Serenus - Sarcastic Newcomer Edition

Chapter 9: To Find the One

Kratos and I stepped outside before anyone else could beat us to it. The weather, as if it had taken a cue from our collective mood, was downright gloomy—clouds hanging low, a slight chill in the air, and the sun having long clocked out. Kratos mumbled something about needing rest and shuffled off to the Orangetree chamber, leaving me to wander the village center alone, like the protagonist of some overly dramatic play.

The rain had kindly left behind puddles big enough to reenact the Battle of the Seas, and naturally, there was nowhere decent to sit. Just as I was contemplating heading home and calling it a night, Amy appeared, looking like she had something in mind. She asked for help, and let's be honest, I was more than happy to have an excuse to do anything other than mope around.

We made our way toward the Moontree, which, despite the miserable weather, was doing its best impression of an ethereal beacon. The raindrops clinging to its leaves and flowers added a surreal, almost magical effect that could've been straight out of a dream sequence. Amy led me into the chamber, where the walls were lined with backless shelves—because apparently, backs on shelves are overrated—each one holding those familiar Moonlight vials. The ceiling had a wide opening, and the branches seemed to have been practicing their social distancing, creating a perfect circle right above the glowing bulb in the middle.

One look at that bulb, though, and my heart nearly skipped a beat. The light inside was fading, and not in a romantic, candlelit dinner way. Amy caught my concerned look and explained, "It's been raining so much that the trees aren't generating enough light. We used a lot of it to heal Kratos and for the mirror's test, and now the Moontree is running dangerously low. We need to pour the light from the vials onto the bulb carefully—we can't afford to waste a single drop."

So, there we were, playing an extremely high-stakes game of "Don't Spill the Magic Light" as we poured the vials one by one onto the bulb. The fruit greedily soaked up the light, slowly refilling the bulb.

And just when I thought the night couldn't get any more intense, Amy dropped another bombshell. She casually mentioned that the seven trees around the Whitetree only provided their healing powers when the Moontree had Moonlight in its fruit. If the Moontree ran out—brace yourself—the other trees would go rogue, stealing light from anything living nearby. Basically, they'd turn from healers to destroyers, all because of a little light shortage.

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Amy confessed she didn't know how long the clouds would keep hanging around, and with an upcoming battle to consider, the last thing we needed was for the trees to turn against us. She gestured toward the shelves, which were now depressingly empty. "These shelves were glowing with Moonlight just yesterday. Now, they're as deserted as Feray's conscience. She used most of it for her ambition. Moonlight is precious to the Seren, yet she wasted it like it was nothing. Alev is right. She doesn't deserve our kindness."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Amy. She deserved loyalty, but instead, she got indifference and betrayal from someone she trusted. I didn't bother trying to console her; nothing I could say would make this any less painful for her.

After we finished our task, the guardians stayed outside the trees as Amy and I headed toward our homes. On the way, I asked her about the place we'd be visiting in the morning. "Sere," she reminded me. "It's a cursed place, a ruin. It saw a battle between Conrad and Esmeray, and it was destroyed by it."

"Why on earth do the elders want to go there?" I asked, already imagining all the terrifying scenarios.

"It's cursed, sure, but it's also where Conrad recorded his memories. If there's any hope of finding answers, we'll find them there," she explained, as if that made it any less horrifying.