Elandria did not blink.
She watched Elara the way storms watched mountains—quiet, patient, ready to break them.
"You want to change the past," Elandria said. "Do you understand what that means?"
Her voice was calm.
But the air around her tightened.
"The threads of time are fragile," she continued. "Pull one too hard, and everything unravels."
Elara lifted her chin. "And if we do nothing?"
Silence.
Then Elara spoke again, softer—but sharper.
"Then Havenwood dies. Yours and mine. The King rises. And you—" her voice cracked, "—you are used as his vessel."
Elandria's eyes flickered.
Pain flashed there. Old pain. Buried deep.
"You speak boldly for a child of another age," she said.
"I'm not a child," Elara replied. "I'm the result of your sacrifice."
That landed.
Elandria looked away.
"For meddling with time," she said quietly, "there is a price. Your existence may fracture. Your memories may fade."
Her gaze shifted.
And stopped on Kaelen.
"And your love," Elandria added, deliberate. "May never exist."
Kaelen moved without thinking.
His hand closed around Elara's.
Warm. Solid.
A silent I'm here.
"We know," he said. His voice was steady, but his thumb brushed her knuckle once—slow, grounding. "But the future you protect no longer survives."
Elara felt that touch all the way in her chest.
If time breaks, I want this moment to stay.
Elandria studied them together now.
Not as threats.
But as a pair.
"Your bond is dangerous," she said. "Powerful things always are."
She turned back to Elara. "Your blood sings to the Echo Stone. That much is true. The Thorne line was never weak."
Her eyes darkened.
"But the corruption you speak of did not begin with power."
"Then where?" Elara asked.
Elandria exhaled slowly.
"With fear."
The grove seemed to lean closer.
"The King does not conquer with force," Elandria said. "He whispers. He promises. He feeds on doubt."
She gestured to the stones around them.
"Long ago, some among our court feared the Echo Stone. Feared its bond with mortals."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "They wanted control."
"They wanted safety," Elandria corrected sharply. "And convinced themselves the two were the same."
Oberon stepped forward, his voice unusually grave. "It was not one traitor."
Elandria nodded.
"It was a faction," she said. "Elders. Leaders. Those sworn to protect Havenwood."
Lyra scoffed. "Let me guess. They panicked."
"They chose sealing over destruction," Elandria said. "When the Dark Echo was revealed, they feared destroying it would tear the world apart."
Elara clenched her fists. "So they trapped it."
"Yes," Elandria said. "And in doing so, they gave it time."
Time to learn.
Time to seep.
Time to wait.
Just like now.
"And that choice," Elara said, voice tight, "destroyed my future."
Elandria looked at her.
"And it may destroy yours before it is even written."
She turned toward the forest path leading deeper into the sacred grove.
"The intact Echo Stone lies ahead," she said. "It responds only to truth."
Her gaze sharpened.
"But know this—"
She paused.
"The King listens where love walks."
Elara felt Kaelen's hand tighten.
"My love?" Elara whispered.
Elandria looked at them both.
"A Thorne and a Vane," she said. "Bound not by blood, but choice."
Her voice lowered.
"That bond repels the King. Strengthens the Stone."
Hope flared in Elara's chest.
Then—
"It is also what others will try to break."
The wind shifted.
Somewhere deeper in the grove, a branch snapped.
Elandria's eyes hardened.
"Not all who walk with us intend to reach the Stone."
The locket around Elara's neck pulsed—once.
Twice.
Then went cold.
Kaelen looked up sharply. "Elara?"
She swallowed.
Something just noticed us.
Elandria stepped back.
"At dawn," she said, "we enter the heart of the grove."
Her gaze swept the shadows between the trees.
"Pray," she added softly, "that betrayal does not reach it first."
The forest held its breath.
And somewhere unseen—
Something smiled.
"The King's true weakness," Elandria said softly, "is not steel. Not spells."
Her voice dropped.
"It is love."
The word echoed through the grove.
"Pure. Unconditional," she continued. "Especially between a Thorne and a Vane. Such a bond repels his influence. Strengthens the Echo Stone."
Her gaze sharpened.
"That is why the council feared it."
Elara turned to Kaelen.
His face was unreadable, but his hand never left hers.
We're not forbidden because we're wrong. We're forbidden because we're powerful.
"Then we don't hide it," Elara said. Her voice steadied. "We use it."
Elandria watched her closely.
"You would wield love as a weapon," she said.
"I already do," Elara replied.
A faint smile touched Elandria's lips.
Then it faded.
"But power always demands payment," she warned. "Your future may fracture. Your memories may change."
Elara didn't hesitate.
She looked at Kaelen.
At the way his eyes softened only for her.
"At him," she said simply. "Yes."
The grove stirred.
Leaves trembled without wind.
"That is enough," Elandria said. "The ritual begins now."
They stepped into the heart of the grove.
The intact Echo Stone hovered above the stone altar—whole, radiant, singing with harmony.
Elara felt tears sting her eyes.
This is what Havenwood was meant to be.
Elandria raised her hands. Ancient symbols lit the ground.
"Blood of Thorne," she intoned. "Stand true."
Elara stepped forward.
The moment her foot crossed the circle—
Pain sliced through Kaelen's head.
He staggered.
"Elara—"
His grip loosened.
She doesn't need you.
The voice was not loud.
It was gentle.
Familiar.
She's the chosen one. You're just a weakness she carries.
Kaelen clenched his teeth.
Not real.
She will leave you behind. Just like everyone else.
His chest tightened.
Visions flooded him.
Elara standing alone. Strong. Whole.
Him—gone.
Forgotten.
"Kaelen!" Elara turned sharply.
He was on one knee.
The ritual circle flickered.
"Do not break focus!" Elandria snapped.
But Elara was already moving.
Kaelen looked up.
Their eyes met.
If I step back… the Stone weakens.
The whisper grew warmer.
Let her choose the world over you.
"No," Kaelen rasped. "Don't—"
Elara hesitated.
One step toward him.
The Echo Stone dimmed.
The grove groaned.
Another step—
The King's laughter slid through the roots.
Elandria's voice rang sharp. "Elara! The Stone or him!"
Time froze.
Kaelen's breath came shallow.
"Save Havenwood," he whispered. "I'll—"
Elara's heart shattered.
I've lost you once in another time. I won't do it again.
She reached for him.
The Echo Stone cracked.
Light screamed.
Shadow poured out.
And somewhere deep within the grove—
Someone smiled.
The ritual broke.
The King had touched them again.