Chapter 17: Shadows in the Heartwood

The air seemed to thicken around them, heavy with an unspoken threat, as Cormag's gaze lingered on the figure lurking just beyond the treeline. Lyra's eyes narrowed, her gaze following his, but she saw nothing. Sith, however, seemed oblivious to the tension, his eyes still fixed on the Heartwood tree as if trying to process the revelations he had just faced. Cormag's instincts screamed at him to be cautious, to trust his gut, but Lyra's calm demeanor steadied him. She seemed to sense his unease, and her hand brushed against his arm in a reassuring gesture. "We should not linger," she said, her voice low and urgent. "The Heartwood's power is not to be trifled with, and we have attracted attention." Sith's gaze finally shifted, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees with a newfound wariness. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. Lyra's expression was grim. "The Echo may have been weakened, but she is far from defeated. And she will not take kindly to your newfound freedom." Cormag's eyes locked onto Lyra's, a sense of foreboding settling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that they were walking into a trap, that the Echo would stop at nothing to reclaim Sith. As they turned to leave, the forest seemed to close in around them, the trees looming like sentinels. Cormag could feel eyes upon them, the weight of unseen gazes pressing down on his skin. Suddenly, a rustling in the underbrush caught their attention. A figure emerged from the shadows, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Cormag's hand instinctively went to his dagger, his heart racing with anticipation. But to his surprise, Lyra stepped forward, a calm smile on her face. "Ah, Eira," she said, her voice warm. "I should have known you would be watching." The figure, Eira, regarded them with a calculating gaze, her eyes lingering on Sith before shifting to Lyra. "You have done something foolish, Lyra," she said, her voice husky. "The Echo will not be pleased." Lyra's smile never wavered. "Perhaps," she said. "But I have done what needed to be done. Sith is free, and the Echo's hold on him is broken." Eira's gaze flickered to Sith, and for a moment, Cormag thought he saw a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. But it was quickly extinguished, replaced by a cold, hard determination. "I will not report this to the Echo," Eira said, her voice dripping with malice. "Not yet, at least. But know this, Lyra: you have not seen the last of me." With that, Eira vanished into the shadows, leaving them to ponder the implications of her words. Cormag's eyes locked onto Lyra's, a sense of unease settling in his chest. "What just happened?" he asked, his voice low. Lyra's expression was enigmatic, her eyes glinting with a hint of secrets. "We have just made a new ally," she said. "Or perhaps, a new enemy. It is hard to say with Eira." Sith's gaze was fixed on Lyra, his eyes searching for answers. "What do we do now?" he asked, his voice firm. Lyra's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Now, we take the fight to the Echo. We will not let her dictate our fate. We will forge our own path, no matter the cost."