Chapter 75: Elyse Teaches a Plant to Sing

Elyse wandered into the greenhouse the next day.

The plants weren't normal. Some floated. Some glowed. One politely asked her for tea.

She fed it chamomile.

In the center of the garden was a single, closed bud that pulsed faintly. Liss said it had been there when she arrived.

Elyse sat beside it. Began to sing. A lullaby. Soft. Wordless.

The bud opened. Inside: a flower with a mouth.

It sang back.

A perfect harmony.

"We're not just healing," Elyse whispered.

"We're planting something new."

The plant grew roots into the air, leaves shaped like notes.

And when the others came looking for her, they found her conducting an entire botanical choir.

Korrin cried. Naia claimed backup vocals. Bob screamed the bass line.

Liss and Thessaly stood at the door—holding hands, watching the impossible.

"She's making new music," Liss whispered. "From the silence," Thessaly added.

And the world kept growing.