The return to the base after these successive meetings was a shock. Moving from the absolute serenity of the Balancier cave to the cold reality of their HQ was like an icy shower. The air suddenly seemed heavy, loaded with the anguish of the modern world.
Do-hyun delicately placed the pacified seed on the central table. His regular, peaceful pulse contrasted sharply with the frenetic pace of their lives.
"Then let's summarize," Min-ho began, pragmatically as usual, though his gaze betrays a new tension. "We have the Guardian imposing rules, the Balancer imposing forces, and now this... Ligeia, a "curious" immemorial. Not to mention the "Dream Devourers" who want our annihilation."
Soo-ah shook his head, his features drawn. "We are pawns on a chessboard whose pieces we don't know. The Purple Dawn Clan was just the front line of a much larger battlefield."
Ji-eun, who had followed events via communications, looked at the Seed with round eyes. "And this thing... it must become a tree? A world tree? Like in the legends?"
"That's the vision I had," confirmed Do-hyun, his hand resting on the lukewarm crystal. "Not a weapon. A sanctuary. A source of life. But to do that, you have to plant it in the right place. Mount Bukhan. The heart of the mountain."
The search began immediately. Ji-eun delved into online archives, historical accounts, ancient topographic maps of Mount Bukhan. Min-ho set out to locate secret entrances, forgotten trails, areas closed to the public.
"The national park is vast," Ji-eun reported after a few hours. "But most of the trails are well-traced and monitored. If Ligeia speaks of the "heart" of the mountain, it must be a place inaccessible to hikers."
"There are caves," Min-ho added, scrolling through satellite imagery. "Many are closed to protect the ecosystem or because of instability. But here... "He zoomed in on a remote area, far from any path." ...geological readings show an important cave system. Not listed on tourist maps."
Meanwhile, Do-hyun remained in almost constant contact with the Seed. The synchronization deepened. He felt his needs, his aspirations. She was no longer an object, but a sleeping partner.
[SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE PHENIX GRAIN: 45%]
[BENEFIT: Increased sensitivity to natural energy flows.]
[TIP: REGULAR MEDITATION TO DEEPLY THE CONNECTION.]
It was during one of these meditations, two days later, that the Seed sent him a clear image. A granite cliff, streaked with quartz veins that twinkled in the light of the moon. At its base, a narrow opening, almost hidden by wild rhododendrons. A sense of deep peace, of unchanging antiquity emanated from this place.
"I found him," Do-hyun announced, opening his eyes. "I know where to go."
Preparations were quick. Climbing equipment, headlamps, food supplies for several days. They didn't know how long it would take.
"I should come," Ji-eun insisted as they equipped.
"No," Do-hyun cut off, firmer than he would have liked. "It's too dangerous. The "devourers" are lurking. Kwan is still at large. Stay here, where you are safe. You are our eyes and our ears."
She wanted to protest, but understood the logic. His role had changed, but it was no less important.
The journey to Mount Bukhan was at night. They left the car in a secluded forest path and set out to climb on foot, guided by the internal feel of Do-hyun. The forest was silent, almost too silent. No birdsong, no animal rustling. As if nature itself was holding its breath.
They walked for hours, quickly leaving the marked trails to sink into a dense, dark wilderness. The vegetation was getting older, the trees were getting bigger. The air was cooler, loaded with ozone and the moist smell of soil and foam.
And then they saw her. The granite cliff, just like in Do-hyun's vision. The quartz veins shone faintly, as if imbued with lunar light. And there, at its base, the narrow opening, a black mouth in the stone.
[ENERGY ANALYSIS: CONFIRMATION.]
[COMPATATIABILITY WITH THE GRAIN: 99%.]
[Presences detected: none.] But... Old residents. Very old.
"The "Devorers"?" asked Soo-ah in a low voice, his spear in his hand.
"No," said Do-hyun, his senses on alert. Like... a forgotten signature."
They entered the narrow passage, which quickly widened to a huge cavern. The vault rose tens of meters high, invisible in the dark. But it wasn't black that reigned here.
Thousands of natural crystals, embedded in the walls and floor, emitted a faint bluish glow, illuminating the cave with a ghostly and peaceful light. In the center, a small, perfectly clear lake of water reflected this glow, and in the middle of the lake, a flat stone island, no bigger than a table, emerged.
The air vibrated with pure, wild energy, unchanged for millennia. That was the place. The Land of the Zenith.
"It's... beautiful," said Soo-ah, unable to hide his emotion.
Even Min-ho seemed impressed, his professional gaze sweeping the cave with rare admiration.
Do-hyun approached the lake's edge. The water was so clear that he could see the bottom, dotted with smooth, white pebbles. He didn't need guidance this time. He knew what he had to do.
He entered the water. It was cold, but invigoratingly cold, not hostile. He crossed the lake, the water reaching his waist, and climbed the stone islet.
In the center of the island, a small natural depression, like a hollow formed to accommodate something.
He took the Seed out of the Phoenix. She was pulsating louder now, excited, recognizing her home.
"Okay," he whispered. "It's here."
He delicately placed the crystal in the hollow of the stone.
In contact with the rock, the seed came alive. The crystal didn't melt this time. Rather, it seemed to take root, as if filaments of golden and silver energy were plunging into the stone, running through it to tap into the very heart of the mountain.
The flame inside grew, rising above the crystal to form a small shoot of light, identical to the one they had seen on the bridge, but more robust, more alive.
[Successful planting: tree of balance.]
[Rooting in the heart of the mountain.]
[STATUS: INSITED GROWTH.]
[Growth: 5%.]
[Estimated duration for maturity: UNKNOWN.]
It was done. The Phoenix was planted.
But as immense relief flooded Do-hyun, a voice he knew all too well resounded in the cave, coming from the entrance.
Touching. Really."
Kwan stood there, in the embrasure, his impeccable black suit contrasting absurdly with the wild scenery. He wasn't alone. Behind him, a dozen vampires, but also... three other figures.
These figures were not vampires. They were dressed in dark, simple robes, their faces hidden by hoods. They emitted no aura, but their mere presence made the crystals flicker, as if they absorbed the reality around them.
Dream devourers.
Ligeia had not deceived them. They had come.
And they didn't just look "curious."