The following morning, the boy returned once again. His clothing, once pristine, was now tattered in several places, his body marred by bruises and scratches, and his countenance twisted with anger and emotion.
His gaze sharpened, filled with a seething hatred and a desire for blood. It was a trait common to all humans, whether young or old. They all harbored a deep-seated envy and a penchant for malice, emotions that slowly consumed them and pulled them into the depths of darkness.
Pretense was futile in the face of such raw emotion. They were all, in the end, fated to be creatures of sin and terror, their actions guided by cunning and malfeasance, their understanding of the world limited to the whims of their own desires.
The boy looked up at the canopy of leaves, his expression shifting abruptly a moment later. Surprise and confusion mingled on his face as he scanned his surroundings, perhaps thinking he was lost.
The hatred in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a sudden worry that he seemed to feel towards me. Yet, I was but an old tree, a fixture in the landscape. Why did he direct his useless emotions towards me?
He approached me, placing his small hand on my trunk. A sweet smile spread across his face, childlike and innocent.
Truly, humans were terrifying creatures. Only moments ago, his visage had been twisted into a grotesque mask of rage, enough to make me believe he was one of the monstrous humans that roamed the world. But now, his cheerful expression was almost cloying, too saccharine to be borne.
He climbed onto my branches, settling himself once again. With practiced ease, he plucked a leaf from my boughs and began to blow on it, as he had done before.
Since yesterday, I had been waiting for his return. I longed for his presence, a source of color and life in this drab and soulless existence.
Though I could not bring myself to trust him fully, for he was still a human after all, I could not deny the sense of longing that welled up within me. I missed him.
The tranquility and comfort that I had once known, the warmth that had seeped into my soul with each melody he had played on my leaves... I yearned for them once again.
Suddenly, the boy winced, interrupting the melody. Pain etched itself onto his features, the wounds that covered his body flaring up.
His cheerful expression vanished, replaced once again by a scowl of anger and hatred. He gritted his teeth, his grip on the leaf tightening as he tried to suppress the pain.
"Urgh, damn Linden. I'll kill you," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, though it was clear that the pain was not coming from there.
Perhaps his wounds had become infected, I thought to myself. He should have tended to them immediately, instead of letting them fester. It was his own fault.
"Linden, Linden, Linden, Linden..." The boy seethed with hatred, his fists clenched as he struck me with all his might. Though I, as a tree, couldn't feel pain, my heart couldn't help but twinge with an unexpected emotion - pity. It was an odd sensation to witness such violent emotions from a young child, who ought to be playing and relishing in the joys of youth.
Yet, I was powerless in this situation. My skills couldn't improve at such a rapid pace - it would take years to master them.
"Tch, everyone's the same..." The boy grumbled, his voice low and filled with disdain.
If my memory served me correctly, he was a Hybrid - a mixture of human and an unknown race. I knew little about different races, save for what I had heard from the fairies. Giants, Elves, Fairies, Seraphim, Demons, Eives, and Sirens. But the boy's blood was different, thicker and darker, something akin to a demon, yet not quite.
"When the time comes... I'll kill all of you..." His words were a whisper, but they were filled with a venomous rage.
I couldn't help but feel the overflow of his hatred, a sensation that a child shouldn't ever have to experience. It was then that I decided to intervene, moving my branch and scratching his cheek with it.
"Ack! Damn it!!" The boy cursed, his grip tight on my branch.
CTAK!
...I was momentarily stunned. Had he really just broken my branch? When all I had meant to do was offer him some solace?
"I hate everyone!!" The boy yelled, jumping down and running away.
He hated me...even though I was only trying to help him. But he despised me for the wound on his precious cheek. What else could I do? I could only heal others in that way. If not, I would not be able to heal them.
("His emotions seem to be bad today.") The tree beside me said.
("How many times do I have to tell you not to talk to me?") I snapped back, irritated. I grew my branch back.
It was a reminder of how terrible human nature could be - they would never return kindness with kindness. They were the sort of people who would always remain the same. All the goodness I gave felt like it was for nothing.
I was greedy, but what could I do? I also expected something in return for my good deeds. I didn't want to do something for nothing.
I didn't want to be a hypocrite.
With a heavy heart, I pulled my root out of the ground.
("Where are you going?") The tree asked.
("Moving.") I answered.
("Are you sulking?") The tree asked again.
("It's none of your business.") I replied, walking away with my root.
I searched for a spot that was far enough from where I had been before, near the lake, and planted my root in the ground beside it. This was better.
What was wrong with that child? I was only trying to help him. He had truly let me down.
If he was so angry, he could have simply hit me without breaking my branch, right? Even though I could grow it back without difficulty, I still had to accept the insult after trying to heal his wound. He was really trying to put me down.
Just because I was a tree. Did he think he was so great just because he was born a human?! It was infuriating.
.
.
.
As I woke up from my slumber, the beautiful sunset illuminating the lake in front of me, a disheveled young boy caught my eye.
"How did you get here?" The boy asked, clenching his fists and pressing them against my bark gently. "Don't leave me like the others." His voice was hoarse and filled with tremors, which made me feel an immediate sense of sympathy towards him.
I didn't react much, as his wound had already healed, but his clothes were a mess - whatever had happened to him during my slumber, I didn't care to find out. He held onto me with his tiny hands, then hugged me with his small arms.
A warm embrace that I couldn't feel with my bark. But I could sense that this was a hug filled with emotions.
Ah, I was truly weak to emotions.
"Please don't leave me..." the young boy cried.
This human. He really made me angry. Earlier he scolded me and broke my branch just like that. Now he ordered me not to leave his side...who did he think he was?
[Passive Skill Activated: Emotional Control]
Tsk. Was I really not calm right now? Oh my, why are you meddling with my emotions, Systema! Don't control me!
"Everyone leaves me...I don't want you to do the same." The young boy said, his eyes as blue as sapphires, shining with tears.
Ah, damn it. I was really weak to other people's tears. It was my instinct to help people in need no matter what. Even if I had to forgive others who hurt my feelings, I had done it many times before, and it didn't even surprise me anymore.
I wanted to deny the fact that I was someone who was sensitive and very weak to other people's hardships. My empathy was too high, but my self-respect refused to accept it.
I moved my branch and stroked his head with a broken movement, because I couldn't move my hand properly.
"I'm sorry for breaking your branch..." the young boy said, holding my branch gently and with care. He then smiled, even though his face was still flooded with tears. "I really regret it.."
I patted his head twice, signaling to him that he didn't need to worry about such a small thing - even though I was angry before, who could be angry at such a sweet child? I was also a former human who melted at the sight of children.
And also, I knew exactly what loneliness felt like. It was like a painful feeling that gnawed at your heart and mind, making it hard for you to think clearly. So, I could understand this child's actions.
He was lonely.
"So, what kind of tree are you?" he asked, tilting his head. "Oh yeah, your leaves are golden, right..? Are you a Gold Mangrove?" he guessed.
I couldn't answer or react to his questions.
"Hey, why aren't you talking?" he asked with his innocent face. He wiped his tears and snot with his sleeve. "Can't you talk?" he guessed again.
I moved my branch, signaling that his guess was correct.
"Wow, that must be difficult. You're really a very clever tree.." he said. "Ah, it's getting dark. I have to go back. See you tomorrow. Don't run away from this place." The young boy said before walking away, leaving me behind.
He was so adorable. Ah, that's right, I had never had a younger sibling before. Was this what it felt like..?
But, it felt even more thrilling than the feeling of being a mother. Ah, that's right. Since I was a child, I always wanted a younger brother. Was this the feeling that I had been searching for all along..?
*To be Continued*