The Lantern Grove

A sense of calm and quiet overwhelmed the Lantern Grove. The fading lights—once vibrant enough to paint the night sky in hues of emerald and violet—were dim now, flickering like dying stars. Sora knelt beside the oldest Lantern Plant, running her fingers over its leaves. The surface warmed her hands as it pulsed softly under her touch. It hummed, low and mournful, like a song with no words.

"Not yet," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Don’t go out on me now."

Her grandmother once told her that the Lantern Plants were alive—not just in how plants breathed and grew, but in how humans dreamed. They carried the echoes of a world that had long since crumbled, their roots holding on to what little history remained. As she watched the lights fade more each week, each year, she felt the weight of their loss heavy on her spirit.

One lantern caught her eye as she rose, wiping her dirt-streaked hands on her tunic. It stood apart from the others, its glow stronger and steadier—a defiant ember in the encroaching dark. A faint, distinct, and melodic hum resonated from it.

Interested, Sora bent down again, her fingers hovering over the delicate stem. Light burst from the Lantern, warm and golden, and she stumbled back as a voice, soft but robotic, whispered into the darkening night:

“Seek the Nexus. It holds the key to renewal.”

Sora stared at the plant, her breath shallow, heart racing. For years, they had whispered fragments of forgotten knowledge, broken messages from people forgotten to time. Never before had she heard a complete sentence.

Her small community had long ago accepted the reality of the Lantern Network fading away as the plants died. It’s why they’d worked so hard to become self-sufficient. Growing crops, building a fortress, and combat training - just in case. Sora recalled faint memories of the days when her community would receive messages and information from other clusters of survivors, but they stopped before she could even form a solid memory.

Talk of the Nexus also died years ago. Rumours used to fly about the heart of the Network, a bustling landscape of Lantern Plants where snippets of history and important messages were harboured, saved, and distributed. The plants' energizing, electric life force brought light and life to anyone who harvested the information.

But the hope of finding this epicentre died as humanity crumbled further and pockets of survivors became increasingly isolated.

Back at her family’s small home, Sora wrestled with the discovery, torn between hope and reality. But with no idea what to do, she had to seek guidance.

“How are things out in the Grove today, honey?” Her mom, Kaida, asked as they sat down for dinner. Her brother and father were out scouting and hunting.

“Well, the plants keep dimming. It’s sad. But today…” Sora trailed off as she cast her eyes down and moved food around on her plate.

“What happened?”

“I got a full message.”

Kaida’s eyebrow shot up. “Are you sure it wasn’t a coincidence? They spout random words and sounds all the time."

“No, mom. It said… “Seek the Nexus. It holds the key to renewal.”

Kaida bristled. “Honey, the Nexus doesn’t exist. It’s an old rumour. The Network relied on people passing messages through their communities.”

“So why did the plant tell me about it?”

“It’s probably just an old fragment from when the rumours flew and groups searched.

“Where did they search?”

“Mostly the Wastelands. But they only found radioactive dirt and craters deep enough to swallow you whole.”

As she lay in bed later that night, her mind reverted to the plant and the Nexus. Her chest tightened as she thought of her late grandmother, Isolde. She loved the plants. She believed in the Nexus. Unable to sleep, Sora gathered some essentials in a small duffel and formed a plan.

She woke extra early the next day, determined to find more answers. Slinking quietly out of the house, she stopped by the Lantern Grove, hoping for another message from the plant. To her dismay, the plant that told her about the Nexus had faded entirely, its light extinguished.

Knowing she must be gone before the first light, Sora set off for the Broken City. Once an epicentre of war for rival factions, it was now a dangerous pile of rubble and discarded technology. Though unsure of what she sought, Sora knew of nothing else beyond her sheltered Forest Sanctuary.

The sun had just risen in the purple sky when Sora found a small building with an intact basement room. She carefully stepped through a jagged hole in the floor and lowered herself onto the cracked floor. She looked around in awe at the maps and images plastered on the walls.

“Seems a little far-fetched, doesn’t it?”

Too lost in thought to hear the footsteps behind her, Sora gasped as she spun around to face a haggard, dirty, smiling young man.

“Uh, no, well, I - sorry, is this? Where…”

The man chuckled, raising his hands. “It’s alright; it’s not like I own the place. But it’s the best shelter I can find.” He gestured to the images on the wall. “I was exiled from my last settlement for always trying to locate the Nexus. They said I was wasting our resources and confusing the children.”

Tilting his head to the side, he looked down at Sora, “I’m Jax. What are you doing out here?”

Taking a deep breath, Sora spoke cautiously, “I don’t actually know. My plants are dying, have been since I was born. But yesterday, one told me to “seek the Nexus” because it “holds the key to renewal.” I’ve never gotten a proper message before. This is the only place I know of other than my home… so I started here.”

Sora stopped herself before she let her anxiety spill more information to this peculiar stranger.

Jax’s eyes widened so much Sora thought they might pop out of his head. “You’ve seen plants with light left in them?”

“Y-yes, you haven’t?”

“We thought the Network was completely dead. No one I’ve ever met has seen a plant with life, let alone a message. Granted, I haven’t met many people since it seems everyone’s dead. But still."

An awkward silence fell as Jax turned his attention back to the maps on the wall. “I was going to make another trek out there today and keep searching, if you’d like to join.”

Sora folded her arms and stepped back. She studied Jax as he scanned the markings. Her instincts nagged at her—she didn’t know this man and his obsession with the Nexus felt… unsettling.

“Why should I trust you? You’ve been exiled, live in a ruin, and seem obsessed.”

Jax turned to her, his expression amused. “Well, when you put it like that, I sound like a terrible option, don’t I?” He shrugged. “But I’ve been searching for months, making these maps. I got kicked out over it, so I’ve gotta prove them wrong, right? Let me show you something that might change your mind."

He reached into his satchel and carefully pulled out a small object wrapped in faded cloth.

The device looked as dead as the plants. Its translucent casing shimmered faintly as filaments shifted, like roots searching for soil

“What is that?” Sora asked, her skepticism wavering.

“It’s called a Lumin Node,” Jax said as he held it up like a rare gem. “I scavenged it from a lab years ago. The label on its cubby was almost entirely ripped off. I don’t know what it does, but it glows the same colour as the plants in old pictures.”

Sora held out her hand, “Can I see it?”

Jax carefully placed it in her palm and gasped as it lit up with a soft chime. The tendrils inside came to life, and the casing popped open, emitting a faint light onto the wall. Jax and Sora watched with wide eyes as a message slowly scrawled across the wall in a strange language.

“Well, I guess it likes you.” Jax finally said as the light faded and the device closed itself.

“And it hates you.” Sora meant it as a question but it came out like a statement.

As she held the Lumin Node, Sora felt a spark in her spirit—similar to how she felt tending to the plants, but stronger.

“Any chance you know that language?” Jax’s voice broke through her transfixed thoughts.

“No, but maybe we can find out.” Sora glanced over her shoulder through the hole in the basement’s ceiling, reckoning she had no choice but to use Jax’s maps to her advantage. “It’s getting lighter out. We should go if there’s any chance of making progress today.”

Sora and Jax searched tirelessly for several days, making it to the Wastelands by day two of their trek. They rationed the water Jax brought, harvested wild berries, and took shelter under dying trees. Just when they were growing weary and ready to give up, Jax spotted a faintly lit Lantern nestled in the decayed trunk of a fallen tree.

Kneeling beside it, he could hardly contain his excitement. “Look at the glow, it’s green but also purple… it’s so soft! And…” He bent down and held his ear next to its largest leaf. “It’s like it’s…talking, but mumbled.”

Sora smiled through her exhaustion, “My Forest Sanctuary at home is full of plants like that one… all trying their best to communicate, but without enough light, they just can’t.”

Grateful for a small respite, Sora sat cross-legged and revelled in the relief of getting off her feet. She lifted her face to the sky and took in the sun’s purple rays as she tried to calm her mind. As she opened her eyes again, another green glow caught her eye.

“Jax, another one!”

Jumping up, they both ran to the other plant, barely pulsing with a soft green hue.

“And another!” Jax ran forward again, Sora close behind him.

Sora stopped suddenly as she looked at the way forward.

“Jax… up there,” Sora’s breath caught as she pointed.

Both stood in awe of the massive array of bright, lively plants lining a faint path into the distance.

Pulling himself out of the trance, Jax pulled his map out of the satchel and examined their current location.

“We’re definitely near where some thought the Nexus could be…” He trailed off and looked ahead.

As they walked, the path slowly grew more prominent, and the plants became brighter and more plentiful. Their excitement grew as they reached the top of a large, gentle slope, and a vast, sprawling tree appeared up ahead.

Jax and Sora ran at the sight, their excitement growing as they approached. They slowed as they reached the base and gazed in awe at the thick branches, bright leaves, and the mass of vibrant Lantern plants crowding the tree’s base.

Jax reached out to touch a giant root, anticipation tingling in his fingers.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

The sudden voice jolted them back to reality as they turned and saw a small figure crouched and ready to jump, pointing a long blade at them.

Sora and Jax exchanged a worried glance as they raised their hands and took a few steps back.

“We’re looking for the Nexus,” Sora stated, unsure what else to say.

“You found it. Now leave,” the old woman said, pulling her hood back. She stepped forward and swung her blade.

“We’re just looking for some answers. Most people don’t think this place exists. I’ve never seen a lit plant before today.” Jax said, keeping steady eye contact with the woman as her shoulders tensed.

“Liar. These are the only plants left. You’re not touching them."

“We don’t want to hurt them,” Sora started. “But they aren’t the only ones left. My family tends to a small Lantern Grove in the Forest Sanctuary. But they’re all dying. Finding the Nexus is the last chance to save the plants and reconnect the Network.”

The woman’s stance faltered slightly. “That can’t be. My grandfather died and left me to guard the Nexus. He said humanity had fallen. The Network died. If anyone came here, they meant to destroy the Tree, and anyone left alive.”

Sora shook her head. “There are rogue factions, but survivors are also trying to rebuild. Many are losing hope, though. The plants are dying, their messages turning to gibberish. But one in my grove spoke the other day… it told me to find the Nexus.”

The woman lowered her blade but still glared skeptically. “Why should I believe you?”

Sora looked at Jax, who nodded immediately.

“Let me show you this,” Sora said as she pulled out the Lumin Node, carefully unwrapping it from the faded cloth.

It blinked on just like before, much louder and brighter this time. The filament inside moved in a frenzy as the plants around them grew stronger and louder.

“It can’t be…” The woman whispered, taking a step forward, eyes wide. “It’s the last Lumin Node.” She brought her free hand up to cover her open mouth, eyes unblinking.

“The last one?” Jax said, eyebrows raised.

The woman nodded, not taking her eyes off the glow in Sora’s hands. “They were destroyed in the Great War. It’s why the Network faded. But one remained online, its location unknown.”

“It showed us a message earlier, but we didn’t understand,” Sora said as she gently pointed it toward the ground. Sure enough, it began writing its unknown message.

The woman watched intently. “It’s the language of the Nexus Guardians. Kept secret as a safeguard in case of mass destruction.” She said, a smile creeping across her face. “Can I take the Node?”

“What does it say?” Sora asked, taking a step back.

“Let me show you.” She said, holding out her shaking hand.

Sora slowly handed it over. As soon as it landed in the mystery woman’s hand, its light became even more potent, and its chime became louder.

“Follow me,” The woman said, leading them toward the giant Tree at the end of the path.

They walked right into the hollow base of the massive trunk, whose roots towered well over their heads. Inside, they found a mass of branches and vines tangled together, pulsing like a heart.

Slowly, the woman knelt and placed the Lumin Node on an outstretched branch of the pulsing heart. The thin tendrils inside the Node merged. After a moment, the heart of the Nexus slowed as it lowered the Lumin Node back into the hands of the mystery woman; the last remaining Nexus Guard.

She smiled wryly up at Jax and Sora and slowly opened the intricate case to reveal a single, glowing seed.