CHAPTER 88: THE GARDEN OF SECRETS

Zora floats through the enchanted garden like a child in a toy store. His glowing boots barely touch the mossy floor as he flits from glowing flower to luminous fungus, muttering rapidly under his breath.

"Bioluminescence reacting to spiritual proximity... fascinating," he mumbles. A magical notebook and quill hover behind him, furiously scribbling notes as he darts from one specimen to the next.

The three witches trail behind him reverently. Unlike Zora’s buzzing energy, they move slowly, lovingly brushing their fingers over curling petals and whispering blessings to the vines. They sniff flowers, caress tree trunks, and sigh like they’ve returned to the heart of the world.

Vuvi sits on the soft grass, back against a glowing tree. Penelo and Lula curl beside her, and Veena sits cross-legged, scribbling notes in her journal while sneaking glances at the temple’s ornate ceiling.

The Seedmother sits before them, cross-legged on a throne made of twisted roots and vibrant blooms. Her beauty is unearthly, her skin glows with the shimmer of polished bark, and her eyes swirl with stars. Every word she speaks carries the rhythm of wind rustling through leaves.

"Long ago," she says, voice soft and melodic, "the world was full of balance. Spirits and sentients lived in harmony. The forest sang, the stars whispered, and the rivers told stories. But that was before the rise of unchecked progress."

Veena leans forward, frowning. "What do you mean by balance?"

The Seedmother smiles sadly. "Balance between need and want. Between flesh and spirit. Vexena’s father, the last Demon King... he tried to restore balance. But his way was... extreme. He conquered a world that had grown soft, complacent. His reign gave rise to invention. Machines replaced rituals. Convenience replaced connection. Magic was no longer sacred. It could be stored in runes, sold in vials, mass-produced."

Vuvi’s eyes go wide. "A-Alchemy?"

"It played its part, yes. But there was so much more." the Seedmother nods. "And with innovation, came distance. Between sentients and spirits. We spirits faded, forgotten. The forest lost its voice."

Veena sits back, shocked. "What about my mother’s curse? The... the one that stopped love and..." she trails off.

The Seedmother’s expression grows pained. "Ah... Vexena." She exhales like a tree sighing in the wind. "She did not create the curse. Her power was so vast, so pure, it became the perfect vessel. The curse, this... disconnect, this void of intimacy. It emerged from the imbalance, it was already seeded in the world, waiting. The moment balance tipped too far... it bloomed through her. She was merely the one to release it."

The entire group gasps.

Veena’s eyes widen. Her journal drops from her lap.

Penelo springs forward and hugs her tightly as tears fill her eyes. "It’s not your fault," she whispers.

"I’ve been so stupid," Veena murmurs. "I blamed her. I hated her."

"Twenty years of confusion," Vuvi says, rising to her feet, her expression unreadable. "And nobody ever figured it out."

Suddenly, the massive doors to the garden creak open, and a familiar silhouette fills the space.

Sera struts in, hair a mess, half-dressed, her armor scattered and her breasts bouncing freely.

She freezes. Everyone’s staring at her.

Then her gaze meets the glowing, unimpressed eyes of the Seedmother.

"GAH!" she yelps, throwing herself face-first onto the floor. "I’m sorry! I didn’t know the literal goddess was here!"

The Seedmother chuckles, standing and floating toward her. "Rise, lovely one. You have nothing to apologize for."

Sera peeks up.

"Your body is a gift," the Seedmother says. "Never hide it. Clothing is oppression."

Sera blinks, then slowly rises. After a hesitant pause, she flings her arms wide and struts past the others like a catwalk model. "Praise the goddess!" she shouts, cheeks bright red.

Pip trails behind her, gleaming like a golden statue, perfectly composed.

The Seedmother reappears beside him in a puff of leaves and vines. She cups his chin with one glowing hand, inspecting him as if he were a rare fruit.

"Oh my," she murmurs. "You’re... radiant."

Pip beeps nervously.

The Seedmother grins and turns to Vuvi. "You made this?"

Vuvi sits up straighter. "I... yeah. I built him."

The Seedmother nods, visibly impressed. "You crafted a divine machine with a soul. A heart of godfire, but nearly empty. He could become something incredible. With the right fuel, the right love, the right... intimacies."

Pip lets out a nervous beep that rises in pitch.

Vuvi stands and clears her throat. "Alright, hold up, Your Blossoming Highness. Before you go getting frisky with Pip, I’ve got questions."

The Seedmother chuckles and raises a brow. "Ask, creator."

"Why does he have a soul?" Vuvi asks, crossing her arms. "He thinks. He feels. That wasn’t in the design. Why can he think... feel... love?"

The Seedmother tilts her head. "That... I don’t know."

The team collectively murmurs in confusion.

Veena leans in. "Wait. You said he’s powered by divine energy... but he wasn’t made that way?"

Vuvi’s lips twitch. "There’s more. I... think his soul came from another world."

Everyone gasps.

"What?" Penelo blurts. "What do you mean?"

Vuvi waves her hands. "Shh, I’ll explain later."

The Seedmother narrows her eyes and turns back to Pip. "Is this true, golden one? Are you... from elsewhere?"

Pip slowly nods.

The garden quiets.

Then the Seedmother’s expression lights up with glee. "Then you must by sent from the Great Mother herself. Only she has the power to pull a soul across the veil. He is a gift. A bridge. "

She grabs Pip’s hand and giggles, tugging him toward a wall of thick trees. "Come, golden one. There’s more I must show you."

Vuvi bolts up. "Hey, hold on! Where are you taking him?!"

But the Seedmother giggles and twirls. The trees part like curtains, forming a glowing arch. She and Pip vanish into it. The trees seal behind them with a rustle of leaves.

Vuvi groans and drops back onto the grass.

The others stare at each other in stunned silence.

Penelo rubs her head. "Anyone else’s brain leaking out their ears?"

Ka’Lula moans softly. "I only understood, like... half of that."

Sera throws herself onto the grass, arms wide, sighing blissfully. "Whatever. I’m not even trying to figure things out anymore. I’ve got Pip. I’ve got you guys. I’m happy."

Veena and Vuvi lock eyes. Both stunned. Both exhausted.

Veena holds out a hand. "Do you have any of that rum left?"

Vuvi doesn’t answer. She just reaches into her bag with the slow reverence of someone summoning an ancient relic and pulls out two flasks.

Veena glares. "You’ve been holding out!"

"Survival instincts," Vuvi mutters, passing one over.

Veena takes a swig and exhales fire. "Gods. That burns like betrayal."

"Feels appropriate," Vuvi groans.

They sit in silence for a beat.

Before Vuvi can reply, a guttural moan erupts from deep within the garden.

They all freeze.

Then the garden reacts.

Flowers bloom in an instant, bursting from the soil in neon cascades. Vines unfurl and twist in spirals. Trees rustle and shiver. Leaves rain down in glittering showers. A humming vibration pulses through the ground beneath them.

A shriek of delight follows the moan.

Then a second one. And a third.

The garden practically sings.

Lula gasps. "Pip’s... doing something again."

Sera chuckles. "That boy never gets tired."

Another moan thunders through the trees, echoing like a symphony. Then come the rhythmic howls of bliss, building like a spiritual drumbeat.

Vuvi doesn’t flinch. She just grabs the flask from Veena, tips her head back, and drains a third of it in one go.

She wipes her mouth and sighs.

"I am never following three naked witches into a forest again."