Chapter 65: Ancient HungerMelora’s hut was a mess. Books, dried plants, and weird artifacts covered every inch of space. Grace had to sit with her wings uncomfortably squished just to fit on the tiny stool Melora had offered her.

    "The Great Root is one of seven," Melora said, her bark-like face serious as she studied Grace’s medallion. "Seven world shapers created by Eternia herself."

    "First creations?" Grace asked. "Before angels?"

    "Long before." Melora nodded. "When the world was young. The Root controlled growth and decay. The others ruled sky, sea, stone, beast, flame, and void."

    Willow leaned forward, almost knocking over a stack of books.

    "What happened to them?"

    "We’re not sure. But, I suspect that when Eternia left, they lost their purpose." Melora’s face crinkled with sadness. "They were meant to be channels for her will, not independent thinkers. Without her there to direct them, they... became strange."

    "Strange how?" Petriel asked, nervously eyeing a jar with something that looked suspiciously like eyeballs floating in it.

    "They got hungry. Desperate to fill the hole where her presence used to be." Melora pointed a gnarled finger at Grace. "And you, kid, you’re basically walking around wearing Eternia’s perfume. The Root can smell it a mile away."

    Grace touched her medallion.

    "So it wants to... what? Eat me?"

    "Either absorb your power or be purified by it." Melora stood up with a creak and grabbed an ancient scroll. "Your energy is special. You could cleanse the Root or take its power for yourself, if you wanted."

    [So these were the beings Eternia replaced with Azrael.] Grace remembered bits of angel history—how Eternia had appointed Azrael to oversee all of Linaria before the angel turned against her creator.

    "Could the Root be saved?" Grace asked. "Purified instead of destroyed?"

    Melora looked at her like she’d said something interesting for the first time.

    "Maybe. But you’d need to—"

    THUMP.

    Something hit the door hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.

    "Collectors." Melora’s voice hardened. "Found us faster than I thought they would."

    Another thump, louder. The wooden bar across the door cracked down the middle.

    "We need to go," Willow said, already on her feet.

    "This way." Melora pulled back a tapestry to reveal a dark tunnel. "This passage leads to the underground caverns. Follow it all the way through."

    "Aren’t you coming?" Grace asked as another hit made the whole hut tremble.

    "I’ll distract them." Melora’s hands glowed with energy that looked weirdly familiar—not quite angelic, but close. "Head for the central chamber. Look for carvings in the stone. That’s where you’ll find answers."

    Willow hesitated.

    "But the Collectors—"

    "Have been after me for centuries." Melora grinned, showing teeth that looked suspiciously like tree bark. "Now go! Save your friend. And you—" She pointed at Grace. "Trust your gut about the Root. You’ll know what to do when the time comes."

    The door exploded inward. Melora shoved them toward the tunnel.

    "MOVE IT!"

    Grace stumbled into the passage with Petriel and Willow right behind her. The tunnel entrance sealed itself with twisting vines as soon as they were inside.

    Behind the wall, they heard crashes, hisses, and Melora shouting what sounded like very creative swear words.

    "Will she be okay?" Grace whispered.

    "Well, she’s lasted this long," Willow replied, though she didn’t sound convinced. "Keep moving."

    The tunnel got narrower as they went deeper. The rough stone walls pressed in from both sides, forcing them to fold their wings tight against their backs. Even then, Grace’s feathers scraped painfully against the rocky ceiling.

    "I h-hate tight spaces," Petriel muttered, her breathing getting faster.

    "Just keep going," Grace said, trying to sound brave even though her own heart was racing. "One foot in front of the other."

    The tunnel wound downward in a spiral. Glowing mushrooms provided just enough light to keep them from face-planting on the uneven ground. The air got damp and thick, making it harder to breathe.

    "Hold up," Willow stopped at a fork in the path. "Left or right?"

    "Melora said to find the central chamber," Grace said. "So... left? That looks like it goes deeper."

    Willow nodded.

    "Left it is."

    The left passage turned out to be the worst choice ever. It got so narrow they had to turn sideways to squeeze through, inching along with their backs against one wall, faces smashed against the other.

    "I can’t—" Petriel’s voice cracked with panic. "I can’t breathe!"

    "Yes, you can," Grace said firmly. "Just follow my voice. We’ll get through this."

    They shuffled forward in a line, Willow first, then Grace, with Petriel at the back. The walls squeezed in tighter until—

    [... Wait.]

    "I’m stuck," Grace announced, trying not to sound as panicked as she felt. Her wings had gotten wedged against a pointy bit of rock and wouldn’t budge.

    "Can you pull them in more?" Willow called from up ahead.

    "I’m TRYING!" Grace tugged, which only wedged her more firmly in place. "It’s not working!"

    Petriel’s voice came from right behind her. "Let me help."

    Before Grace could say anything, she felt Petriel press against her back, hands reaching around to adjust her wings. The sudden contact made Grace freeze up completely. Sear?h the Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "S-sorry!" Petriel squeaked. "Just trying to help!"

    "It’s fine," Grace managed, suddenly VERY aware of Petriel’s body pressed up against her own in the tight space. "Maybe try loosening that joint there?"

    Petriel’s fingers worked along Grace’s wing joints, gentle but firm. Every touch sent little zaps of... something... through Grace’s nerves.

    [This is NOT the time to be getting all weird and flustered!]

    "Almost got it," Petriel murmured, her breath warm against Grace’s ear.

    The combination of the tight space, Petriel pressed against her back, and those skilled healer’s hands on her sensitive wings made Grace’s face burn hot enough to light the whole tunnel.

    With a final adjustment, Grace’s wings loosened.

    "There! I think I can UWAH—"

    She moved forward too quickly and lost her balance. Petriel grabbed her waist to stop her from falling, which just pressed them even closer together.

    "S-sorry!" they both stammered at the exact same time.

    "Are you two coming or should I give you some privacy?" Willow called from up ahead, sounding way too amused.

    "We’re coming!" Grace replied, mortified. She pushed forward, trying to ignore the tingling sensation left by Petriel’s touch.

    The passage finally widened, opening into a small chamber where Willow waited with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face.

    "Don’t," Grace warned.

    "I didn’t say anything," Willow replied, though her mouth twitched with amusement.

    Petriel emerged last, her face bright red, looking anywhere but at Grace.

    They walked in awkward silence until the passage suddenly opened into a huge cavern. Grace’s jaw dropped, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment.

    The underground space was massive. Stone columns stretched up to a ceiling lost in darkness. But what really grabbed their attention was the garden—a sprawling field of plants unlike anything Grace had ever seen. Pale, glowing flowers bigger than her head. Mushrooms tall as trees. Vines that pulsed with inner light.

    "Whoa," Petriel whispered.

    "It’s corrupted," Willow pointed to the blue-purple veins running through many of the plants. "See those patterns? Just like in Rosewood."

    Grace stepped forward carefully.

    "Melora said to look for carvings. Should we—"

    A vine whipped toward her face. She ducked just in time.

    "MOVE!" Willow shouted as more plants came to life. Mushrooms belched out clouds of glowing spores. Flowers snapped open to reveal rows of thorn-teeth.

    "This way!" Grace spotted a stone path cutting through the garden. They ran for it, dodging grabby plants that swiped at them from all sides.

    A vine wrapped around Petriel’s ankle, yanking her off her feet.

    "Help!" she cried as it dragged her toward a cluster of snapping flowers.

    Grace whipped out her rapier, slicing through the vine with a flash of golden light. She pulled Petriel up, and they kept running.

    The stone path led to a circular platform in the center of the garden. Carved into its surface was an elaborate diagram—seven connected circles, each with a different symbol inside.

    "This is it!" Willow jumped onto the platform. "The seven entities!"

    Grace and Petriel followed, barely escaping the plants that stopped at the edge of the carved stone like they’d hit an invisible wall.

    "Look," Willow pointed to one symbol—a stylized tree with spiraling roots. "The Great Root."

    Grace knelt to check out the carvings. "What are the others?"

    "Ancient writing," Willow translated each symbol. "Sky Sovereign, Tide Mother, Stone Father, Beast Lord, Flame Heart, and Void Whisper."

    When Grace touched the Root symbol, her medallion heated up. Purple-blue energy seeped from the carving, crawling up her fingers like tiny vines.

    "Grace!" Petriel yelped in alarm.

    But it didn’t hurt. Instead, Grace felt a weird resonance—like the corruption recognized her. Following her gut, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she drew the energy into herself, feeling it pool in her chest next to her divine power.

    「Skill Acquired: Aura Release (Lvl 1)」

    「Description: Absorb corruption energy and release it as a concentrated purification blast」

    "What are you doing?" Willow asked, eyes wide.

    "I think I’m... absorbing it?" Grace felt the corruption swirling inside her, mixing with her divine energy. It burned, but not in a bad way—more like spicy food. "It’s building up."

    The plants around the platform went nuts, thrashing more frantically, sensing the change in energy.

    "Whatever you’re doing, hurry up," Petriel urged. "They’re breaking through!"

    The energy built to a painful pressure in Grace’s chest. Her whole body felt like it might explode.

    "I can’t hold it!" she warned, aiming her hands at the densest cluster of corrupted plants. "MOVE!"

    Willow and Petriel dove to the side just as Grace released everything in a single explosive blast. A beam of golden-violet light shot from her palms, cutting through the garden like a laser. The corrupted plants in its path didn’t just calm down—they disintegrated into sparkling dust.

    The backlash knocked Grace onto her butt, leaving her gasping.

    "Holy... goddess..." she panted.

    "You just..." Petriel stared at the smoking path carved through the garden.

    "That was..." Willow seemed equally stunned.

    Grace looked down at her hands, which still tingled with residual energy. "I think I can do it again. Smaller this time."

    She got to her feet, drawing in more corruption from the nearest thrashing vine. This time, she controlled the buildup, releasing a more focused beam that blasted another path through the plants.

    "You’re creating an escape route," Willow realized.

    "That’s the plan," Grace said, already absorbing more energy. "Unless you’ve got a better idea?"

    Three more blasts later, they had a clear path to the exit where daylight streamed in. They ran for it, Grace pausing occasionally to fire another beam when plants tried to close in behind them.

    "Melora was right," Grace said as they reached the exit, her hands still smoking slightly. "I can use the Root’s own power against it."

    "The question is," Willow replied, "will it let you get close enough to try?"

    They stepped out onto a hillside overlooking a huge forest. The sun was setting, turning everything golden.

    "We should get back to Rosewood," Petriel said, eyeing Grace’s hands with a mix of awe and concern. "Before the Collectors find us."

    Grace nodded, stretching her wings in the open air.

    "At least now we have something to work with. A plan."

    They took off, leaving the weird underground garden behind. Grace felt the new power settling inside her—not quite angelic, not quite foreign, but something in between.

    Something that might just be enough to save Ivy.