The command left Tina's mouth like a blade being thrown.
"KILL HER."
There was no hesitation in her voice, no flicker of doubt, no trace of the charming, persuasive woman she had once pretended to be during the retreat. That version of Tina had been carefully constructed — gentle smiles, patient tone, the kind mentor figure who spoke about healing, awakening, destiny. Nora saw it clearly now for what it was: bait. Every encouraging word, every reassuring touch, every "you're special" had been a hook meant to reel her toward this exact moment.
The cultists surged forward, robes flaring like torn wings as they rushed toward Nora.
Allan stepped in front of her instantly, his movement sharp and practiced. "Stay behind me."
Nora didn't move. Her eyes never left Tina. "No," she said quietly. "She wants me."
Tina's lips curved — not kindly, not proudly, but hungrily. "You finally understand," she called, voice carrying easily over the rising wind. "Do you know how long I searched for someone like you? Someone stupid enough to trust kindness? Someone powerful enough to be worth harvesting?"
Crystal flinched at the words.
Fred didn't.
Zuv didn't.
They had already known.
Nora tilted her head slightly, studying Tina the way someone might study an insect pinned beneath glass. "You never believed in awakening," she said. "You were just collecting fuel."
Tina laughed — a sharp, delighted sound. "Of course. Awakening is just a prettier word for extraction."
Behind her, the half-formed forest entity writhed upward from the void, its body growing more solid with each passing second. Its presence bent the air, pulling leaves and dust into spirals around it. The ground pulsed faintly in rhythm with its breathing.
Fred slammed another anchor device into the soil and twisted. The glyph shattered with a sound like snapping bone. The creature shrieked again, its form flickering violently.
Tina's smile twitched.
"You little thief," she hissed, eyes darting toward Fred. "I should have killed you when I noticed the device missing."
Fred didn't even look at her. "You should've stayed sane."
Her expression darkened instantly. "Sanity is for people without vision."
Two cultists lunged toward him. Zuv intercepted them again, movements precise, efficient, merciless. He didn't waste energy. He didn't posture. He simply ended threats.
The entity rose higher.
Now its head was fully above ground, neck coiling upward like a tower of shadow. Its surface rippled as if something beneath its skin were crawling, trying to break out. Dozens of eyes opened and shut across its length, each one twitching independently until they aligned again on Nora.
The pull inside her chest tightened sharply.
Allan felt her stagger and caught her arm. "It's locking onto you."
"I know." Her voice strained. "It's not just seeing me. It's recognizing me."
Tina's smile returned, wider now, triumphant. "Of course it is. I marked you myself."
Silence hit harder than any scream.
Nora slowly turned her head. "What?"
Tina's eyes glittered. "That retreat you attended? The meditation circle? The herbal tea? The blessing ritual?" She spread her arms slightly. "Every moment was preparation. Every symbol you stepped over. Every chant you repeated without understanding. I planted the curse inside you that day."
Crystal stared. "You— you cursed her before she even knew you?"
"Yes," Tina said simply. "Why waste time waiting for someone to become useful when you can prepare them in advance?"
The forest entity let out a low, pleased rumble, as if responding to its master's confession.
Allan's grip on Nora tightened. His voice dropped. "You used her."
"I cultivated her," Tina corrected smoothly. "Power like hers doesn't appear often. Do you have any idea how rare a dimensional survivor is? She walked through a place that bends time and came back alive. Do you know what that means?" Tina's gaze sharpened with obsession. "She's saturated with unstable magic. She's a living catalyst."
The ground shook again.
Fred shouted, "Last anchor!"
He sprinted for the final stabilizer buried near the circle's center.
Tina's head snapped toward him. "NO."
She thrust her hand forward.
The air warped.
Something invisible slammed into Fred's chest and hurled him backward across the clearing. He hit a tree hard enough to crack bark, the breath knocked violently from his lungs.
Zuv moved instantly, stepping between Tina and Fred, eyes cold. "You're done."
Tina tilted her head slowly, amused. "You still think this can be stopped?"
Behind her, the entity pushed itself fully out of the void.
It was enormous now — a towering serpent of living shadow, its body coiling through the air as if gravity had no authority over it. Its surface shimmered like wet ink, its many eyes glowing brighter as they focused on Nora with unmistakable intent.
Not hunger.
Recognition.
The forest itself began to react. Trees groaned. Roots shifted. Branches bent inward as if bowing.
Nora felt the sword in her hand vibrate violently.
The creature inhaled.
Leaves lifted from the ground. Stones rolled. The pull in her chest became unbearable, dragging her forward a step despite herself.
Allan caught her again. "Nora!"
Tina's voice cut through the chaos, soft and thrilled:
"It's calling you home."
The entity opened its mouth.
And the forest screamed.