Afterward, they continued. Silence again. The sunlight dimmed. Every rustle seemed deliberate, every breath a message.
They reached a small stream that wound sideways across the path. The water shone in sunlight, carrying scent of sulphur and stone. On the far bank was a cluster of the same fungi Grace had encountered, blue-veined, glowing faintly. Jude stood before it, feeling his chest tighten.
"This is the place," he breathed.
Lucy knelt to collect one. Touching the gill-sides gently. Emma took a small flask of water and poured a ritual offering. Natalie snapped photos of the mushrooms, knotting another ribbon.
Jude spoke softly: "These, I don't know if they cause the blackouts. But they're part of this." He looked at Emma. "You remember touching it. Where did it lead?"
Emma swallowed. "I remember feeling… something pull me. Like I was meant to stand there, to feed it. To give it something."
