed softly, in time with the mark on her arm.
"Something's off," she whispered, glancing at the ground—where a blade of grass trembled, unshaken by the wind.
Tan Kai frowned. He'd felt it too—a faint tremor, so soft he'd thought it was his imagination. But now, the earth rumbled again, a low, distant growl that made the mangoes sway.
Bright froze mid-bite, mango juice dripping down his chin. He stumbled back, nearly tripping over a fallen mango seed. "Uh… is the valley shaking?"
As the tremor intensified, leaves showered from the mango trees, and the stream's water rippled into chaotic waves. Lila stumbled—Tong's hand shot out, yanking her upright before she hit the dirt.
Nam's hand flew to her herb pouch, her face tight. "It's not an earthquake—feel that?" She knelt, pressing her palm to the dirt, and winced. "It's moving. Like something's coming up."
A crack split the ground near the stream. Dirt sprayed into the air, and a root—thicker than a man's leg—snaked upward, twisting like an angry snake. But it wasn't a lotus root. Its surface was dark, slimy, dotted with thorns that glinted in the sun.
Lila gasped, stepping back into Tong's side. "That's not from the valley. I've never seen roots like that."
The jade in Tan Kai's palm blazed, hot enough to make him flinch. Yara's mark burned, and she grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with a vision.
"Agus and Lina," she said, voice urgent. "I see them—they're running from something. From this."
A vision flickered in Tan Kai's mind: Agus pulling Lina through the valley, the ground shaking behind them. Dark roots burst from the dirt, chasing them. Lina clutched the jade to her chest, screaming, "It's awake! The prison's breaking!"
The vision vanished. Tan Kai stumbled, Yara steadying him.
"Prison?" he said, staring at the dark root. "What prison?"
Master's phantom flickered into view, his form faint, almost transparent. Panic edged his voice—something they'd never seen from him before.
"Ancient corruption," he said, his light flickering. "When Agus and Lina hid the jade, they didn't just hide it for you—they used it to seal this thing in. But when we wielded the jade's full power… we weakened the seal. And if this breaks free, Heaven's eyes will turn to the valley faster than ever."
The ground split open wider. More dark roots erupted, coiling toward them. One wrapped around Bright's ankle; he yelped, yanking free, his mango rolling into the dirt.
"What is that thing?!" he shouted, kicking at the root.
Nam ran beside them, tossing handfuls of herbs over her shoulder—each burst of smoke slowing a root's advance. "Hurry! It's gaining!"
A loud, guttural roar came from the crack in the earth. Dirt flew into the air, and a massive, slimy tentacle burst forth—dark as pitch, lined with thorns, pulsing with a sickly green light.
Bright's eyes went wide. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope—I draw the line at tentacle monsters!"
"Run!" Tan Kai yelled. "To the lotus tree!"
They sprinted, the tentacle crashing down behind them, narrowly missing Bright's heel. Dark roots snaked after them, coiling around the grass, the mango trees—anything they could reach.
Lila stumbled, her shoe catching on a root. Tong stopped, yanking her up and shoving her ahead. "Keep going!" he shouted.
Nam darted to Bright's side, tossing fire herbs that singed a root's tip—buying Lila time to grab a smooth rock and hurl it at the one lunging for Tong's back.
The stone hit home. Tong glanced over his shoulder, nodding. "Thanks!" He swung a fallen branch like a sword, batting away another root.
Yara's hand was tight in Tan Kai's, their marks glowing in sync with the jade. The lotus tree came into view, its roots still coiled around Nagasith, who was starting to stir—his eyes fluttering open.
"Master—how do we fix the seal?" Tan Kai yelled, skidding to a halt beside the tree.
"Press the jade to the earth, where the box was buried!" Master said, his form almost gone. "Your bond will feed the seal—lock it back up!"
The tentacle crashed into the ground beside them, sending dirt flying. Tan Kai and Yara dropped to their knees, pressing the jade to the spot where they'd dug up the stone box.
Gold and green light surged into the earth. The tentacle hissed, pulling back as if burned—but the corruption didn't stop. Roots burst from the ground around them, closing in fast.
Bright swung his stick at a root coiling toward Yara's ankle, yelling. "Cover them! We can't hold it off forever!"
Nam darted to his side, tossing fire herbs that singed a root's tip—orange smoke billowing up. Lila grabbed another rock, hurling it at the one lunging for Tong.
Tong stood guard over Tan Kai and Yara, his branch swinging to bat away any roots that slipped through. "Hurry!" he shouted.
As the jade's light blazed hotter, Tan Kai's arm throbbed—but he clung on, Yara's fingers laced through his. "Together," he breathed.
"Together," she echoed.
The light erupted downward, burrowing into the earth. The ground roared, and the tentacle let out a guttural scream that shook the valley—while the dark roots wilted, slithering back into the crack.
Slowly, the tremors stopped. The crack sealed shut, leaving only a patch of disturbed dirt.
The jade cooled. Tan Kai and Yara collapsed, gasping, the stone slipping from Tan Kai's hand.
Master's phantom flickered once, then vanished—gone for good, this time.
Bright dropped his stick, collapsing onto the grass. His cheek was smudged with dirt, his shirt torn at the shoulder. "Well… that was worse than vines. Way worse."
Lila sat beside him, breathing hard, a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a mango seed clutched in her hand. "At least it's gone. For now."
Nam knelt beside Tan Kai and Yara, handing them each a berry. "You two okay? That light looked like it took everything out of you."
Tan Kai nodded, popping the berry into his mouth. It was sweet, sharp, and just what he needed. He looked at Yara, who was smiling, tired but alive—her hair tangled with a lotus petal.
Tong knelt to pick up the jade, brushing dirt off its surface before handing it back to Tan Kai. His lips tugged into a small, genuine smile—no tension, no fear. "We did it. All of us."
Bright perked up, sitting up. "Hey—does this mean we get to go back to the mangoes? I didn't even finish mine, and it was perfect."
Nam rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she brushed grass from her knees. "Yes, Bright. We can go back to the mangoes."
Lila laughed, standing up and brushing off her dress. "I'll show you the best ones—they're on the highest branch. Tong used to climb up for me when we were little."
Tan Kai stood, pulling Yara up with him. The jade in his palm was quiet now, warm but not burning. He looked at his team—Bright already racing toward the mango grove, yelling about "revenge on the tentacle monster" via mangoes, Nam following with a sigh, Tong and Lila walking side by side, laughing.
Yara squeezed his hand, her thumb brushing the faint mark on his wrist. "Ready for more mangoes? Or do you want to rest first?"
Tan Kai smiled. "Mangoes first. Definitely mangoes."
They walked toward the grove, the valley quiet again, save for Bright's distant whoop and the rustle of mango leaves. The sun was setting, painting the sky in deep oranges and purples.
But Tan Kai knew—this wasn't the end. The corruption was sealed, but it wasn't gone. And Heaven's eyes, Master had said, were already turning their way.
But for now, they had mangoes. They had each other.
And that was enough.
For now.