CHAPTER 333: ECHO GARDENS

A forest.

The trees were tall. Their trunks were dark—black in color, smooth in some places and cracked in others, like old stone that had seen too many winters.

The bark didn’t reflect light. It swallowed it. Their leaves looked thin and sharp, almost like blades, growing in long, narrow shapes that didn’t sway in the wind because...

There was no wind.

Nothing moved.

And yet, something about the shadows between the trees made you feel like something was moving—just not fast. Not loud. Slow enough that it wouldn’t be seen unless you stared too long.

Like something was waiting.

A pavilion stood right at the edge of that forest, where the wild trees met the edge of the garden.

Wooden. Simple. Built on a short platform of stone that lifted it just enough off the ground to make it feel like a place you had to step up into, not just walk through.

There were no decorations. No hanging lights. No wall panels or banners or names etched into wood.

Just four posts. A roof. And silence.

Everly slowed her steps first.

Her eyes drifted from the garden to the forest, then settled on the wooden structure.

"This is where we’re supposed to go?" she asked quietly.

Evelyn tapped the marker icon again, her vision flicking to the edge of her interface.

Room 47.

But there was no door.

The arrow on the map pointed directly at the pavilion.

"That’s not a room," Everly said, frowning slightly. "It’s a hut. In the middle of a field."

"And it’s not even connected to the building," Evelyn added, her voice calm but sharper now. "This doesn’t make sense."

Nyssara stepped forward, looking back and forth between them and the forest’s edge.

"They’re really going all in on the ’mysterious mentor’ setup."

Everly didn’t answer.

She was still staring at the tree line.

Something about it didn’t feel right.

She didn’t know why.

It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t even discomfort.

It was just a small alarm going off in the back of her mind, like a warning that hadn’t reached full volume yet.

"Something’s off," she muttered under her breath.

Evelyn was already glancing around, eyes scanning the treetops and undergrowth. Her posture had shifted slightly, subtle but deliberate.

"This doesn’t feel like a normal meeting spot."

Nyssara raised one eyebrow. "What? You think it’s a trap?"

"No," Evelyn said without missing a beat. "But it’s definitely not standard."

A breeze passed by them just then.

It wasn’t strong. Just enough to brush the edges of their uniforms and shift the tops of the flowers nearby.

But it carried something strange with it.

Not cold.

Not warm.

Just a presence.

The petals near them began to change color, responding not to the wind, but to the mana in the air.

Soft ripples moved through the garden.

Some flowers shifted from pale white to soft blues. Others changed into deep purples with glimmers of silver.

Near Evelyn, a cluster of icy-blue blossoms began to glow faintly as her mana brushed across them. A light shimmer of mist curled from their petals. Not frost—but close.

It was subtle.

But visible.

Nyssara tilted her head slightly. "They’re alive."

"They’re more than that," Evelyn said, stepping slowly toward them. They’re reacting to us; it’s like they’re linked to each other."

Nyssara crouched beside a patch of red-gold flowers. She didn’t touch them—just let her hand hover nearby and let a trickle of her energy drift out.

The petals shook slightly.

A low pulse of warmth rolled outward, spreading under the soil. Everly felt the temperature shift through the soles of her boots.

"Volcanic-type," she said under her breath.

"They seem to be suppressed," Evelyn added. "But barely."

Nyssara stood again. "I keep it contained. Most days. Doesn’t mean it’s gone."

They kept walking, slower now.

The garden opened wider in front of them, and though the colors were bright and the air carried a sweet, earthy smell, none of it felt relaxing.

The trees never moved.

But the shadows did.

Just a little deeper now.

Just a little thicker.

And then there was a sound.

Low.

Faint.

Like breath.

Not a growl. Not wind.

Just one soft, steady exhale from something big and hidden.

"Did you hear that?" Evelyn asked.

Everly nodded once. "Yeah. And it’s not natural wind."

Nyssara was already looking toward the forest. "Doesn’t feel like a beast either. No killing intent."

The three of them reached the pavilion steps.

Still no one in sight.

No system message. No official signal. No recorded mentor ID confirming arrival.

Just the quiet garden.

The unmoving trees.

And the sense that they were already being watched.

Nyssara stepped closer, eyes catching a dull shine at the edge of one of the stones.

She knelt and brushed away a few leaves.

"There’s a plaque here," she said. "Half-covered."

Evelyn turned to look. "What does it say?"

"Echo Gardens," Nyssara replied, standing slowly.

Her voice was quiet now.

"This is one of the old cultivation fields," she continued. "It’s from Astralis lore. Supposed to be a place where initiates were tested."

"Tested for what?" Everly asked.

"Compatibility," Nyssara answered. "It’s said that when three compatible energies align here, the Guardian wakes up."

Everly crossed her arms. "Do you believe that?"

Nyssara shrugged. "No idea. That’s just what I heard from an upperclassman. Could be an old story. Could be real."

Evelyn took another slow look around.

The symmetry of the garden.

The way the energy shifted depending on who moved.

"It’s not just here to look nice," she said.

Nyssara nodded once. "No. It’s definitely doing something."

Then the ground pulsed.

Not a quake.

Not violent.

Just a quiet thrum—like the space around them had taken a breath.

The flowers closest to the pavilion bloomed suddenly, one by one, in a ripple of red... violet... and then pure white.

The breeze returned.

A little stronger this time.

Enough to make the edges of their hair shift. Enough to carry the sound of something moving.

The forest stirred.

A branch creaked.

And then came the voice.