Part 5/9:
Venturing deeper into this forest brings confrontation with an elderly man named Marduk, who cryptically calls Zoe an "earth child." The tension escalates as the Guardian of the Forest, a fearsome creature, looms closer, prompting a chaotic dash for survival that leaves Dr. Rawson injured.
Zoe, caught in a tree, unexpectedly vanishes into its branches, leading to a surprising revelation: Dr. Rawson is a sorceress, intent on using Zoe and her friends to find the head of the wooden staff. This revelation sets a race against time; Zoe learns she is an earth Elementalist — endowed with the ability to manipulate nature and heal.