Chapter 4. The Whisper of the Forest City

The blue light of the portal dissipated, and Liara felt soft, moss-covered ground beneath her feet. The air here was warm and humid, filled with aromas she had never encountered before—sweet, spicy, tangy scents merging into a symphony for the senses. Daren's fingers still firmly gripped her hand, and this touch helped her maintain balance while her senses adapted to the new world.

"Where are we?" she asked, blinking and trying to focus her gaze.

She stood in a small clearing surrounded by trees unlike any she had ever seen. Their trunks were pale blue, almost transparent, and seemed to pulsate with a faint inner light. The foliage shimmered in shades of purple and silver, forming a dense canopy overhead through which rays of golden light filtered.

"This is Verdantis," Daren replied, releasing her hand and looking around. "A world where life has found... unusual paths of development."

He turned to her, and Liara noticed how tense his shoulders were, how warily he peered into the forest surrounding them.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"We've deviated slightly from our intended path," he said, frowning. "The transition should have brought us to the outskirts of Elvindar city, but instead we've ended up deeper in the forest. Perhaps the Hunters influenced the portal more than I thought."

Liara looked around more carefully. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she began to notice amazing details of this world. Between the trees glided small creatures resembling fireflies the size of a fist, leaving trails of shimmering dust behind them. The moss under her feet glowed faintly where she stepped, as if responding to her touch. And the air... the air seemed filled with whispers—thousands of quiet voices speaking simultaneously, but so softly that it was impossible to make out the words.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered. "The whispers?"

Daren nodded, his face becoming serious.

"The forest of Verdantis is... alive. Not just in the usual sense. Here, plants possess a collective consciousness. They communicate with each other constantly, and sometimes... sometimes they take notice of visitors."

He took from his bag a small compass of strange design, with several needles of different colors.

"We need to move east, toward the city. It will be safer there," he glanced at Liara. "And perhaps there we'll find a clue about where to look for another part of you."

"Have you been here before?" Liara asked as they moved along a narrow path among the glowing trees.

"Twice," Daren answered. "The first time about a hundred years ago by local time. I was looking for traces of you, but unsuccessfully. I returned about fifty years later, and then... then I felt something. An echo, too weak to pinpoint exactly. I was planning to explore this place more thoroughly but was forced to leave due to... local complications."

Liara noticed how his hand automatically touched the scar on his neck, barely visible beneath his collar.

"What kind of complications?"

Daren smiled slightly, but there was no joy in his smile.

"Let's just say, not all inhabitants of Verdantis welcome visitors from other worlds. Especially those interested in Eon's energy."

They continued their journey in silence. The path became wider, better trodden, as if it was frequently used. Liara observed this strange forest with growing admiration. Everywhere around her was life—not only glowing creatures and trees but also plants that moved like animals, turning leaf-faces toward the travelers. And once she saw a creature resembling a deer, but with skin covered in moss and small flowers growing directly from its back.

"This is incredible," she whispered.

"Verdantis is known for its ability to blur the boundaries between different life forms," Daren explained. "Here, plants can possess consciousness, and animals can have roots. Some Veil theorists suggest this is one of the worlds closest to the original state, before the separation of realities."

Suddenly Liara stopped. A strange sensation came over her—as if someone was watching them, studying, evaluating. She turned, peering into the forest, but saw nothing unusual.

"What is it?" asked Daren, stopping beside her.

"I don't know. Just a feeling..." she didn't finish.

The whispers, which had previously been a barely audible background, suddenly grew louder, more distinct. Now Liara could distinguish words—strange, melodic, in a language she had never heard before, and yet somehow understood.

...she has returned... part of the Tree... a shard walks among us... ...how many cycles have passed... does she remember... ...the Keeper is with her... dangerous... dangerous...

"Daren," Liara whispered, "they're talking about me. And about you."

Daren tensed, his hand moving to the hilt of the strange weapon he had brought.

"We've attracted the attention of the Silva," he said quietly. "This is... unexpected. They don't usually notice travelers so quickly."

"Silva?"

"The collective consciousness of the forest. What binds all plants together."

The whispers grew stronger, becoming similar to the sound of wind in the treetops. The foliage above their heads began to stir, though the air was still.

...test... examine... learn the truth...

"We need to move," said Daren, gripping Liara's elbow. "Quickly, but without sudden movements. Don't show fear."

They quickened their pace, but had barely gone a few meters when the path before them began to change. Tree roots rose from the ground, intertwining and forming strange patterns. The moss beneath their feet glowed brighter, creating a luminous path leading... away from their original route.

"They're changing the path," Daren said tensely. "The Silva wants us to go in a different direction."

"Where does this path lead?" asked Liara, feeling a strange excitement growing inside her—not fear, but rather... anticipation.

"I don't know," replied Daren. "But we don't seem to have much choice."

Indeed, their original path was now blocked by densely woven branches and vines, forming an impenetrable wall.

"What should we do?" asked Liara.

Daren studied the glowing path, his face tense.

"We'll risk it," he finally decided. "The Silva could have simply attacked us if it wanted to cause harm. The fact that it created a path... perhaps it's an invitation."

"Or a trap," Liara remarked.

"Yes," agreed Daren with a crooked smile. "But in that case, we're already in it."

They followed the glowing path. The further they progressed, the denser the forest became around them. The trees here were taller, older, their trunks thicker, and their blue glow more intense. The whispers followed them, sometimes approaching, sometimes receding, like waves of tide.

...she doesn't remember... so much time has passed... ...but part of her is still here... sleeping... ...we'll show her... let her remember...

"Daren, what are they talking about?" asked Liara. "Do they know me?"

"It seems so," he replied, looking carefully around. "And this is... unexpected. I suspected there might be a part of you in Verdantis, but I didn't think the Silva would know about your true nature."

The path led them to an enormous tree, so ancient and massive that its trunk could have housed a small dwelling. Unlike the other trees, this one glowed not blue but with a soft golden light, pulsating like a heartbeat. At its base was an opening—an arch of intertwined roots leading inside the trunk.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent: ...enter... see... remember...

Liara took a step toward the arch, feeling an irresistible attraction. Daren grabbed her arm.

"Wait. We don't know what's inside."

"I have to go there," said Liara, surprised by the certainty in her voice. "Something... something is calling me."

Daren hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll go with you."

Together they passed under the arch of roots. Inside the giant tree's trunk was a space resembling a round hall with a high dome-shaped ceiling. The walls were alive, covered with moss and small glowing mushrooms that provided enough light to see.

In the center of the hall was something amazing—a small tree, only a meter tall, with silvery bark and leaves that weren't green, purple, or blue like other Verdantis plants. They were the color of the starry sky—deep dark blue with twinkling points of light, exactly the same as Liara's eyes had become after the crystal activation in Daren's refuge.

"This is..." Liara couldn't finish the phrase, struck by what she saw before her.

"Incredible," whispered Daren. "I've never seen anything like it."

They approached the small tree. Now Liara could see that it was surrounded by a circle of strange crystals, half-buried in the ground. Each crystal pulsed in rhythm with the heartbeat of the large golden tree, and thin threads of light connected them to the small silvery sapling.

The whispers inside the hall were louder and clearer than outside: ...here she is... part of you... waiting to awaken... ...touch... connect... remember...

Liara took a step toward the silvery tree, feeling her pulse quicken.

"Liara," Daren warned, "be careful. We don't know how this will affect you."

"I feel... this is part of me, Daren," she said, not taking her eyes off the tree. "Like the Echo-stone. Like the memories you helped me see. But stronger... closer."

She reached out toward the small tree. Daren wanted to stop her but then, after hesitating, stepped back. This was her choice, her path.

When Liara's fingers touched the silvery trunk, the world around her disappeared.

She was the forest. Not a human, not a golem, not a separate being, but an entire forest—thousands of trees, millions of plants, connected by a network of roots, branches, and consciousness. She felt how the sun nourished her leaves, how rain moistened her bark, how animals and insects moved within her domain, becoming part of a unified whole.

She was the Forest-That-Remembers, Keeper of Ancient Knowledge, part of the great Silva of Verdantis. And she had been waiting... waiting for centuries, preserving a tiny particle of another entity, a fragment of the being she once was in another life, in another world.

When the portal opened five hundred years ago, and thousands of Eon fragments scattered across worlds, one of them found refuge here, in Verdantis. But instead of embodying in a human or animal, the shard merged with an ancient tree, becoming part of the forest's collective consciousness. It slept until it felt the proximity of its kindred soul...

The vision changed, and Liara saw:

Daren, younger, with less tired eyes, wandering through the forest of Verdantis. He searches, calls, using artifacts and spells, trying to find a trace of the shard. But the Silva conceals it. Not out of malice or fear—out of protection. The shard is not yet ready to be found. It has not yet grown strong enough in its new form.

Daren's second coming, decades later. He is closer, feels the presence of the shard. The Silva is troubled, but the shard within it is calm. "Not yet time," it whispers with the voices of thousands of leaves. Forest defenders attack the stranger, expel him, leaving scars not only on his body but also on his soul.

And now—the third coming. But this time Daren has not come alone. He has brought with him part of the one he sought for so long. And the shard within the Silva responded, awakened from centuries of sleep.

The vision changed again, and now Liara saw herself—not with physical eyes, but with the thousands of leaf-eyes of the Silva. She saw her golem body, but also saw through it—the energy of the shard inside, pulsating, glowing, striving to connect with its kindred essence.

Choice... always choice. Unite and become stronger, closer to the whole? Or remain separate, preserving the uniqueness of each part?

The vision began to fade, dissolve. The last thing Liara saw before returning to reality was the image of an enormous tree, its branches extending between worlds, its roots reaching into the very essence of reality. The World Tree, of which Eon was a part. Of which she herself was a part.

"Liara! Liara, can you hear me?"

Daren's voice brought her back. She was lying on the mossy floor of the tree-cave, and he was leaning over her, his face distorted with worry.

"I... I saw," she whispered, struggling to find words. "I remember... part of me is here, Daren. In the forest. In the Silva."

She sat up, leaning on his arm, and looked at the silvery tree. It had changed—now it glowed more brightly, and its leaves stirred though there was no wind in the cave.

"I know," Daren said quietly. "I saw... not what you saw, but enough to understand. The shard incarnated in a form I've never encountered before. Not a separate being, but part of a collective consciousness."

Liara rose to her feet, her head still spinning from the vision she had experienced.

"The Silva showed me... we didn't just find a shard. We found a shard that has become something more, something... different."

The whispers in the hall changed, became more focused, as if speaking with one voice rather than thousands: ...the choice is yours... the path is yours... but know that you are not alone...

Liara turned to the silvery tree, feeling understanding growing within her.

"What do you mean?" she asked aloud.

...many paths to wholeness... not only physical union... but also unity of souls across distances... ...I will keep part of you here... it has become part of me... as I have become part of it... ...but I can give you what was lost... memories, understanding... ...touch again... accept the gift...

Liara looked at Daren, seeking his advice. He appeared wary but nodded.

"It's your choice, Liara. I don't sense danger from the Silva... only a strange reverence."

Liara again reached out to the silvery tree. This time, when her fingers touched the bark, there was no all-consuming vision. Instead, she felt something flowing into her—not energy, but... knowledge. Memories that were lost when her shard split during the failed transition from Veirin.

She saw herself—a priestess in white robes, guardian of a temple in a world where the sky was red and the stars golden. She saw how Daren came to her, how they recognized each other, how they decided together to seek other shards. She saw the transition ritual that went wrong, how her essence was torn between worlds—part flew to Alkarion, part remained in Veirin, and the third part... the third part ended up here, in Verdantis, finding refuge in the consciousness of the Silva.

When the stream of memories subsided, Liara withdrew her hand from the tree, feeling simultaneously filled and emptied.

"Now I remember," she told Daren. "I remember the temple in Veirin, you... us. I remember the ritual."

He looked at her with hope and pain.

"You remember... everything?"

"Not everything," she replied, shaking her head. "But more than before. Enough to understand what happened. Why I ended up divided in this way."

Daren came closer but didn't touch her, as if afraid she might disappear.

"And what have you decided?" he asked quietly. "Do you want to... reunite with this part of yourself?"

This was the main question, the very choice the Silva spoke of. Liara turned to the silvery tree, then looked back at Daren.

"No," she said firmly. "Not now. This part of me... it has found its path here, in the Silva. It has become something different, something greater. I have no right to take that away from it... from myself."

She sighed, trying to put into words the complex feelings churning inside.

"What the Silva showed me... there are different paths to wholeness. Not just physical union of shards, but... understanding, connection across distances. I can be linked to this part of myself even if we remain physically separate."

Daren slowly nodded, his face thoughtful.

"This is... an unexpected approach. In all these centuries of searching, I always thought only of physical reunification of the shards. But perhaps you're right. Perhaps there is another way."

The Silva's whisper strengthened approvingly: ...wise choice... connection without absorption... respect for differences... ...but the path has only begun... other parts wait... and not all sleep peacefully... ...your part here will wait and watch... go in peace and strength...

The silvery tree trembled, and one of its leaves detached, gently spiraling down. Liara extended her hand, and the leaf settled on her palm. As soon as she touched it, the leaf began to change, hardening and transforming into a small silvery pendant shaped like a leaf, but with the same twinkling points of light as in her eyes.

...a gift from part to part... wear it... it will help you see paths between worlds... ...and find what was lost in Veirin...

Liara put on the pendant next to the Echo-stone Daren had given her. The two artifacts seemed to react to each other, momentarily flashing simultaneously.

"Thank you," she said, addressing the Silva, the silvery tree, the part of herself that had become something different.

Daren placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time for us to go," he said gently. "We've received more than I could have hoped for, but it's dangerous to linger too long in Verdantis for... outsiders like us."

Liara nodded, casting a final glance at the silvery tree.

"Where to now?" she asked when they had left the living cave and returned to the forest.

"To Elvindar," replied Daren. "A city at the forest's edge. From there, we can open a portal to Veirin. If what the Silva showed you is true... part of you is still there. And I think it's time we find it."

Liara touched the silvery pendant, feeling its warm pulsation. In her mind were new memories, new understanding. She was beginning to see the complete picture—who she was, who she had become, who she could be.

The forest's whispers followed them as they moved along the new path that appeared before them: ...good luck, Liara... good luck, Daren... ...remember that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts... ...and that what is lost does not always need to be returned...

These last words made Liara wonder. What did the Silva mean? What warning was hidden in this farewell whisper?

But there was no time to ponder this. Ahead lay a new path, new trials. And perhaps answers to questions she was only beginning to formulate.

"What do you remember about Veirin?" she asked Daren as they ventured deeper into the forest, following the glowing path.

His face became tense, as if the memories caused pain.

"Red sky. Golden stars. A temple atop a mountain," he paused for a moment. "And you. A priestess who recognized me despite centuries of separation."

He turned away, but not before Liara noticed moisture in his eyes.

"That place... is special to you," she said gently.

"To both of us," he replied. "Though you remember it differently than I do."

And so they walked through the glowing forest of Verdantis, heading toward the city at its edge, each immersed in their thoughts, in their memories—shared and divided by time and space.

The silvery pendant pulsed in rhythm with Liara's heartbeat, as if reminding her: part of her would remain here, in this strange world of living forest, but the connection would never be broken. A new kind of wholeness she had never considered before.

Somewhere deep in the forest, the silvery tree grew, nourished by the energy of the ancient Silva, preserving within itself a fragment of the being that once was Eon, that became Liara, that now was something completely new—a bridge between worlds, waiting for its time.