Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

At the Safehouse the shadows dance and animals murmurs. Half the forest had fled with the animals. The eastern field was scorched in places, broken branches crackling beneath every step.
Antonio stood on the front porch, staring out past the gate where his daughter had disappeared
William joined him quietly, hands folded behind his back. “We’ve had more peaceful seasons.”
“She left,” Antonio said, his voice dry. “Just like her mother once did.”
“She’s not Mira,” William replied.
“No,” Antonio said. “She’s better. But now she’s out there, with two people who’ve already taught her to run.”
The War Room – Beneath the House
The underground tech room, hidden behind a panel of the library’s wall, glowed cold blue. Theo was typing furiously, dozens of encrypted screens tracking federal chatter, satellite activity, and rogue drone reports.
“Third surveillance balloon over Hudson range disabled,” he said. “They’re scanning for her heat signature and botanic bloom levels. They’re not even hiding it.”
Christian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw tight. “We need to delete her from every system — traffic cams, hospital logs, biometric trails.”
“I already rerouted the Bloom Room’s security feeds and burned the soil samples from the field,” said Amy, seated beside Eliot. Her voice was quiet but steely. “She didn’t leave fingerprints. But her light — that glow — they recorded it. It’s everywhere now. She’s not a ghost anymore.”
Jack stepped forward. “Then we become ghosts.”
Antonio entered, face hard. “No more waiting. We bury her trail. Deep.”
Everyone turned.
“What’s left of it,” he added. “We cover the last 48 hours, wipe every backup, flood every digital scent with static. Theo — dead routes, decoys. Christian — contact the quiet network. Code gold. Eliot, you’re with me. We pay off every eye and ear from here to Canada.”
“What about me?” Amy asked.
Antonio looked at her — not unkindly, but with weight behind his gaze.
“You go on your mission. You do what Dahlia would want you to do: help others.”
She blinked. “Just like that? I’m benched?”
“You’re not benched. You’re the distraction.”
Christian nodded grimly. “They’ll expect her friends to try to find her. So we give them movement. Noise. Trail them into the wrong corners.”
Amy’s fingers curled around the hem of her sleeve. “So we become bait.”
Jack touched her hand. “We’re not bait. We’re misdirection.”
That Night – In the Garden
Markus stood in the moonlight, staring at the gate Dahlia had vanished through. His travel bag was slung over one shoulder. He looked… like he’d already been gone for days.
William approached.
“You planning to walk into the fire?”
“I don’t walk,” Markus said softly. “I track.”
William studied him a long moment. “You won’t catch up easily.”
“I don’t plan to.”
William raised a brow. “Then what’s your plan?”
Markus looked down the dark road, then back up at the stars.
“Find the spaces where the world forgets to look,” he said. “That’s where she’ll be.”
William nodded slowly. “We’ll cover your path too.”
Markus turned, meeting his eyes. “I know.”
The Kitchen – Hours Later
Amy packed quietly at the kitchen island. She folded gear into a weatherproof bag — maps, first aid, translator patches, flower petals. Jack stood nearby, silent until he couldn’t be.
“She’s out there with a brother she’s never known and a mother who’s lied for a decade. What if she gets hurt?”
Amy paused. Then zipped her bag shut.
“She’s not alone,” she said. “She has her gift. And she has people who believe in her.”
“You still believe in her?” Jack asked.
Amy looked up.
“I’ve seen the way she holds a child’s hand. The way she sings over seeds like they’re prayers. I believe in her more than I believe in this house.”
Jack nodded, shoulders low. “Then let’s make enough noise that they look the other way.”
Dawn – The Porch
Antonio, William, Eliot, Christian, and Theo stood side by side, watching the estate slowly fall quiet again.
“She’s really gone,” Eliot murmured.
Christian didn’t answer.
Theo pulled up a drone scan. “They’ll think she went east. I’ve rerouted the signals to make sure of it.”
“Let them chase ghosts,” Antonio said. “We’ll guard the roots until she returns.”