Nerina stepped forward, pulling a small, polished stone from a pouch at her side. It glowed with the same silver light Aspen had seen in the visions. “This is the Heartstone. It contains a fragment of the Torrent’s power. With it, a Guardian can channel the water’s memory, heal what is broken, or, if misused, drown the world in endless flood.”
Aspen felt a strange warmth bloom in her chest. She reached out and touched the arch. The symbols flared, and a torrent of images flooded her mind: her father, younger, laughing as he taught her how to tie a knot; the night of the storm, the water turning into a raging beast; the moment he placed a silver amulet into the stone and whispered an incantation; the water calming, a thin silver thread of light weaving through the gorge. Aspen 8 Torrent
Aspen’s mouth went dry. “You… you know my name?” Nerina stepped forward, pulling a small, polished stone
Aspen clenched the Heartstone tighter. The pulse quickened, matching the rhythm of the chime that still rang in her ears. She took a step forward, then another, moving toward the edge where the water threatened to spill over the arch. It contains a fragment of the Torrent’s power