Chapter 1273

Zoey knelt, eyes closed, humming faintly under her breath. Only a week ago, Zoey would've had a blade drawn, posture tense, eyes sharp. Now, she looked at peace. Too much peace.

Jude took a step back.

Rose smiled, not cruelly, but tenderly. "You're afraid. You don't have to be."

"What is this?" he asked, voice low and hoarse. "What are you becoming?"

Rose tilted her head. "Not becoming. Returning. This is what we've always been. This place is a mirror. It shows the truth, not the lie we brought with us."

"This isn't you."

"But it is," she said gently, stepping forward again. "You just never saw it. We never did. Until we touched it."

"The shimmer?" he asked.

"The pulse. The roots. The hum. It's all connected. It chose us."

He turned to Zoey. "You said you were suspicious. You followed them into the woods. You knew something was wrong."