Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Kessler shoved his way through the chaos, soaked in sweat and blood—none of it his own. His uniform was torn, his boots shredded by creeping vines. Behind him, the line of soldiers faltered.
“Push forward!” he roared, swiping a blade through the air as if he could silence the roar of creatures or the whispers of leaves.
A corporal behind him paused. “Sir, we’ve lost over thirty. No casualties—but none of them are waking up either. They’re...sleeping. Healing.”
“They’re not dead,” said another soldier, blinking at the glowing moss wrapped around his ankle. “I—my knee doesn’t even hurt anymore. I had a torn ligament. It’s gone.”
“I said move!” Kessler barked. “They are using you. Trickery is their power!”
The soldiers reluctantly obeyed, some mumbling among themselves.
“This ain’t right.” “She’s not trying to kill us.” “I don’t want to shoot another animal.”
The Anderson Estate – The Bloom Room
Eliot's fingers flew across the keyboard. On every monitor, Dahlia’s vines curled and struck, her glowing hands spreading petals across the ground like wildfire. Derek’s silhouette commanded beasts of sky and sea.
“Teo,” Eliot said, voice shaking. “They’re still pushing through.”
Teo gritted his teeth, then hit the final command. “They won’t do it in secret.”
The livestream ignited, spreading across encrypted lines into the public eye.
Africa – A Village Gathering
Louis stood atop a truck bed, showing the livestream to gathered farmers, elders, and children huddled beneath a tree.
“There she is,” he whispered. “The Flower Girl.”
One elder removed his hat, heart in his throat. “She heals the very beasts of the earth.”
Louis turned to his cousin. “We must protect her story. She’s fighting for all of us.”
Canada – Command Center
Thomas stared, hand on his mouth. Annalise stood behind him, pale and wide-eyed.
“She’s just a child,” Annalise whispered. “And she’s stopping them.”
“She’s more than a child,” Thomas replied. “She’s what we’ve always feared—and hoped for.”
“Send our signal,” Annalise said. “Authorize reinforcements to the island. Quietly.”
Japan – Naval Base
An officer watching the feed stood slowly, saluting the screen.
“This is not warfare,” he said softly. “This is poetry.”
His commander nodded. “Deploy two stealth units to observe and assist. No fire unless fired upon.”
Island – Final Assault
Kessler tore through the final line of vines, now glowing red from Dahlia’s overuse of power. He saw her—shaking, radiant, arms outstretched as a circle of protective thorns spun around Derek, Mira, and Markus.
Kessler raised his rifle.
“You shouldn’t exist,” he hissed.
He fired.
Mira stepped in.
“No—!” Dahlia’s scream split the air.
The bullet hit Mira in the stomach. She crumpled. Markus tackled Kessler from behind, fists flying.
Kessler spun, blade in hand. “You don’t get to win!”
He stabbed Markus.
Dahlia dropped to her knees. The vines screamed with her. Light surged from her body. Glowing white veins spread into the ground.
The jungle responded.
Every vine, every root, every bloom surged. Markus and Mira were lifted and cradled by the flowers. Dahlia crawled to them, tears flooding her face.
“No,” she whispered. “Not again.”
She pressed her hands to their wounds.
The petals lit up like stars. Her hair lifted. Her skin glowed with an impossible shimmer. The energy poured out of her—not just from her body but from her soul.
As the healing completed, Mira gasped and Markus opened his eyes. Dahlia collapsed.
But something was different.
Her body had shrunk. Her limbs smaller, her eyes wide and young. The glowing faded to soft yellow.
“Dahlia?” Mira’s voice broke. “No—what have you done?”
Derek ran to her. “She’s a kid again…!”
Behind them, Kessler struggled in the vines, wide-eyed in awe and fury.
“You… you rewrote your body,” he muttered. “You reversed time. You’re a goddamn monster.”
Above the island, the stars blinked. Around the world, people watching the feed gasped, wept, cheered.
In Africa, a woman whispered, “She gave her age to bring life.” In Brazil, Maria dropped to her knees. “She’s more than a healer.” In Canada, Annalise clenched her fists. “She is the hope.”
Eliot’s Room – The Anderson Estate
“She did it,” Christian whispered.
“She saved them,” William said.
“But at what cost?” Theo asked.
Amy, trembling, turned to Antonio. “Can we bring her back?”
Antonio didn’t answer.
He was already getting dressed.
“We go to her,” he said, voice hard as stone. “Now.”