The abundance of the forest was incomparable to the wetlands. Giant trees with their scrumptious-looking fruits all look lovely in the eyes of the students whose world was invaded by steel. Wildflowers bloom like angels with their brilliance and fragrance, giving all the creatures around them the amusement they once long. Even with the beauty around them, Matt still can't get over the pain he received from the child, comforting his own skin with his own hand to ease the not-so-painful action from the child who hit him. Ivan looked at him hilariously, "Dude, you should just get over it. it's just a child." Ivan said as they continue to follow everyone towards the gigantic tree in the middle of the forest.
Matt looked at him, "Yeah! I know!" he irked.
Ivan just chuckled and looked at the child in front of them who was with Maeje and Kent.
Not long when they soon arrived at the gigantic tree, and for no exceptions, their heads were tilted high as they tried to look at the massive natural element in front of them, so big they couldn't see anything but its gigantic branches covering the whole area with its leaves.
"Woooow!" all of them were amazed.
"This looked so different from a distance. I can't believe how huge this is!" Ivan exclaimed. The others agreed.
"We call this, Ageddon," said the child.
Everybody looked at him.
"Ageddon?" asked Alex.
The child nodded, "It means connection."
They continued to listen, still amazed by the gigantic tree in front of them.
"The Ageddon is the connection of all the forest, it knows everything who lived and died in the forest, even the tiniest of insects. It knows all," the child continued.
The child looked at them and moved towards the tree, putting his hand on its trunk and closing his eyes. He inhaled as if he was being one with the tree itself. He stopped and looked back at everyone behind them. "Try it," the child said.
"What do we do?" Kent asked.
The child opened his palm, waiting for Kent, guiding her on what to do. Kent did not hesitate, she walked and moved, letting the child guide her to Ageddon. The child hold Kent's hand while the other continued to watch. Kent opened her hand, and put her palm on the giant tree's trunk, feeling the life in it. "Now, close your eyes," said the child.
Kent followed the child's instructions as she immediately closed her eyes. Suddenly, a burst of calmness entered Kent's body, like blood in her veins. Her mind was free of everything but pure happiness and pleasure as if you don't need anything in the world but this. But the relaxing feeling soon faded as Kent was submerged in a deep voice calling her.
"Ah… Kent… Queen of the Marshland, ruler of all the bees. Ageddon knows and Ageddon understands…" Said the deep voice.
"What do you know and what do you understand?" Kent answered, confused.
"Kent… strongest of all the stapus, but weak against the sarawal," the deep voice continued.
Sarawal? That was what Christian said that may bring destruction to this world. What does this tree know about it? Kent thought.
"What do you know about the sarawal? Tell me." Kent asked despicably.
"The one true shape… Sarawal is one who can manifest both life and death. The power of creation and ruin." The voice continued.
Ruin?! Destruction?! Creation?! What is this voice saying? Kent continued to ask herself.
"How can you say this to me? How is this related to us?" Kent argued.
"The sarawal is one of you, and you must defeat him before the borders entirely collapse. Only that we can prevent the calamity from the heavens," the voice continued.
Dumbfounded, Kent could not stop herself from asking continuously. What can she do against that kind of power? And if the sarawal can really be one of them, how can they not know it? Surely, they would have at least a clue of who that is. Besides, Kent knows her classmates for years, no one can be that evil if that power can really bring ruin to this world.
"Who is that sarawal? I know all of my friends and they do not bear such an act." Kent continued to ask.
"Evil resides in the soul of every human, we only need something to trigger it. However, morality also exists inside. If his heart is with peace rather than with chaos, the sarawal's threat might be for something else." The voice replied and soon faded.
Kent was about to reach out to the voice, but her conscious mind can only hear the shouts of her worried classmates.
Kent opened her eyes and looked at everyone who showed every bit of concerning expression toward her, lying on the ground.
"Now I know why the kid hit Matt, Kent sat down, looking at Maeje who used the self-made ammonia on her. Maeje smiled, "I don't have a choice, you just collapsed suddenly."
Ivan offered his hand to Kent, guiding her to stand. Kent immediately reached out and stood up. "Thanks," she said. Ivan just smiled. "What happened to you? They asked.
Kent remembered how the deep voice, Ageddon, communicated with her, the sarawal, one of them, creation and ruin, there's too much for them. She didn't want to say that they were part of something even bigger than the coup of the queen bee. Once, they thought they would just have a peaceful life, away from the stress, given to them by their past world. They did not expect that even in this world, they were still part of something bigger. Ruin?! Really?! Kent could not give her classmates such thought, even with the information from Christian, who was abducted in the past. This information is just too much for them to swallow immediately. It's safer to ask for answers before going to conclusions. Besides, Kent knows all of her classmates, if one is really the sarawal that may bring ruin in this world, she knows they could just speak to it. Or so she thought.
Kent smiled, "Nothing, Maybe I'm just too occupied from the beauty I felt when I touched the tree's trunk," she replied, assuring her classmates of her safety.
"Yeah, we followed you after putting your palm on the tree, and that feeling was really… Mesmerizing. I think I forgot all of my thoughts and just submerged in pure relaxation," Ivan shared.
Everyone also agreed as they smiled.
Kent looked at them and realized that she was the one to who Ageddon talked. What's so special about her? But her thoughts could kill her if she continues to think, realizing that it's better to put them aside for now and go on to their adventure as they raise their probability of survival.
Kent looked at the child and she noticed how it eagerly looked at her too. "What's the matter?" Kent asked.
The child just smiled, "Let's go inside, I need to show you something."
"Inside? There's inside? There's nothing here," Belle asked.
The child chuckled, "We're still at the entrance. Follow me," the child instructed and went on to the back of the gigantic tree, where they saw nothing but also a trunk.
"Did you just prank us?" Matt said in disbelief as he clenched his fist, ready to smack the child at any moment.
Ivan laughed again, "Dude, you never move on, can you?" Ivan continued to laugh, patting his buddy's shoulder.
The child looked at Matt, confused about how Matt acted as if he never hit his face earlier. Nevertheless, the child never bothered. The child opened both of his hands and kneeled towards the trunk, "Ageddon, the tree of life and death. Open the gates of the forgotten or us to remember. Akashia! The child uttered an unfamiliar word after a chant, suddenly, the tree responded as it opened a laddered path in its trunk, waiting for them to enter.
Amazed by the situation, everyone stood there with blank expressions. "I just have something to tell you about," the child pleaded.
"What is it?" asked Kent.
"Don't tell a single soul about this. I can't give you the reason, but please don't." the child pleaded.
Although confused, the students still agreed and went inside the trunk where the glowing insects illuminated their path, guiding them toward their destination.
Footsteps echoed as they continue to follow the child below, "My name's Arajen," He said.
Everyone looked at the child, as they did not realize, they haven't known his name was all this time.
Kent smiled, "That's a great name."
The child smiled back, "We're here."
Everyone looked at what seemed like a door. The child opened it and they witnessed something they haven't expected – another forest but barren with life.
"What the --?" Noel said in disbelief.
"What happened?" Belle asked.
"First, look at what's behind you," Arajen said.
They all looked behind and what they saw was Ageddon, but not entirely, because the gigantic tree, brimming with life was now barren of it. Its trunk was dark as well as the branches, the leaves continue to wither as they fall one by one on the dry ground, cracked and solid. As if the world earlier completely collapsed in a matter of minutes. The expressions of everyone aside from Arajen were expressive. Extremely appalled at what happened to the world earlier. Questions arise, not just from one of them, but from all. Is this the future? Some of them asked themselves. The tragic scene will be carved inside their mind like a nightmare. A nightmare that they cannot wake up from. A place where living is impossible.