Chapter 1705

They spent the morning mapping the clearing near the heartstone. The trees bent low to watch, their leaves shimmering as the women and Jude walked the edges, marking space with woven cords and smoothed stones. Jude felt his heartbeat syncing with the pulse beneath the ground, a rhythm that seemed to guide his every step. The others felt it too - every touch between them sparked, every glance carried weight. Their movements were choreographed by instinct and trust.

Natalie wove the first strands of shelter using living vines, and when she tied the final knot, the plant pulsed in her hands, rooting itself into the soil. Stella sang softly as she guided stones into place. Susan and Emma gathered smooth pieces of driftwood from the beach. Sophie and Zoey reinforced the walkways between the shelters, turning paths into ribbons of polished moss and blossom-covered arches.