Page 33 of Eternal Thorns

“When you figure it out,” Kai continued, ignoring the interruption, “remember who's been covering your ass since we were twelve.”

Silas reached over and gripped his friend's shoulder. “As if I could forget. You're stuck with me, fancy coat and all.”

“Gods help me,” Kai muttered, but his smile said everything about how he really felt.

The breakfast tray sat forgotten as Silas pulled the bark-bound journal into his lap. Something had changed in how he perceived its contents - the cipher that had given him headaches yesterday now seemed to flow naturally under his eyes, like reading a familiar language he'd forgotten he knew.

“This is weird,” he muttered, turning a page. New text appeared as he read, elegant annotations in dark green ink emerging beside the original writing. He recognized the handwriting from his dream. It was Thorne’s.

One note warned beside a particularly complex diagram.

Caution here, human magic tends toward structure while forest power favors flow. The balance point between them requires careful attention.

“The journal's different,” Kai said, peering over his shoulder. “Those notes weren't there before.”

“They were. We just couldn't see them.” Silas traced the strange symbols, feeling how they resonated with the key'swarmth. “It's like the dream opened something in my mind. Or maybe reminded me of something I already knew.”

He stopped at a passage that made his breath catch. The page detailed the key's creation, accompanied by Thorne's extensive annotations.

Not mere artifice, the guardian had written, but living bond. The key serves as both bridge and balance point between realms. Its power draws from both sources, requiring harmony to function properly. Warning: imbalance on either side risks catastrophic feedback.

Without really thinking about it, Silas found himself copying a gesture illustrated in the margin. The key flared hot in his other hand, and suddenly the room transformed.

Colors deepened and brightened. The m Thisorning light took on substance, revealing currents of power that had always been present but previously invisible. Thornhaven as it once was shimmered around them like a double exposure over reality. Harmonious magic woven into every surface, human craft and forest power intertwined in intricate patterns.

The walls bore hidden markings now visible. But most striking was the network of ley lines running through the manor's foundation, connecting it to the forest beyond like roots of a great tree.

Silas watched in wonder as the patterns shifted, each one telling stories of how this place once bridged two worlds. He reached out, tracing one particularly intricate design with his fingers. The magic responded instantly, sending ripples of silver light cascading through other connected lines.

Beside him, Kai had gone very still. Something in his expression made Silas pause - his friend was staring at the magical display with an odd mix of recognition and resignation, like someone finally facing a truth they'd long avoided.

The vision faded gradually, but its effects lingered. The room felt more alive now, as if they'd reminded it of its true nature.

“I need to tell you something,” Kai said into the humming silence. His usual humor had given way to an uncharacteristic seriousness. “That magic you just did? I've seen it before. Not exactly the same, but similar enough.”

Silas turned to his friend, noting how Kai's hands shook slightly as he gestured at the fading patterns. “What do you mean?”

“My grandmother.” Kai's fingers twisted in his lap. “Everyone thought she was just a folk healer, but she was more than that. She was a hedge witch - one of the last who still knew the old ways of working with forest magic. Before fear made people forget, before they started seeing the forest as enemy instead of ally.”

“Wait.” Silas set the journal down, anger flaring suddenly. “You've been acting completely ignorant about all of this. Warning me about magic, treating everything like it's dangerous and unknown. That was all an act?”

Kai flinched. “Not exactly. I was supposed to watch, not interfere. To see if you'd recognize the signs on your own.”

“Signs of what? And who exactly told you to watch me?” The key grew hot against Silas's chest, responding to his emotion.

“Your grandmother and mine, they're connected to all this somehow. They've been working together for years, keeping old knowledge alive, waiting for...” Kai gestured helplessly at the key, the journal, the magical marks now visible on the walls. “For this, I guess. For an Ashworth who might actually remember.”

“So our whole friendship, was that part of the watching too?” The hurt in Silas's voice made Kai stand abruptly.

“Don't you dare. Everything about our friendship is real. That's why they chose me - because they knew I'd actually care what happened to you, not just follow orders blindly.”

Silence stretched between them, heavy with years of shared history and newly revealed secrets.

“Why tell me now?” Silas finally asked.

“Because I can't pretend anymore. That magic you just did? It's exactly what my grandmother said to watch for. The way the key responds to you, how you understand things you shouldn't possibly know.” Kai ran a hand through his hair. “She said when true forest magic awakens in an Ashworth again, they'd need someone who understood both worlds. Someone who could help them navigate between old knowledge and new dangers.”

The key pulsed warmly, as if confirming this revelation. Silas looked again at the journal, seeing new significance in its contents. Not just historical record, but practical guide. Not just what was lost, but how it might be rebuilt.

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