The tree yielded no seeds; it was one of its kind, and if it were to perish, it would be the end of it. How could that be?
The firmament was dark, and even the stars were shrouded in it. Everything was just floating with no sense of direction.
After eons passed, the stars began bursting into extinction. "How can we live without life? We can't take this loneliness anymore; it is no different from dying." They cried every time before they exploded.
For a century, the dark firmament was filled with light from the exploding stars, and the tree, together with the Big three, just stared in silence.
Life is a blessing, and if one wants to throw away that blessing, let them be. Someone who has killed themselves shouldn't be treated with respect but with disdain.
Thanks to this, the tree finally noticed how it looked. Its leaves resembled palm blossoms, but the only difference was that they were blue. Its pink bark was soft like the skin of a human. It had two roots that resembled legs.
The tree was overjoyed and decided to throw a party together with the Big Three, her friends. They didn't have anything to eat, much less anything to drink.
If something new didn't happen, then it couldn't be called a party. The crab, who knew the ins and outs of heaven and hell, used his hands to draw a mark all over the tree.
The process felt tranquil, and the tree begged to be hurt again. "Oh, wise crab. All the itching I have been feeling is gone; please draw over my whole body."
The crab cried out, "If I do that, you will lose your bark and won't be a tree again. You will never be the same; what will come out of you will be something different, beyond our imagination."
Hearing this, the butterfly that moved through the heavens laughed at how scared the crab was and spoke with disdain. "For a creature found in both heaven and hell, you are such a coward, crab. You don't fear life or death, yet you fear what will come out of this tree. If it is a blessing, just send it to heaven, and if it is a curse, send it to hell."
The earthworm, which built the world, stayed silent. It had never been to either heaven or hell and had no say in the matter. All it could do was encourage the tree.
"Just do what your heart tells you. Change doesn't always have to be a bad thing, and change doesn't necessarily mean a good thing."
"What is a heart? I don't have a heart; I want a heart. Crab, please remove my bark." Sorrow rang in the tree's voice, and pain could be heard.
"I hope you will always remember this choice. You are the one who wished for it. A lot of suffering comes from having a heart."
Taking his mystical cup, the crab started to peel off the bark from the tree and collected the sap. It was fragrant and had a rosy red color.
When the bark was removed, there was no longer a tree. What was left was the image of a woman with long blue hair and skin so white it could be compared to snow. On her forehead, there was a mark 'A' written in blood, and two tiny horns protruded from the ends of her forehead.
"What have I become, neither human nor alien? The thing beating in my chest, is it my heart?"
The butterfly laughed in joy. "You have become Matka Alles, the mother of all living beings. You will give birth to different races and nations. You should be proud of yourself!"
Giving birth meant she would multiply. Matka felt overjoyed and took a sip of the sap to quench her thirst, but all her eyes could do was open in bewilderment.
"Crab, oh crab. What is this liquid? It has a unique flavor. Both sweet and sour. Did this really come from me?"
The crab was lost in his thoughts and just nodded his head. If living meant multiplying, then the river of life, heaven, would start flowing, and so would the road to death, hell.
Unaware of the problems that were going to come, Matka stared at the last star that exploded and drank the red sap. "From now on, this shall be called wine! All those who come before me will drink wine to honor and remember me!"
The firmament was filled with darkness again, and Matka was drunk for a decade, taking another decade to cure her hangover, and another decade to sleep.
Cough...
Someone coughed, and Tom stopped narrating the story. With an indifferent gaze, he stood up and walked away from the lecture room.
All the students had their mouths wide open; they couldn't believe that only a cough could make him leave the room.
Coughing isn't a form of noise!
No matter what they thought and said, their history professor was not going to come back. For the past two months, they had learned that he was a man of his word, and he believed in the saying, "One for all."
If one made a mistake, then everyone was going to be punished for it. Also, if one did great, then all would be rewarded for it. It was both good and bad.
Everyone looked at the person responsible for the cough with hurtful eyes, yet the dark-skinned girl didn't seem to mind, as she smiled at the corner of her lips.
She did it on purpose!
Despite knowing that fact, no one could raise their voice at her. She was the youngest Duchess in all of Ablauf, Anna Killercats.
"What are you all looking at?"
At the end of her rosy voice, everywhere she scanned with her black eyes, she met the backs of people's heads. No one dared to look her straight in the eye.
"Tsk, cowards. You all should have applied to be servants at my manor; there is plenty of wealth to pay for your useless lives."
She stood up, leaving a huge shadow cast on the left side of the room thanks to her sun hanging on the other side.
At the window, she stared at Tom, who was going to his office with rosy cheeks, hoping to see him again soon. She muttered, "I hope you know that you reside in my heart."