Chapter 292: The End (of Volume 1)
After everything had calmed down to a degree, the remaining Elven Elders stood in a quiet line behind Seryn. The wind stirred the branches of Heartwood Tree above them, as if even the leaves were still shaken by what had nearly occurred. The void had retreated. The roots were intact. But the sense of danger still lingered in the air.
Seryn took a step forward. Her robes shifted with the motion, brushing softly against the forest floor. When she reached Leo and the rest of the guild, she bowed deeply from the waist.
"On behalf of everyone who lives under Heartwood Tree, thank you," she said. Her voice was steady, but her hands were trembling. "You’ve saved more than just our lives. Please allow us one day to gather a proper reward. If you return tomorrow, we will be ready to honor our debt."
Leo looked over his shoulder. The others nodded or gave weary shrugs, none of them eager to keep standing out here any longer.
"That sounds good," Leo replied. "We’ll come back tomorrow."
Seryn bowed once again and stepped aside. The Elders behind her remained silent, watching the group with unreadable expressions. Some were reverent. Some were wary. None of them said a word.
Leo turned and motioned for the others to follow. "Let’s find an inn before someone passes out."
The walk to the village inn was a quiet one. Rachel stifled a yawn so wide it made her eyes water. Penny blinked slowly from Greg’s shoulder, her arms hanging limp like a tired puppet. Lily moved like she was sleepwalking, her usual grace replaced by the simple desire not to fall over.
The inn sat nestled against one of the massive roots of Heartwood Tree, glowing faintly in the dimming light. A few forest sprites hovered around the eaves, but they scattered when the group approached.
The innkeeper, an older elf with deep wrinkles and wary eyes, seemed unsure whether to greet them or run. Leo placed a pouch of coin on the counter before he could make up his mind.
"Rooms," Leo said, his voice flat. "Please."
The elf nodded quickly and handed over several keys without counting the coin. "Top floor is empty. You’ll have the whole wing."
"Thanks."
Once the door to their suite closed behind them, everyone visibly deflated. The rooms were rustic but clean, with thick bedding, soft moss carpeting, and a low fire already crackling in the hearth.
Penny immediately rolled off Greg’s shoulder and onto the couch with a loud groan. She flopped facedown into the cushions and didn’t move.
"If anyone asks me to make so much as a thread right now, I’m quitting the guild," she mumbled into the fabric.
Rachel didn’t bother with furniture. She dropped onto the floor like a plank, arms stretched out, eyes already closed.
"I think I forgot how to move my legs. I might just become part of the floor."
Lily kicked off her boots and sat on the edge of a bed, resting her head in her hands.
"I’m not tired in the usual way. I feel like even my blood is sore."
Greg leaned against the far wall and let out a long breath, arms crossed. Adam stood nearby, silently looking out the window with a distant look on his face. Crystal sat by the window, gazing out at the village below.
Leo moved to one of the chairs by the table and sank into it like his bones had been replaced with stone. He let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling.
The diary page still sat in his pocket. A piece of divine melodrama that had cost a life and nearly destroyed a village. He didn’t take it out again. He didn’t want to look at it.
Aria sat on the floor beside Luna, who was now struggling to stay awake as her eyelids felt like heavy weights as she nestled herself on a pile of bedding. Her chest rose and fell with steady breaths. Aria brushed a strand of hair from her face and gave a tired sigh.
"Today was a lot," she said quietly.
Leo nodded. "That’s putting it lightly."
Rachel turned her head just enough to speak. "We almost got erased from existence by a mouth monster made of void energy, and we’re ending the day in a treehouse inn. I’m going to need therapy and snacks."
"Preferably in that order," Penny muttered.
"Or at the same time," Lily added.
The room lapsed into silence for a while. No one had the energy to argue or laugh. Just the crackle of the fire and the occasional creak of the walls.
Eventually, Crystal stood and pulled the curtains shut. She glanced back at the others, watching them melt into beds, couches, and floor pillows like puddles of worn-out color.
"I hate to say it," she said softly, "but this might be what normal looks like now. We might have to get used to this."
Rachel groaned into the floor. "No. I refuse. Tomorrow I’m demanding a quest where we collect apples and talk to squirrels."
"I’d take it," Leo said, eyes already closing.
"Better not be cursed squirrels," Lily added under her breath.
Penny gave a weak thumbs-up from the couch. "No cursed squirrels. Just naps. And snacks. And silence."
That, at least, earned a few quiet chuckles.
The fire crackled lower. One by one, the guild members fell asleep, exhaustion winning out over adrenaline and fear. For now, they were safe. The Heartwood Tree was safe. The danger had passed.
With a quiet consensus, everyone began to log off one by one, disappearing into particles of light as they returned to reality.
Leo was the last to log out. As he sat in the chair, staring at the places where his friends had been just a moment ago, he let out a wry smile. Despite all the bullshit and danger they had gone through in the last little while, he had to admit that this was the most fun he had in a long time.
As he began to disappear from the room himself, he quietly wished that he could continue to play and adventure with them in the days to come.