Verse 1 [Male 1] The court arches high with walls of living thorn Beauty hides the hunger in every twisted form We move like shadows through the petal-strewn hall But the air grows thick, and the silence starts to call [Switch to Female 1] The ritual circle glows with borrowed light Our steps feel heavier in the deepening night Chorus [Male 1 with layered harmonies] When the thorns lean in, the watch has found its prey Every breath we take, it measures and it weighs The beauty was a lie, the green a clever snare We came to steal the seed, but the seed was always there Verse 2 [Male 1] The Seed of Dawn pulses in its crystal cage We reach with careful hands, but the air begins to rage My fingers find the strings to steady what we do But the notes turn sharp, and the court starts listening too [Switch to Female 1] The treant’s roots twitch, the pixie’s wings go still The blade-dancer’s sword feels heavy with ill will Chorus [Male 1 with fuller harmonies] When the thorns lean in, the watch has found its prey Every breath we take, it measures and it weighs No triumph waits ahead, only the slow reveal The forest we would save has already made its deal Bridge [Male 1] I feel the gaze again, the one without a face The blight has worn the court like a beautiful disguise The guilt from before now burns with clearer light We walked into the trap with open eyes [Switch to Female 1] The ritual cracks open, the glow turns cold and red The realization hits: we are already dead Chorus [Male 1 with all voices swelling] When the thorns lean in, the watch has found its prey Every breath we take, it measures and it weighs The seed was never ours, the court was never kind The thorns have leaned in, and we are running out of time
