Chapter 19: The Bloodroot Pact
The wind howled through the forest as Elric stumbled away from the Tree of Echoes, sweat clinging to his skin despite the chill. The vision still throbbed behind his eyes—the battlefield, the gold in his gaze, the blood that wasn't his but felt like it.
By the time he returned to the clinic, dawn was smearing the sky in pale pinks and bruised purples. Lira met him at the door, arms crossed and worry etched deep into her brow.
"You were gone all night."
"I had to go back," Elric said, brushing past her. "Cai's condition—he's not sick. He's awakening."
Lira followed close behind. "Awakening into what?"
Elric didn't answer right away. He knelt beside Cai's bed, checking his pulse, his breathing. The boy was still fevered, but his expression had softened—like whatever he was seeing in his dreams was starting to make sense.
Finally, Elric stood and spoke, more to himself than to her.
"There's something buried in our blood. Not magic, not science. Something older. Something the council feared enough to cover up with superstition."
Lira stiffened. "You mean... the council knew?"
"They didn't just know," Elric said. "They created it."
---