Chapter 4 — The Prophecy Awakens

Arden

The Heartwood Glade opened before Arden like a secret unfolding. The faint hum she’d felt earlier had grown into a song—deep, resonant, and thrumming through her chest like the steady beat of a drum. It settled into her bones, guiding her steps toward the crystalline spring at the glade’s center. Behind her, Lyric followed—his steps hesitant, his amber eyes darting between her and their surroundings, as though the forest might shift at any moment.