Overflowing Sadness

The Rhys Royal Family's army pulled back under their new emperor, Alistair's command, leaving the Neil Clan with the clean-up.

Yet, when the Neil Clan members re-entered the forests that had protected them so well, they realized that they could not find a single body.

Either it was because the enemy had taken the bodies with them, or because the forest had swallowed them up, they didn't know, but it gave the clan members the chills.

They hadn't realised just how lethal the forest that surrounded them was.

They were quite lucky that the forest worked with them and not against them instead.

Of course, what they didn't know was that this was all only possible because of Alec's handywork.

There were so many of his Awakened in The Great Expanse that over the years, the trees themselves started developing the ability to form new connections on their own, spreading out on their own initiative.