Kaveri stumbled as Arjun pulled her away from the crumbling chasm, her legs shaky from the narrow escape.
The mist clung to her skin, cold and damp, seeping into the fabric of her tribal dress as the forest's silence pressed down like a suffocating blanket.
Her green aura flickered, a faint shimmer against the fading daylight filtering through the thinning canopy, her grazed leg throbbing with a dull ache.
Arjun's hand remained firm in hers, his warmth a lifeline amid the chaos they'd barely survived, his calloused fingers steadying her trembling form.
We survived, but for how long can we hold on?
He led her deeper into the grove, the circle of stones vanishing behind them, replaced by sparser trees whose branches drooped like weary arms.
The air grew thick with the scent of decay, the once-vibrant blossoms now wilted and brown, their petals scattered like forgotten memories across the mossy ground.
Kaveri's heart sank, the whisper in her ear growing fainter, a mournful tune that tugged at her soul with every note.
Arjun paused, his bow slung over his shoulder, the wood gleaming faintly in the dim light, his chiseled face etched with concern that softened his rugged features.
"We need to find shelter," he said, his voice low and resonant, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger.
She nodded, her breath hitching as she noticed a wilted sapling ahead, its leaves curling inward as if surrendering to an unseen force.
Is this what the grove feels like inside—hopeless and broken?
They approached cautiously, the ground crunching beneath their feet with the sound of brittle twigs and fallen leaves.
Kaveri knelt beside the sapling, her fingers brushing its brittle bark, feeling the faint pulse of life beneath her touch.
Tears welled in her eyes, mirroring the sapling's decay, a reflection of the grove's fading spirit that echoed her own despair.
The green aura flared in her hands, a desperate attempt to heal, its light casting a soft glow across the cracked earth.
"Please, don't leave me," she whispered, her voice breaking, the whisper in her ear echoing her plea with a haunting harmony.
Arjun knelt beside her, his cloak brushing her arm, the woven fibers warm against her chilled skin, his presence a quiet strength in the stillness.
His hand rested on her shoulder, his heartbeat syncing with hers through the contact, a rhythm that steadied her trembling frame.
He's my strength, my anchor in this fading world, she thought, leaning into his touch with a sigh.
"I feel it too," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"This place is dying, and it's breaking my heart to see it slip away."
Kaveri turned to him, her tears spilling over, tracing paths down her cheeks, and he wiped one away with a gentle thumb, his touch tender yet firm.
Their eyes locked, a shared sorrow binding them closer, the whisper humming its approval like a soft breeze through the trees.
But a vision flashed—blood staining the roots, a woman's scream piercing the air, a love lost to a shadowed blade.
Whose life will the forest claim next—mine, his, or both?
She gasped, pulling back, her aura pulsing with the memory's intensity, her hands shaking.
Arjun steadied her, his grip firm, his concern deepening the lines on his face.
"What did you see?" he asked, his brow furrowing, the scar on his cheek standing out against his paling skin.
"Blood… and a cry," she stammered, her voice trembling with the weight of the vision.
"Like the past is warning us of what's to come."
His face darkened, the memory of his family's loss flickering in his eyes.
"My family's blood was here once," he said, his voice low and heavy.
"Maybe it's tied to this decay, a curse we can't escape."
The whisper grew urgent, guiding her hands back to the sapling, its faint melody a call to action.
Kaveri focused, her aura flowing into the plant, its leaves trembling slightly as if responding to her light.
Arjun watched, his hand still on her, his breath warm against her ear, a silent support.
"You're its hope," he murmured, his charm wrapping around her like a shield, his words a balm to her frayed nerves.
The sapling's leaves unfurled a fraction, a fragile sign of life, and Kaveri sobbed with relief, her tears falling onto the bark.
But the ground rumbled, a low growl from beneath, shattering the fragile peace with a jolt that shook the earth.
Arjun stood, drawing his bow, the string creaking as he nocked an arrow, his body tensing with readiness.
"Something's coming," he warned, his eyes narrowing, scanning the mist that thickened around them.
The air grew colder, and a figure emerged—the shaman, his cloak billowing like a storm cloud, his sneer cold and unyielding.
"Your light won't save it," he taunted, raising a hand, dark energy crackling like lightning along his fingers.
Vines shot from the ground, thinner but faster, their tips barbed, aiming for Kaveri's aura with malicious intent.
She dodged, her heart racing, the sapling wilting again under the shaman's power, its leaves curling tighter.
Arjun loosed an arrow, the twang sharp and precise, but the shaman deflected it with a wave, the projectile splintering against an invisible barrier.
"Fight me, and the grove dies faster," the shaman hissed, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light, his charm a twisted mockery of Arjun's.
Kaveri's aura flared, burning the vines that grazed her arms, but her energy waned, the vision of blood haunting her mind.
Can I save it without losing myself to this past?
Arjun pulled her behind him, his charm fierce, his stance protective.
"We won't let you win," he growled, nocking another arrow, his muscles coiled with determination.
The shaman laughed, the sound chilling, and the ground split, a crack racing toward the sapling with a thunderous roar.
Kaveri lunged, her hands glowing, pouring her aura into the earth in a desperate bid to protect it.
The crack slowed, the earth groaning, but the sapling trembled, its life hanging by a thread, its leaves browning at the edges.
Arjun joined her, his hand on hers, their auras merging in a brilliant flash that illuminated the clearing.
The shaman staggered, his charm faltering, his face twisting with rage, but he raised both hands, dark tendrils surging from the chasm.
The whisper screamed, a plea for help, and Kaveri's vision blurred—blood pooling around a fallen warrior, a woman's cry, a love betrayed by shadow.
Is this my fate too, to watch love turn to ruin?
The tendrils struck, grazing her arm with a burning touch, and she cried out, her aura dimming as pain seared through her.
Arjun caught her, his strength holding her up, his voice a lifeline cutting through the agony.
"Stay with me, Kaveri," he said, his eyes fierce with determination, his hand brushing her cheek.
The shaman advanced, the chasm widening, its dark maw threatening to swallow the sapling whole.
Kaveri pushed back, her aura flaring again, but the strain weakened her, her knees buckling.
Arjun lifted her, cradling her against his chest, his heartbeat a steady drum.
"We'll save it together," he whispered, his voice a promise against the shaman's laughter.
The tendrils lashed out, one wrapping around the sapling, and Kaveri reached for it, her light clashing with the dark.
A burst of energy erupted, the ground shaking, and the shaman recoiled, his charm cracking under the force.
But the sapling's leaves fell, one by one, and the whisper faded to a sigh.
Have I failed it?
Arjun set her down, his bow ready, his eyes locked on the shaman.
"We're not done yet," he said, his voice steel.
The shaman raised his hands again, the chasm rumbling, and a root lashed out, aiming for Kaveri's heart…