The Grove of Dawn was dying. That much was clear the moment they entered. Trees that should have been vibrant and alive were withered, their leaves brown and crumbling. The air smelled of rot and decay.
In the center of the grove stood the Ancient Oak, a tree so massive it defied belief. Its trunk was wider than a house, its branches reaching up into the clouds. And wrapped around it, like parasitic vines, were tendrils of living shadow.
"That's my mother," Leaf-Song whispered. "Please save her."
Akira studied the situation tactically. The shadow tendrils pulsed with dark energy. Cutting them might hurt the tree. But leaving them would definitely kill it.
"Ideas?" he asked Kaori.
She was staring at the marks on their hands, thinking. "The Oracle said we're stronger together. My daggers are shadow magic. Your sword is light magic. What if we combine them?"
"How?"
"I don't know. But when we touched earlier, our powers resonated. Maybe if we—"
She reached out and took his free hand. Immediately, the marks blazed with light. Energy flowed between them, warm and electric and powerful.
"Focus on the tree," Kaori said, her voice strained. "Imagine your light burning away the shadows."
Akira did as she said, and to his amazement, his sword began to glow brighter, the light growing until it was almost blinding. But it didn't hurt to look at. Instead, it felt... warm. Safe.
Kaori's daggers began to glow too, but with shadow instead of light. Darkness that didn't feel evil or cold, but protective, like a blanket on a winter night.
Together, they approached the Ancient Oak. When their weapons touched the shadow tendrils, something incredible happened. The light and shadow merged, becoming something new—twilight energy, purple and gold and beautiful. It flowed over the tendrils, and they screamed, a sound like tearing metal.
The shadows writhed and fought, but the twilight energy consumed them, purifying them, turning them back into ordinary darkness that faded harmlessly away.
When the last tendril dissolved, the Ancient Oak shuddered. Green spread through its branches like a wave. Leaves unfurled. Flowers bloomed. And a face appeared in the bark—ancient, wise, and kind.
"Thank you, champions," the tree said in a voice like centuries of wind. "You have saved not just me, but the entire grove. The Shadow-Touched would have spread from here across the forest."
Leaf-Song ran to her mother, pressing her small hands against the bark. The tree's branches lowered to embrace her gently.
"How can we repay you?" the Ancient Oak asked.
"Information," Akira said. "We're heading to the Crystal Sanctum. What can you tell us about the journey?"
The tree was silent for a long moment. Then: "The path is treacherous. The Void Emperor knows of you now. He will send his generals to stop you. But you have something he does not understand—your bond. Nurture it. Trust it. It is your greatest strength."
The Ancient Oak's branches rustled, and two objects fell at their feet—a compass that always pointed north and a map made of living leaves that showed the path to the Sanctum, complete with warnings about dangerous areas.
"These will guide you. And take this as well."
A seed, glowing with soft green light, appeared. "Plant this when you face your darkest moment. It will help."
They thanked the Ancient Oak and prepared to leave. Leaf-Song hugged them both.
"You're heroes," she said. "True heroes. May the forest bless you."
As they walked away, Kaori was quiet.
"You okay?" Akira asked.
"That was incredible," she said softly. "Did you feel it? Our powers together?"
"Yeah. It was like... like we were one person."
"Is that what being Bound Souls means? Becoming one?"
Akira thought about it. "Maybe not becoming one. But becoming... complete."
Kaori looked at him, and something shifted in her eyes. "Akira, I—"
A howl split the air—long, mournful, and filled with malice. Then another. And another.
"Shadow wolves," Akira said, drawing his sword. "A lot of them."
From the forest emerged dozens of the creatures, their eyes burning red in the growing darkness. But these were larger than the ones they'd fought before, and at their head was something worse—a shadow demon, ten feet tall, with horns and wings and a mouth full of too many teeth.
"Ah," the demon said in a voice like grinding stone. "The Bound Souls. The Master will be pleased when I bring him your heads."
"You'll have to catch us first," Kaori shot back, twirling her daggers.
The demon laughed. "Oh, I will do more than catch you, little thief. I will make you scream."
"Bold words," Akira said, his sword already glowing with power. "Let's see if you can back them up."
The demon roared, and the wolves attacked.