> "This was his legacy. A flower that could shape entire eras of magic. And now... we need them to guide us through this place."

They walked for several hours into the forest. The trees ahead seemed to part, and Eddie noticed a faint, golden glow peeking through the gaps.

And then Catherine stopped abruptly.

"There it is!" Catherine stopped abruptly, Eddie, Markus and eventually Torrie bumped into her like a domino. She pointed toward the center of the clearing.

“What?!” Eddie hissed, looking annoyed. “You could’ve told us to stop, you know—“

“We have arrived at the gate!” Catherine said with a glee.

As Eddie stepped to the side to look at what in front of Catherine, he saw it.

At the heart of the space was a patch of delicate yellow flowers, their petals arranged in a near-perfect circle. They seemed to shimmer faintly, catching and reflecting light that wasn’t visible to the naked eye.

“Whoa,” Eddie finally said in awe, “I think I’ve seen those before.”

“Of course you have,” Catherine said with a smirk, “These are Eden Flowers!”

The group then gets closer to the clearing, as they arrive at the clearing, the darkness began to encapsulate them, save for the faint glow of the Eden Flowers at their center.

"Eden Flowers," Catherine murmured, kneeling beside them. Her hands brushed lightly over the petals, careful not to disturb their fragile beauty. "I didn’t think I’d find them here of all places."

Torrie dropped to her knees beside Catherine, "Are they a special flower, Aunt Catherine?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"They are here,” Catherine said, “But not in a city called Edenfield where they’re from. But in ancient times, they were widely cultivated. Eden Flowers are incredibly receptive to magic—ideal for enchantments, alchemical transmutations, and even energy storage. These might have been planted centuries ago, perhaps by Sage Consurion himself."

“The namesake of the city of Edenfield too, right?” Eddie said, sombre.

"You are correct," Catherine replied, her voice tinged with admiration. "This was his legacy. A flower that could shape entire eras of magic. And now... we need them to guide us through this place."

She stood, brushing the dirt from her white dress’s skirt. "I’ll prepare a transmutation circle to reveal a safe path. But first, I’ll need light. The process will eliminate the glow of the Eden Flowers for a few minutes."

“Yeah, I think we got some flashlight,” Eddie glanced at Markus. "Do you have it on you, Mark?"

“Oh, sure.” Markus said, then tapped at his jacket, then at his satchel…

Then his backpack… his expression is grim as he looked back to Eddie,

“Damn it. I think I left it back at the brewing room."

"You’re joking."

"Sorry.” Markus scratched the back of his head, his sheepish grin doing little to help. “I thought the forest would provide enough glow."

“Well,” Catherine sighed, “Maybe a few moments of darkness wouldn’t hurt, does it?”

“But I’m afraid of the dark!” Torrie plead, “Also what if there is a monster behind us?!”

“Look it’s alright, Torrie.” Eddie said, putting his hand on Torrie’s shoulder

“Alright…” Catherine said, “Here I go…”

Catherine took her staff and pierced it to the dirt below, her staff tracing elegant, sweeping arcs across the ground. Her movements fluid like dances, as she wove intricate patterns into the soil.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The transmutation circle began to take shape, an intricate fusion of artistry and precision. The elven language spiraled outward.

Interwoven with the runes were geometric designs of a distinctly foreign origin, their angular lines and curved edges forming a perfect harmony with the fluid Elven script. It was a style originating from the Far East, known for its symmetry and balance, and it added an otherworldly mysticism to the circle.

The group watched Catherine at work in silence, the clearing lit only by the fading glow of the Eden Flowers.

Torrie stood close to Eddie, her hands gripping the edge of his coat tightly. Her wide eyes darted nervously to the growing shadows around them, the encroaching darkness pressing in like a living thing.

"I don’t like this," Torrie whispered, her voice trembling. "It’s too dark. What if something’s out there?"

Eddie glanced down at his little sister. Her fear palpable; the way her fingers clutched his coat. She was trying to be brave, but the darkness seemed to stretch endlessly around them, and the faint rustle of leaves only deepened her unease.

Sensing, her fear, Eddie sighed. Torrie is always afraid of the dark, there is no other way to get light it seems.

"Fine," Eddie sighed. "I’ve got this."

He reached into Torrie’s backpack, pulling out a wand that had been tucked away among her belongings. The wood was plain, its surface worn smooth from years of use, but as Eddie held it, a faint warmth spread through his fingers, familiar and comforting.

He focused on the gunpowder he carried on his other satchel, channeling its latent energy into the spell.

A small flame ignited at the tip of the wand, flickering and dancing in the growing darkness. The warm, golden light illuminated Torrie’s face, chasing away the shadows and softening the lines of worry etched across her features.

"There," Eddie said, holding the wand low next to Torrie. The firelight illuminated Torrie and the flowers, “Happy now?”

Torrie nodded quickly, her grip on his coat loosening. "Yeah... thanks," she said softly, her voice still a little shaky but steadier than before.

The firelight cast dancing shadows across their faces and glinted off the edges of Catherine’s transmutation circle.

Catherine paused, stepping back to admire her handiwork with a satisfied smile. The flowers themselves seemed to shimmer faintly, their golden hues complementing the firelight of Eddie’s spell.

"You’ve still got it, huh?" Markus taps his elbow towards Eddie.

"It’s just a light.” Eddie shrugged, avoiding Markus’s gaze. “Torrie’s scared of the dark, and nobody else had one handy."

Catherine clapped her hands, drawing their attention back to her. "Alright, folks," she said. "It’s going to be dark for a while, so stick close."

She knelt at the center of the intricately etched transmutation circle, her staff resting lightly across her knees.

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as the clearing fell silent.

Rustling leaves and distant chirps fading into an almost oppressive quiet.

For a moment, it seemed as though nothing would happen.

Then, subtly at first, the glow of the surrounding Eden Flowers began to dim. Their golden radiance, a natural luminescence that had lit the forest edge, flickered faintly before extinguishing one by one.

The clearing plunged into total darkness, save for the flickering orange light of Eddie’s wand, its fire casting long, shifting shadows over the group and the inert circle.

Torrie clung to Eddie’s arm, her wide eyes darting nervously around the shadowed clearing.

But then, a faint hum broke through the darkness—a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to pulse from the earth itself.

The Eden Flowers' glow began to return, but not to their blossoms. Instead, their golden light streamed toward the transmutation circle, like threads of liquid light weaving their way into its grooves and runes.

A wave of energy burst outward from Catherine’s transmutation circle, a ripple of power that swept over the clearing, rustling the leaves and sending a chill upwards.

At first Eddie was wondering what those forces was, why is it coming seemingly from underneath the transmutation circle?

But then he remembered, it was mana.

The runes etched into the dirt ignited, glowing with an otherworldly golden glow that once emitted from the Eden Flowers.

Catherine remained still at the center, her posture serene even as the manas enveloped her. Her short, apple-red hair began to rise, defying gravity as if lifted by an unseen force.

The light of the circle reflected in her closed eyes, and her expression was one of deep concentration, her connection to the magic undeniable.

The glow reached its zenith, the clearing bathed in shimmering golden light, before it began to subside. The runes dimmed.

Their golden glow ebbing away until the circle was dark once more. The clearing returned to the stillness it once was, the only light now coming from Eddie’s spell.

“Eddie, look!” Torrie said, pointing to the dark bushes ahead.

Eddie looks towards the spot she pointed, then, just as quickly as the glow had faded, a new light appeared.

It was soft, golden, and steady. A single Eden Flower ahead of them began to glow again, brighter than before.

Another followed.

Then another.

The blossoms igniting one by one in a line that stretched forward into the dark forest.

The flowers formed two parallel rows, their light creating a luminous pathway that cut through the shadows.

In the center of the now-dormant transmutation circle, the Eden Flower glowed softly, its light flickering before returning to its natural state.

Catherine opened her eyes and took in the sight before her, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"The Forest has granted us safe passage through the Traveller’s Path," she said, her voice brimming with satisfaction and awe.

She rose gracefully, brushing dirt from her dress’s white skirt.

"What are we waiting for?"