Chapter 66: Corrupted Waters

They spotted the chaos from the air. Vines and twisted plants circled Rosewood like a living siege wall. Flashes of golden light cut through the greenery—Diana’s sword, carving paths that closed almost as quickly as she made them.

“Oh no.”

A roar from below. A plant monster twice as tall as a house swiped at Diana. She dodged, slashed, and the creature split in two—only for both halves to grow back as separate entities.

“That’s… not good,” Petriel said.

Willow’s bark-like face hardened.

“This corruption has evolved.”

They landed behind Diana, who didn’t even turn around. She just kept hacking at the encroaching plants.

“Took you long enough!” she shouted, beheading something that looked like a cross between a turnip and a bear. “Did you enjoy your little field trip while I’ve been FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE?”

“We found answers,” Grace called back, drawing her rapier. “About the Root.”

“Great. Tell me after we’re not DEAD!”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. You can’t die!”

Diana just scowled at her for that.

Still, Grace leapt forward, channeling energy into her blade. She cut through a vine creature, but two more immediately took its place. Fighting them was like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.

“Where are the others?” Willow asked, hurling seeds that exploded into thorny barriers.

“Mara’s in the big barn with the villagers,” Diana grunted, sweat pouring down her face despite the cool air. “Alia and Zephyr are with her. Your Earth-Tender friends set up some kind of plant shield, but it’s failing.”

Grace slashed through another creature.

“And Ivy?”

“Worse.” Diana kicked a plant monster away. “The barrier around her tree got stronger after you left. No one can get near it now.”

[Great. Just great.]

“I might have a solution,” Grace said, remembering her new skill. “But we need to get to the tree!”

Diana nodded.

“Follow me!”

She carved a path through the writhing vegetation, Grace and the others close behind. The village looked like it had been swallowed by a jungle—buildings wrapped in vines, wells overflowing with purple-tinged water, flowers with teeth growing from every surface.

They fought their way to the village center where Ivy’s tree loomed. The barrier around it had changed—no longer transparent but solid and pulsing with veins of corruption.

“See?” Diana panted, finally showing signs of exhaustion. “Can’t even see her anymore.”

Grace stepped forward.

“I can fix this. I learned how to—”

“GRACE!” Alia’s voice rang out. She bounded toward them, remarkably unscathed, with Zephyr right behind her. “You’re back!”

“Where’s Mara?” Willow asked.

Alia’s face fell.

“She’s… um…”

“She got too close to the tree,” Zephyr finished, her usual sarcastic tone gone. “Something happened.”

They led the group to the barn where villagers huddled in frightened clusters. Earth-Tenders worked to maintain barriers against the corruption. And in the corner, sitting calmly on a hay bale, was Mara.

With flowers growing out of her left arm.

“Oh, you’re back,” she said cheerfully, as if sprouting vegetation was perfectly normal. “How was your trip?”

Grace gaped.

“Mara, your ARM!”

“Hmm? Oh, this.” Mara glanced at her limb, which was now more plant than flesh, blue-purple veins running beneath the surface. A small bud bloomed as they watched. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to—?” Grace sputtered. “You’re turning into a PLANT!”

“I prefer ’botanically enhanced,’” Mara replied with a smile that was a little too wide. “The flowers are rather pretty, don’t you think?”

Willow knelt beside her, examining the corruption.

“How did this happen?”

“Well, I tried to communicate with Ivy through the barrier,” Mara explained. “It… reached back.”

“We need to purify her,” Grace said. “Now.”

“I told you, I’m fine,” Mara insisted. “It doesn’t even hurt. Actually, it feels quite nice. Like I’m… connected to everything.”

That didn’t sound good. At all.

“Grace,” Diana nudged her. “That ’solution’ you mentioned?”

“Right.” Grace nodded. “I learned to absorb corruption energy and release it as a blast. If I can target Ivy’s tree with it—”

“You can what?” Diana interrupted.

“Long story. But I can use it to—”

“Absorb corruption?” Mara perked up, eyes suddenly too bright. “From me, perhaps? I have plenty to spare!” She held out her plant arm, vines extending from her fingertips.

Grace stepped back.

“Let me try it on the barrier first.”

They returned to the tree, fighting through plants that seemed more aggressive by the minute. Grace stood before the barrier, planted her feet, and raised her hands.

“Everyone stand back.”

She focused, trying to pull corruption energy from the barrier like she’d done with the carvings. Nothing happened. She tried harder, reaching out with her senses, but the barrier remained impenetrable.

“It’s not working,” she said, frustrated. “It’s like the barrier is blocking my ability to connect with the corruption inside.”

“Try touching it,” Diana suggested.

“Are you CRAZY?” Petriel squeaked. It was the first thing she’d said directly to Grace since their cave encounter. She’d been carefully avoiding eye contact the whole time.

“Actually, she might be right,” Willow said. “Direct contact could establish the connection.”

Grace hesitated, then stepped forward and pressed her palm against the barrier. It felt cold and slick, like wet glass. She pushed her power against it, trying to create a link—

Pain shot up her arm as the barrier pushed back. She stumbled away with a cry, clutching her hand. The skin was blue-purple where she’d touched it.

“Grace!” Petriel was instantly at her side, medical instincts overriding her awkwardness. She cradled Grace’s hand in hers, examining the spreading corruption. “I need to heal this now!”

“That went well,” Diana muttered.

“I don’t understand,” Grace said through gritted teeth. “It worked in the cavern.”

Willow frowned.

“The Root must be actively resisting. It’s intelligent, remember?”

Petriel’s hands glowed as she purified Grace’s corruption, her touch sending tingles up Grace’s arm that had nothing to do with healing.

“T-there,” Petriel stammered, quickly releasing Grace’s hand once the blue-purple veins disappeared. “All better.”

“Thanks,” Grace replied, equally awkward.

Diana looked between them with narrowed eyes.

“What exactly happened in those tunnels?”

“Nothing!” they both said too quickly.

“Uh-huh.” Diana smirked. “Nothing that has you two jumping like startled rabbits whenever you touch. Very convincing.”

“Can we focus on the CRISIS?” Grace snapped, her face burning.

A scream from the barn interrupted them. They rushed back to find two villagers restraining Mara, who was trying to reach a child with her corrupted arm. The flowers on her limb had grown larger, opening and closing like hungry mouths.

“But I just want to share!” Mara protested, sounding confused. “Everyone should experience this connection!”

“It’s spreading faster than I thought,” Willow said grimly. “We don’t have much time before she fully transforms.”

“And creates more corruption,” Zephyr added. “It’s already in the village water. Look.” She pointed to a bucket where the water had a distinct purple tint.

“The well?” Grace asked.

Alia nodded.

“All of them. The roots must have reached the underground springs.”

“That’s how it’s spreading so fast,” Diana realized. “Every time someone drinks…”

Grace looked around at the frightened villagers, the struggling Mara, the corruption encroaching from all sides. They needed a solution fast.

“Wait.” An idea struck her. “The corruption can’t reach through Ivy’s barrier, right? What if I try the opposite? What if, instead of pulling corruption energy through it, I push purification energy in?”

“Worth a try,” Diana said. “But you couldn’t even touch it without getting infected.”

“I’d need more power,” Grace admitted. “A lot more.”

Her eyes met Petriel’s, and understanding passed between them.

“Intimate Healing,” Petriel said softly. “It amplifies divine energy.”

“Exactly.” Grace nodded. “If you could boost my power enough, I might be able to punch through.”

“Wait, what’s Intimate Healing?” Alia asked, suddenly very interested. “And why does it sound fun?”

“It’s not—” Grace started.

“Is it that thing where you kiss people better?” Diana interrupted with a wicked grin. “Is THAT what happened in the tunnels?”

“NO!” Grace and Petriel shouted in unison, both turning scarlet.

“Nothing happened in any tunnels!” Grace added.

“Then why are you both bright red?” Diana pressed.

“I was teaching her energy restoration techniques,” Petriel mumbled.

“I bet you were.”

“Diana!” Grace wanted to die on the spot. “Drop it!”

Another crash from outside reminded them of the urgency. The plant creatures were breaking through the barn’s defenses.

“We need to purify the water source first,” Willow said. “Cut off the spread.”

“The main well is in the village square,” Zephyr pointed out. “Right next to Ivy’s tree.”

Perfect. They could try both plans at once.

“Alright,” Grace took a deep breath. “Willow, Diana, Zephyr, Alia—keep Mara and the villagers safe. Petriel and I will handle the well.”

“And try not to get distracted by any ’energy restoration techniques,’” Diana added with air quotes.

Grace ignored her, turning to Petriel.

“Ready?”

Petriel nodded, still avoiding direct eye contact.

“R-ready.”

They made their way to the village square, fighting corrupted plants at every turn. The main well stood just twenty feet from Ivy’s tree, its stone rim stained with blue-purple residue.

“We need to get to the water source,” Grace said, peering down the well. Purple tendrils twisted around the walls, trailing into the dark water below. “If I can purify it directly…”

“I’ll help you,” Petriel said. “But… the Intimate Healing… it requires…”

“I know.” Grace’s heart pounded. “Just do what you need to do.”

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