At first, there was nothing.No sound. No air. Just a heavy stillness, like the world had forgotten to breathe.
Aerin opened her eyes to darkness — not the kind that came with night, but the kind that came after light had burned too bright. The ground beneath her was soft and cold, covered in a layer of ash-like dust that shimmered faintly in the dim glow of the dying heart.
Her body ached. Every movement sent pain through her limbs, but she pushed herself up anyway, gasping for air.
"Lior…"
Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, but it echoed strangely — as if the cavern itself was listening.
The crystal heart still hung in the air, but it was cracked wide open now. Its light flickered weakly, fragments of gold energy drifting like falling embers. The air smelled of rain and smoke.
Aerin looked around desperately — until she saw him.
Lior lay a few meters away, motionless, his wings splayed across the stone floor. The once radiant feathers were dim, some streaked with ash.
"Lior!" She stumbled toward him, her hands shaking as she turned him onto his side. His face was pale, but warm.
"Come on, please," she whispered, pressing her hand to his chest. There — faint, but steady. A heartbeat.
She let out a trembling sigh. Relief and fear tangled together inside her.
Then came a sound — soft, like a whisper woven into the air."You can't save what's already gone."
Aerin froze. Slowly, she turned her head.
The remnant stood on the far side of the cavern — or what was left of it. Its once-solid form now flickered, fading in and out like a shadow losing its shape. Cracks of light ran through its body, glowing from within.
"You shouldn't be here," Aerin said, rising to her feet. Her voice was steadier now, though her legs trembled.
The remnant tilted its head, studying her. "Neither should you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You gave yourself to the heart," it said, voice low, almost sorrowful. "When you reached out to me, you didn't save the forest — you bound yourself to it again. You're not mortal anymore."
The words hit her harder than she expected. "That's not true."
"Isn't it?" The remnant stepped closer, and as it did, the ground beneath her feet pulsed with light — the same gold veins that had once flowed through the heart now pulsing under her skin. Her veins glowed faintly through her hands, shimmering like threads of dawn.
Aerin staggered back, horrified. "What did you do to me?"
"I didn't do anything," the remnant said softly. "You chose this."
The truth in those words made her chest tighten. She remembered the last moment before the explosion — reaching out, choosing connection over fear. She'd thought it was salvation, but maybe it was something else entirely.
She looked toward Lior again. His breathing was shallow, but he was still unconscious.
"You wanted to destroy me," she said quietly. "So why are you still here?"
The remnant's gaze softened. "Because you reached for me," it whispered. "And now… we're both trapped in what's left."
Before Aerin could answer, the cavern trembled. The remaining shards of the crystal heart began to drift upward, swirling together in a slow, spiraling motion. The heartbeat — faint, distant — started again.
Lior stirred. His eyes fluttered open, silver meeting gold. "Aerin…"
She turned immediately, kneeling beside him. "You're alive."
He smiled weakly. "Barely." His gaze flicked past her — and froze. "The remnant."
"I know," she said. "It's… different now."
The shadow didn't move. It seemed smaller somehow, its edges blurring with the air. "The heart won't hold much longer," it said. "If it collapses completely, the forest dies — and everything tied to it will fade."
Lior pushed himself up, wincing. "We can stabilize it. We just need time."
The remnant shook its head. "There is no time. The forest remembers what was lost — but memory cannot live without form."
Aerin's eyes widened. "Then what do we do?"
The remnant looked at her, and for the first time, there was no malice in its gaze — only grief. "You must choose what remains."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Lior frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," the remnant whispered, "that only one of you can stay bound to the heart. One life. One soul. That is the cost of balance."
Aerin's breath caught. "No…"
"The heart needs an anchor," it continued. "You were once its keeper, but your love for him divided it. Now it needs to be made whole — through sacrifice."
Lior's hand closed around hers. "No. We'll find another way."
"There is no other way," the remnant said. "There never was."
The silence that followed was unbearable. Aerin's thoughts raced — the forest, the light, the thousands of voices that whispered in her dreams. And Lior — the boy, the guardian, the love that had doomed and saved her all at once.
She swallowed hard. "If one of us must stay… then it's me."
Lior turned to her sharply. "No."
"It's my fault this started," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I caused the heart to break — I have to be the one to mend it."
Lior's eyes burned with quiet fury. "You're not doing this alone again."
Before she could answer, the remnant stepped forward — closer now, its body almost transparent. "You don't have to. There is another path… but it's one you both must walk."
Aerin blinked. "What do you mean?"
The remnant smiled faintly. "The forest doesn't ask for death. It asks for truth. If you both surrender the part of yourselves that clings to the past — the regret, the guilt, the fear — it will accept you both. But if even one of you hesitates…"
Lior's hand tightened around hers. "We won't."
The remnant's smile softened. "Then maybe this time, the forest will remember love — not loss."
It stepped back, its body dissolving into golden mist. The fragments of its form rose, drifting upward until they merged with the cracks of the heart. The light swelled, spreading warmth through the chamber.
Aerin felt it too — not pain this time, but peace. The pulse of the heart matched her own, steady and calm.
She looked at Lior. His expression was a mix of exhaustion and wonder. "What now?"
"We finish what we started," she whispered.
They walked together to the center of the chamber, standing beneath the fractured crystal. It hovered above them like a dying star, trembling with light.
Aerin took a deep breath. She could feel the forest inside her — every leaf, every root, every heartbeat of the earth.
Lior reached out his hand. "Together?"
She nodded, placing hers in his.
They closed their eyes.
The light surged, blinding and beautiful. The cracks began to heal, golden threads weaving through the crystal like veins of fire. The whispers returned — but this time, they were gentle, grateful.
"We remember."
When the light finally faded, the cavern was silent again. The crystal shone steady, whole once more.
Aerin stood, her body trembling but alive. She looked around — the remnant was gone. The weight in her chest was lighter, the ache replaced by something else: balance.
Lior smiled faintly. "You did it."
She shook her head. "We did."
He reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek. "The forest will live again."
"Yes," she said softly, looking up at the glowing heart. "And maybe… so will we."