Chapter 41: The Tree of Life

Guided by a prophetic vision, Hadrian leads Valka deeper into the hidden Garden beneath Kharn Sagara’s palace. They enter a vast hall where glass pods hang like fruit, each holding a developing child. Hadrian recognizes shared features and realizes they are all variant bodies for Kharn, confirming the Undying’s serial reincarnation.

A menacing nursery rhyme echoes, and a parked “lifter” reveals itself as an Exalted chimera guardian. It accuses them of threatening the children and attacks. Hadrian’s highmatter sword cannot cut the adamant carapace, forcing him to exploit exposed joints; he severs one arm after collapsing the blade to slip past armored plating.

Valka’s plasma fire cannot harm the machine, so she shifts tactics and shoots the overhead pods, shattering them. Two clones fall—one killed instantly—diverting the guardian’s focus and buying Hadrian an opening. Hadrian disables a wrist and lames a leg, narrowly avoiding the sweeping boom arm while coordinating with Valka amid the chaos.

As the crippled chimera crouches, a young girl and a small boy arrive, both bearing Kharn’s features. The guardian denounces Hadrian and Valka as murderers of the children. Confronted, the proud girl challenges Hadrian’s presence and then announces her identity: “I’m Kharn Sagara,” collapsing the boundary between Kharn’s legend and these living avatars.