Chapter 1700

They were back in the clearing, but it had changed again. The spiral had left behind a monument - smooth, black stone coiled like DNA, glowing faintly gold in the moonlight. At its base, the seed shimmered within a basin of clear crystal.

The air was still.

No one spoke.

Lucy knelt before the seed, her hand hovering above it. "It's us."

"It's our future," Emma said.

Rose stepped beside Jude and touched his chest. "And now we guard it. With every breath. Every kiss. Every moment."

Jude reached down and placed his palm over the seed.

It pulsed in answer.

Behind him, the circle tightened.

They weren't just islanders now.

They were keepers.

And the island had only just begun to dream.