I looked at Harlan, confused. "What do you mean?"

  Harlan looked down at the ground, a hint of shame coloring his expression. "Alistair's injuries are beyond my abilities to heal," Harlan confessed. "But the power that you obtained from the Tree of Shadows might be able to heal him."

  I remembered the surge of power that had flowed through me when I had faced the Tree of Shadows. It had made me feel invincible, stronger than I had ever been before. But could it really heal Alistair?

  "How do I use it?" I asked Harlan.

  "You must tap into the power within you," Harlan said. "But beware, for it is a dangerous path. The power can consume you, and if you're not careful, it can turn you into something as dark and twisted as a Tree of Shadows."

  I swallowed nervously, my mind filling with memories of the clawing roots and lightless warrens beneath the Tree’s branches. But I was determined to save Alistair. This was simply a risk I had to take.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the power within me. I could feel it stirring, like a wild animal waiting to be unleashed.

  I opened my eyes and placed my hands on Alistair 's chest. I let the power flow through me, picturing it as a warm, golden light. The light spread from my hands and enveloped Alistair's body, seeping into his wounds.

  A surge of energy as the power flowed through me, renewing and healing Alistair's injuries as that golden light suffused Harlan’s cave. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The warmth spread through my body, making me feel as if I could do anything.

  After what felt like hours, the golden light faded. I opened my eyes and looked down at Alistair. His wounds were gone, and he was breathing normally. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with shock and gratitude.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice weak.

  I helped him sit up, relieved that he was okay. "How do you feel?" I asked.

  "Better," Alistair said, a faint smile on his lips. "You didn’t have to do that, Silverblade. We just met. You… you saved me.” Growing extremely serious, he clasped his fist over his heart and said, “I owe you my life. As a lord, you have the power to incur a life debt. I would be your sworn vassal from this day until my last, if you so wished."

  I shook my head. "That’s quite alright. I'm certain I owe you mine once or twice over at least. Let’s just call it even, Alistair."

  As soon as the conversation was over, though, I felt weird and shaky. The power that had flowed through me had left me feeling drained and hollow. I stumbled back, feeling as if my own energy had been sucked out of my body.

  Thalia caught me before I fell, her arms wrapping around me. "Tristan, are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

  I shook my head, feeling as if I had just run a marathon. "I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Harlan approached us, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Interesting," he said. "I've never seen someone use the power in such a way before."

  "What do you mean?" I asked, still feeling dazed.

  Harlan placed a hand on my forehead, his touch surprisingly gentle. "I can sense something different about you," he said. "As if the power has taken root inside you."

  "What does that mean?" Thalia asked, worry filling her voice.

  "It means that the power has become a part of Tristan," Harlan said. "It is a rare occurrence, but it has happened before. The power of the Tree of Shadows is not something to be taken lightly."

  I felt a chill run down my spine. What did it mean for me that the power had taken root inside me? Was I now more powerful? Or was I cursed to be consumed by it?

  "What do I do?" I asked Harlan.

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  "You must learn to control it," Harlan said. "Or it will control you. I will teach you, but it will not be easy."

  I nodded, determined to do whatever it took. I couldn't let the power consume me. I had a mission to complete, and I needed to be in control.

  Thalia squeezed my hand, offering her support. "We'll help you," she said.

  I smiled weakly, grateful for her and Alistair's support. We had a long road ahead of us, but with them by my side, I knew I could face anything. Together, we would find out who was behind the dark magic and put an end to their plans.

  For now though, I needed to rest. The power that had flowed through me had left me feeling drained, and already my eyes were growing heavy. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyelids, letting the darkness take me.

  As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for me. Would the power consume me, or would I be able to control it? Only time would tell. But one thing was certain: I was ready for whatever came my way.

  I might've been certain when I was drifting off to sleep, but when I was asleep and I was sure I was dreaming, things were different.

  In my dream, I was back in the clearing, facing the Tree of Shadows once again. But this time, it was different. The tree was larger, its branches reaching towards the sky like blackened claws. The roots dug deep into the ground, as if they were holding onto something.

  I approached cautiously, unsure of what to expect. As I drew closer, I could feel the power stirring within me once again. But this time, it didn't feel warm and comforting. It felt dangerous, like a fire that could burn out of control at any moment.

  I reached out to touch the bark of the tree, but as soon as my fingers brushed against it, the tree seemed to come alive. The branches whipped out, wrapping themselves around me and pulling me closer.

  I struggled against them, but they only tightened their grip. I could feel the darkness seeping into me, filling me up until I felt like I was drowning in it.

  Suddenly, a voice cut through the darkness.

  "Tristan! Wake up!"

  The voice was familiar, and I recognized it immediately. It was Thalia's voice, and it pulled me out of the darkness and back into reality.

  I opened my eyes and saw Thalia's worried face hovering over me. Alistair was standing next to her, concern etched on his face as well.

  "Are you okay?" Thalia asked, her hand on my forehead.

  I nodded, feeling disoriented. "Rough dream," I said, my voice hoarse.

  "A nightmare," Thalia corrected me. "You were thrashing around in your sleep. We were worried you were going to hurt yourself."

  I shook my head, trying to clear it. "What time is it?" I asked.

  "Late," Alistair said. "You've been asleep for hours."

  I groaned, feeling like I had wasted the day. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long."

  "Don't worry about it," Thalia said, giving me a small smile. "You needed the rest."

  I nodded, feeling grateful for their understanding. But I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered from my dream. The power within me felt like it was growing, and I wasn't sure I could control it.

  "We need to figure out our next move," I said, sitting up. "We can't just sit here and wait for whoever is behind the dark magic to make their move."

  Alistair nodded in agreement. "We need to gather information," he said. "Find out who's behind this and what they're planning."

  Thalia nodded. "But how do we do that?" she asked. "We don't exactly have a lot of leads."

  I thought for a moment, trying to come up with a plan. And then it hit me.

  "We need to go to the source," I said. "After we go back to the palace, we might need to go back to the Tree of Shadows."

  Thalia and Alistair both looked at me with surprise. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Thalia asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

  I nodded. "We don't have any other leads," I said. "And the power of the Tree might be able to give us more information."

  Alistair seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "It's risky," he said. "But it might be our only option."

  Thalia still looked uncertain, but she nodded as well. "Okay. But we have to be careful. We don't know what kind of dangers we might face.Let's see what happens when we return with the herb," she said softly. "Maybe Amara will have something more to go on. I don't necessarily want to go back into that forest unless we absolutely have to."

  Thalia was still injured. I understood how hesitant she was–I didn't want to go back either. The very idea of confronting the Tree again filled me with dread. But it had to be connected. I was sure it all had to be connected; the raid, my father's death, the prophecy, the attack from the Tree. All of it.

  I didn't know how it was connected yet, but I could feel it in my bones.

  The three of us sat in silence for a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settling in my stomach. Going back to the Tree of Shadows was a risky move, but it was the only lead we had.

  Finally, Alistair spoke up. "We need to be prepared," he said. "We don't know what kind of dangers we'll face, so we need to be ready for anything."

  Thalia nodded in agreement. "We can gather supplies and weapons at the palace before we go," she said. "And we need to make sure we have a plan in case things go wrong."

  I nodded, grateful for their level headedness. "That's a good idea," I said. "But let's not wait too long. I have a feeling time is running out."

  As we spoke, I could feel Old Man Harlan watching us. And I wasn't sure why, but it sent a shiver down my spine.