I Can See Evolution Paths

Luna had just explained that the path ahead led toward the place where the Fire Mirror was sealed.

Arthur’s eyes immediately brightened. "Even better. Let’s go."

Luna blinked. "That’s your reaction?"

Arthur looked at her. "You just told me we’re heading toward an ancient sealed Mirror hidden inside a mysterious cavern." He gestured toward the darkness. "Of course I’m interested."

Sun let out a laugh. "At least he’s honest."

Vedas shook his head, though this time there was an amused smile on his face. "I suppose we were going to end up here eventually."

Arthur looked at him. "See? Vedas understands me."

Vedas chuckled. "I understand that trying to stop you is usually pointless."

Arthur grinned. "That’s different."

Mithra laughed. "Not really."

They began following the path. The environment changed almost immediately. The previous cavern sections had been dominated by heat, geysers, and dangerous terrain. This section was different. The stone was older. The walls were smoother. The steam thinned considerably. And most importantly, there were carvings everywhere.

Arthur slowed down. "Wait."

Everyone stopped.

Arthur looked toward the wall. "There."

Athena immediately moved beside him. She saw the carvings, and her eyes widened before she reached into her bag.

Arthur looked at her. "What are you doing?"

Athena pulled out her notebook. "Documenting this."

She was already writing before she finished speaking.

Arthur smiled. "You really like this stuff."

Athena looked at the wall with genuine excitement. "Do you have any idea how old this could be?"

Arthur shrugged. "Very old?"

Athena looked at him. "That’s not an answer."

Arthur laughed. "I knew you’d say that."

Athy flew closer and began studying the carvings beside Athena.

"These symbols are different from the ones near the entrance," she said.

Athena paused and looked at her. "You noticed that?"

Athy nodded. "The lines are deeper too."

Athena leaned closer. After comparing the two sections, her eyes brightened.

"You’re right."

She pulled another notebook from her bag and handed it to Athy.

"Can you record that section for me?"

Athy’s eyes lit up. "Sure."

She happily accepted the notebook and flew toward the opposite side of the wall.

Arthur watched the two of them. "So I’ve got two researchers now?"

Athy smiled proudly. "I’m helping Athena."

Athena nodded. "And she already noticed something I missed."

Mithra laughed. "You two are going to be here all day, aren’t you?"

Athena looked back at the carvings.

"Possibly."

Arthur smiled. "Take your time. We don’t have anywhere else to be."

Athena started carefully recording everything. She sketched symbols, wrote down their positions, noted the differences in the stone, even measured the approximate size of the carvings.

Mithra watched her for a moment. "You’re really enjoying this."

Athena didn’t even look up. "Of course I am." She suddenly pulled another notebook from her bag and handed it to Mithra. "Here."

Mithra blinked. "For me?"

"Draw this section."

Mithra looked at the enormous carving, then at Athena. "You trust my drawing?"

Athena smiled. "I need another set of observations."

Mithra happily accepted the notebook. "All right." She knelt beside the wall and began carefully copying the carving.

Arthur watched them. "You two look like you’re studying for an exam."

Mithra smiled. "We’re doing something important."

Sun looked over. "You mean we’re actually going to remember this later?"

Mithra looked at him. "Probably."

Sun nodded. "Good enough."

Arthur moved farther along the wall. The first major carving depicted enormous Beasts fighting. Some were flying. Some were using elemental abilities. Others were tearing into the ground. The scale was enormous.

Arthur stared. "That’s a war."

Vedas walked beside him. "Between Beasts."

Athy flew closer to the mural, carefully studying the creatures spread across the wall.

"Some of them aren’t fighting."

Arthur looked toward her. "What do you mean?"

Athy pointed toward a group of smaller Beasts near the edge of the carving.

"Those ones are staying behind the larger Beasts."

Athena immediately moved closer.

"She’s right."

Arthur studied the scene again. "They’re protecting them."

Athy nodded. "It looks like it."

Athena quickly wrote the observation into her notebook.

Arthur smiled. "Good catch."

Athy’s eyes brightened. "I found something."

Arthur laughed. "You did."

Athena continued studying the mural before Arthur pointed toward one enormous Beast. "What do you think that one is?"

Athena studied it. "I’m not sure."

Luna moved closer. She looked at it for several seconds. "I don’t recognize it either."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Even your grandfather’s records didn’t mention it?"

Luna shook her head. "No."

Arthur looked back at the carving. "Then this is older than your village’s history."

Athena’s eyes practically shone. "That’s exactly what I was thinking."

Arthur glanced at her. "You look happy."

Athena smiled. "Because this might be the oldest historical record we’ve found."

Mithra looked up from her notebook. "How old?"

Athena hesitated. "I don’t know yet."

Arthur grinned. "So we’re guessing."

Athena nodded. "Educated guessing."

Sun raised a hand. "What’s the difference?"

Athena calmly answered. "I’m the one doing it."

Sun lowered his hand. "Fair enough."

Arthur didn’t simply look at the pictures. He started comparing them. He noticed that the Beasts weren’t randomly positioned. Some were facing one direction. Others appeared to be defending smaller creatures.

Athena noticed the same thing. Arthur pointed. "These ones aren’t attacking."

Athena moved closer. "You’re right." She wrote something down. "They’re protecting the smaller Beasts."

Luna looked at the scene. "Maybe they were fighting something else."

Arthur looked toward her. "You don’t know?"

Luna shook her head. "I’ve never seen these carvings before."

Arthur nodded. "Then let’s figure it out ourselves."

Athena smiled. "Exactly."

Kong looked at the carving. "Maybe they fought each other."

Sun looked at him. "That’s your theory?"

Kong nodded. "Beasts fight."

Sun thought about it. "Honestly, that’s not a terrible theory."

Melo’s tails swayed. "Maybe there was something stronger than all of them."

Arthur looked toward Melo. "That’s possible."

Melo looked pleased. "I knew you’d agree."

Vedas looked at the carving. "Or they were fighting over territory."

Arthur nodded. "That would explain the groups."

Athena wrote that down too.

Mithra looked at her. "You’re writing everyone’s theories?"

"Even if they’re wrong."

Sun pointed at himself. "Especially mine?"

Athena smiled. "Especially yours."

Sun sighed. "I suddenly regret participating."

Everyone laughed.

Eventually the war scenes disappeared. The next carving was completely different. A gigantic tree dominated the wall, its branches spreading across the entire scene, its roots reaching beneath countless creatures. Beasts rested beneath its branches. Plants grew around its roots. Some creatures appeared to be eating fruit. Others were sleeping. The atmosphere was peaceful.

Arthur became quiet. "That’s completely different."

Athena stopped writing. She stared at the carving. "Yes."

Luna approached slowly. "I’ve never seen a tree like that."

Arthur pointed toward the roots. "Look."

Thin lines had been carved from the roots toward the creatures surrounding the tree.

Athy flew closer.

"Those lines..."

Athena leaned forward. "What about them?"

Athy pointed toward one of the creatures.

"They’re all connected."

Arthur looked more carefully.

She was right. The lines weren’t random. They extended from the tree’s roots toward the surrounding creatures, almost like veins spreading through the ground.

Athena’s expression brightened.

"Mana channels."

Arthur looked at her. "You think the tree was supplying them?"

Athena nodded. "Possibly mana, nutrients, or something similar."

Athy nodded. "It wasn’t only sheltering them."

Arthur looked back at the enormous tree.

"It was supporting everything around it."

Athena immediately began writing again.

"If something like this once existed here, it could explain the unusual mana density and the variety of life in the Everglades."

Arthur looked toward the ancient tree.

"Then the entire ecosystem might have grown around it."

Athy looked at the carving. "I wonder what happened to it."

Arthur turned toward Luna. "Did your grandfather ever mention something like this?"

Luna thought. "He talked about the forest."

Arthur waited.

"But not this."

Athena looked at her. "Never?"

Luna shook her head. "He said the Everglades had always been dangerous, but he never told me that something could have once supported all of it."

Arthur became thoughtful. "Then either your grandfather didn’t know—" He looked at the carving. "Or he didn’t want you to know."

Luna’s expression tightened.

The group continued. The peaceful scene changed again. Now humans appeared. Hundreds of them. They stood beneath the enormous tree. But they weren’t fighting. They were kneeling. Some bowed their heads. Others raised their hands toward the tree.

Luna’s eyes widened. "People."

Athena slowly approached. "They were worshipping it."

Vedas studied the carving. "Or they feared it."

Arthur looked at him. "Could be both."

Mithra looked between the humans and the tree. "They really built their lives around it."

Arthur nodded. "Looks like it."

Eden, who had been quiet while looking at the carvings, floated closer. "Do you think the tree was good?"

Arthur looked at her, then back at the carving. "I don’t know."

Eden tilted her head.

Arthur smiled. "That’s what makes it interesting."

Eden nodded. "Then we’ll find out."

Arthur laughed softly. "Exactly."

Athena was now filling pages. Mithra had several sketches beside her.

Mithra looked at her own drawing. "Is this good?"

Athena looked over. Her expression brightened. "Very."

Mithra smiled. "Really?"

"You captured the symbols better than I expected."

Mithra placed a hand against her chest. "I’ll have you know I have many talents."

Arthur looked over. "You forgot sword fighting."

Mithra looked at him. "That’s obvious."

Arthur laughed.

Athena continued writing. "If we can map the entire sequence, we might be able to determine what happened here."

Arthur looked at her notebook. "You’re basically rebuilding their history."

Athena nodded. "That’s what I’m trying to do."

Arthur smiled. "Then keep going."

Athena looked at him. "You actually want me to?"

"Of course." He gestured toward the walls. "We’re probably the first people to see this in centuries."

Athena’s eyes brightened again. "Then I definitely need to record everything."

The next section of the wall changed again. Five circular objects appeared around the great tree.

Luna immediately recognized them. "The Mirrors."

Arthur stepped closer. "All five?"

Luna nodded.

Athena immediately began copying them. Arthur looked between the five symbols. "They’re positioned differently."

Athena noticed it too. "You’re right." She compared the symbols. "They’re not simply five identical objects."

Luna looked at them. "Each Mirror has its own symbol."

Arthur pointed toward one. "Fire."

Luna nodded. Then another. Another. Another. They could identify four. The fifth was damaged.

Arthur crouched beside it. The stone around the symbol had been deliberately scratched away.

Athena knelt beside him. "This wasn’t natural."

Mithra looked at the damage. "Someone did that?"

Athena nodded. "Almost certainly."

Luna looked increasingly uncomfortable. "That’s the Fire Mirror."

Arthur looked at her. "You’re sure?"

"Yes."

Arthur looked at the damaged carving. "Why would someone erase it?"

Luna shook her head. "I don’t know."

Arthur looked toward Athena. "Any ideas?"

Athena considered it. "Maybe they wanted to hide where it was."

Arthur nodded. "That makes sense."

Vedas looked at the damaged symbol. "Or they didn’t want anyone to remember it."

That made everyone pause.

Arthur looked at Vedas. "That’s possible too."

Arthur reached toward the damaged symbol. This time Vedas didn’t stop him. Instead he watched with a faint amused smile.

Mithra noticed. "You’re actually letting him do it?"

Vedas shrugged. "I’d rather see what happens than spend another five minutes arguing."

Arthur looked over. "Good choice."

Vedas laughed. "Don’t make me regret it."

Arthur placed his hand against the stone. At first nothing happened. Then, warmth spread through the wall.

Arthur immediately pulled his hand away.

Athena’s eyes widened. "Did you feel that?"

Arthur nodded. "It reacted."

Luna took a step closer. "That’s impossible."

Arthur looked at her. "Why?"

Luna stared at the damaged symbol. "Because the Fire Mirror has been sealed for generations."

The symbol suddenly gave off a faint golden orange glow. Everyone reacted. Mithra stopped drawing. Sun straightened. Kong looked toward the wall. Melo’s tails rose. Athy fluttered closer to Athena. Even Vedas’s amused expression disappeared.

Arthur stared at the glowing symbol. "Interesting."

A distant roar echoed through the cavern. Everyone turned toward the darkness.

Kong’s ears immediately perked up. "More?"

Sun sighed. "I guess we aren’t getting a peaceful walk after all."

Melo’s five tails slowly spread. "At least we’re getting closer."

Vedas rested his hand against his spear and gave a faint smile. "Looks like the cavern doesn’t want to make this easy."

Arthur’s eyes shone. "Even better."

Mithra laughed. "I knew you’d say that."

Athy flew back toward Athena. "Should we finish recording first?"

Athena looked at the approaching darkness. She closed her notebook. "We’ll have to continue later."

Athy nodded and tucked her own notebook away. "Then let’s go."

Arthur looked toward the darkness. The roar came again. This time it was much closer.

Arthur smiled. "Let’s see what we’re dealing with."

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