The further they walked, the warmer it became - not stifling, but sensual, like the interior of a mouth or the moment before a kiss. Jude's skin prickled. The hum had returned, low and steady, vibrating up through the soles of his feet and along his spine. It wasn't in his ears anymore - it was in his blood.
At last, the staircase opened into a vast chamber.
He stopped, stunned.
It wasn't a cave. It was a temple. But not one built by hands - grown by will. The walls curved upward into a dome of living wood, enormous petals stretching toward each other like fingers longing to touch. In the center, a pool of golden water shimmered, its surface perfectly still, reflecting the petals above.
Twelve raised beds of carved root circled the pool.
And in the middle of the chamber, a single platform pulsed with light.
The voice returned, soft in their minds. "This is the heart."
