The dim cavern behind the waterfall pulsed with an eerie, ancient glow. Yun Lan stood frozen, the heavy stone wall having sealed shut behind her. She was alone now. The sound of cascading water was muffled, replaced by a deep hum—like a heartbeat echoing through stone.
She took a cautious step forward, boots pressing into moss-covered ground, and immediately felt the air thicken. The scent was earthy, ancient, and electric. Her fingers trailed along the jagged walls, and the deeper she walked, the more she felt it—the energy in her veins responding to something ahead. Her heartbeat matched the rhythm of the hum.
As she turned a corner in the narrow tunnel, Yun Lan gasped.
Before her stood a chamber unlike anything she had ever seen. At its center grew a massive tree, roots coiled into the walls and ceiling like veins of life itself. Its bark shimmered like silver threaded with emeralds. The leaves glowed faintly, each pulsating softly as if breathing. Carved into the stone around it were symbols she didn't recognize, but some—some felt familiar. As though she had seen them before in dreams.
She stepped closer.
The tree reacted.
Its leaves rustled though no wind blew, and its trunk glowed brighter. A low hum vibrated through the floor, moving into her bones. Her hand, instinctively, rose and reached out. The moment her fingers touched the bark, the world around her vanished.
Yun Lan fell into darkness.
And then—a vision.
A woman stood in the same chamber. Her long black hair shimmered like silk, her eyes deep pools of sorrow. She looked exactly like Yun Lan, yet older... wiser. She was coughing blood, leaning against the tree.
"You must find it before it consumes you," the woman said. Her voice echoed like wind through trees. "The poison is not merely death—it is a seal. The energy inside you... they lock it. They tried to bind it."
Yun Lan's breath caught. "Who are you?"
"I am who you were," the woman answered. "And what you must become. The nature bond within you has been broken for generations. But now... you are awakening."
With a rush, Yun Lan was thrust back into her body. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, panting. Sweat rolled down her temples. Her veins burned, and her fingertips glowed faintly green.
She stared at her hands, horrified and amazed. The flower had changed her—it wasn't just an antidote. It had been a catalyst.
Behind her, a soft chime echoed.
On the far wall of the chamber, nestled beneath the roots, something pulsed—a second flower. Its petals were midnight blue with veins of light. Yun Lan crawled closer. A warmth spread through her as she touched the delicate bloom. She instinctively knew: this was the second ingredient. The final key to purging the poison entirely. But... was she ready?
She carefully wrapped the flower in a protective cloth and placed it in her satchel. Her gaze returned to the tree. "What else are you hiding from me?"
But the tree remained silent.
Meanwhile, miles away, Leon descended the stairs of Yun Lan's cottage with a calm heart, expecting to see her waiting with tea or perhaps that stubborn little frown she wore when she was hiding something.
But the room was empty.
His brows drew together. "Yun Lan?" he called.
No answer.
He walked through the house, checked the garden, the backyard. Nothing. His heartbeat began to quicken.
He found Yun Lan's grandmother in the kitchen, sipping tea with a composed expression. Too composed.
"Where's Yun Lan?" he asked " She didn't come home for five hours"
The old woman smiled gently. "She have a lot of work today."
"But..?" Leon pressed. " Why didn't she let me come with her."
The old woman avoided his eyes. "She said she'd be back by nightfall. Don't worry."
Leon wasn't convinced.
As hours passed and darkness crept in, Leon paced the house like a lion in a cage. Something felt wrong—deeply wrong. He'd learned to trust his instincts, and right now, every fiber of his being screamed that Yun Lan was in danger. But no matter how much he interrogated the grandmother, she gave nothing away. Her silence was infuriating.
Leon stormed outside, his boots hitting the earth with determination. He searched the stables—one horse missing. No note. No explanation.
"Damn it, Yun Lan," he muttered. He took his own horse and rode into town, asking merchants, guards, even children if they'd seen her.
No one had.
It was like she had vanished.
He rode farther, into the fields, following faint hoofprints—until they ended at the forest's edge. The moon hung low above the trees, and Leon stared at the expanse before him. Somewhere beyond those trees, Yun Lan had gone.
But where?
And why?
Back in the chamber, Yun Lan sat beneath the tree. Her back pressed to its glowing bark, her heart still racing. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breath, but every time she inhaled, she felt that same powerful energy stirring inside her.
Was this the answer to her illness—or the start of something more dangerous?
She pulled her knees to her chest. The power had been sealed. The poison wasn't just a slow death—it was a cage.
"Grandmother will understand," she whispered. "Leon... he can't know yet."
Tears filled her eyes.
Not because she didn't trust him—but because if he knew what she was becoming, if he knew the weight she carried, the bond that tied her to the earth itself... he'd try to protect her. And in doing so, he might get hurt.
She wouldn't allow that.
Leon sat on the cliff's edge, his fists clenched. The cold night air bit at his skin. He looked down at the vast valley beneath, the rivers that twisted like veins.
"Where are you, Yun Lan..."
His voice cracked.
He stood and punched the nearby tree. Bark cracked beneath his knuckles. The pain was sharp and grounding.
"Why do you always do this? Why do you leave me alone ?" he whispered. "You're not going to leave me anymore because when I will find you I will lock you with me."
But the forest gave no answer.
Only silence.
Back in the cavern, Yun Lan laid her hand against the bark one last time. A whisper, soft and feminine, filled the space.
"Soon, child. Soon, the truth will demand to be known."
And Yun Lan, exhausted, leaned back and closed her eyes. The chamber held her like a cocoon. Safe for now. But not for long.
Outside, the stars moved slowly across the sky. And somewhere in the distance, two hearts beat in silent longing for one another, unaware of the storm that would soon bring them back together—or tear them apart.