Foster abruptly opened his eyes in the darkness, his heart pounding violently in his chest. He had been awakened by a strange sensation, a delicate but distinct, almost imperceptible creak. Around him, the room was plunged into darkness, lit only by the soft silvery glow that the Mother Tree naturally diffused through the slender wooden windows.
He sat up slowly, his muscles tense with instinctive anxiety. His gaze immediately shifted to the table beside his bed, where the jade egg, usually perfectly still, lay. But tonight, it seemed different.
The smooth surface of the egg was streaked with tiny cracks, from which a soft light emanated, pulsing slowly, like a heart beating in the darkness. Foster held his breath, immediately realizing what was happening.
The egg was hatching.