The First Bloom 52

Qi Qi was one of them. She had her arms folded, brows furrowed as she stared at Jianyu, lips slightly parted like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure what.

Then, finally, she spoke.

"Gege," she said, voice quieter than the rest but carrying more weight than most. "Why now?"

The room quieted again. That was the real question, wasn't it?

Jianyu exhaled. "Because it's time. I've found a way to make sure we won't just be running aimlessly. I know a place where we can rebuild—where we'll be safer than we ever were down here."

"Where?" someone demanded.

Jianyu reached into his satchel, fingers brushing against the smooth, pulsing warmth of the Fragment of the Soul of Trees. He pulled it out, letting the soft glow illuminate the dim cavern.

"This," he said, "will give us a home. A real one. A sanctuary where we don't have to hide like rats underground."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"How do we know it works?"