Chapter 1570

The tree pulsed brighter, and the light rose around them like a tide. Jude stepped into the center of the circle they made, standing directly beneath the tree. The branches bent low, caressing his hair like fingers.

He could feel each of them around him - not just their bodies, but their essence. Their warmth. Their love. Their fire.

And then, all at once, the ground shook.

Not violently, not with fear - but with birth.

The roots of the tree cracked open like a seed pod, and from the center rose a platform of shimmering crystal, carved in the shape of a flower. The petals spread as it rose, each etched with runes none of them had seen before, glowing in soft hues - one for each of them.

Jude turned in a slow circle.

The women joined hands.

Twelve around one.

The platform spoke - not in words, but in song.

A low hum that grew louder with each heartbeat, until it became music - not from the air, but from within their bones.