Chapter 67: The Root of Ruin
The black vine curled upward, slick and pulsing like a vein filled with something vile. It twisted unnaturally in the air, reaching for nothing, sensing everything. The moment it appeared, the forest changed. The air grew heavier, harder to breathe. The light faded as if swallowed by some unseen mouth.
Luna stumbled back, dragging in a sharp breath.
"No," she whispered. "It’s not over."
The vine twitched, sensing her.
Then more cracks appeared across the scorched ground, and one by one, more vines began to push through—some thin, some thick, all dark and moving with a will of their own. They slithered like serpents, wrapping around roots, rocks, anything nearby. One of them snaked toward Dante.
"Watch out!" Luna screamed.
Dante spun, drawing his blade, a
