"Sand, sand, and more sand... what's this? Ah... more sand."
In the midst of a scorching desert, a woman was walking alone.
Her body was thin, and her pale skin bore the marks caused by long hours of exposure to the desert sun.
Her clothes, tattered and filthy rags, had been torn and used to wrap something small in her arms.
Her eyes, though dull and lifeless, looked at the horizon with a faint yet persistent glint of ferocity and determination.
Her bare feet, injured by long exposure to the desert's hot sands, sank with each step she took.
It was honestly a complete miracle that she could still walk in such a condition, a true sign of perseverance and willpower. Unfortunately, against the harsh and deadly climate of the vast desert, such qualities didn't mean one could survive.
Looking up, the woman could see a small group of vultures beginning to circle above her. She knew she didn't have much time left and forced herself to keep moving forward.
Her steady steps, however, were suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain that hit her. Small branches began to pierce through her skin, tearing her from the inside out. "Ugh... not now..." the woman whispered to herself as she tried to control the branches, which stopped growing after a few moments.
Kneeling in the desert sands, she struggled to breathe. A small tree was growing from her back, just above the region of her lungs. Its thin, sharp branches bore green leaves stained with blood that glistened under the sun.
After a while, having recovered from the pain, the woman tried to get up to continue, but this time without success. Overwhelmed by the weight of the branches, combined with the pain and exhaustion caused by the long desert exposure, she realized she couldn't move anymore.
Accepting the reality that she couldn't go any further, the woman looked at the small object in her arms. Removing the rags protecting it, she gazed at the tiny baby she held.
He was smeared with blood, and his umbilical cord was still attached, indicating that he had been born only recently.
A warm breeze blew over them, causing the baby to stir in discomfort.
"I'm sorry, Kazuki..." the woman said softly as she felt her efforts to stop the tree on her back from growing further were in vain. "I... couldn't make it in the end."
The pain was agonizing; she could feel her muscles being torn and her skin ripped apart, giving way to an imposing tree. Small tears fell from her eyes, but she maintained a smile as she looked at the little baby in her arms, who was trying to open his eyes.
The woman felt her body slowly being torn from the inside out. She could feel roots emerging from her body and gradually anchoring themselves in the soil, keeping her in place.
The pain she felt was unimaginable, yet she kept a gentle smile on her face as she softly sang a lullaby to the baby in her arms, who was beginning to wake.
Gradually, her body was covered by the bark of the tree, transforming her into something far from human. The wind blew over her once more, this time carrying a melody filled with laments and the cries of a baby.
<><><><><>
At the same time, amid a sand dune
An old woman was walking calmly through the desert. She seemed to be in her 80s, yet she moved through the vast dunes as if taking a stroll in the park.
Her steady, gentle steps traveled over the desert sands with incredible lightness, barely sinking her feet into the sand.
"Let's see... it should be around here." The old woman stopped abruptly, looking around, unbothered by her unvironment, until she suddenly spotted what she was searching for.
"I found it."
With a simple motion, the frail-looking old woman suddenly exploded into a speed that could only be described as incredible, covering several meters in the blink of an eye.
She paused momentarily, gazing at the strange, beautiful purple flower growing from the half-decayed carcass of an animal.
This was known as the "Lily of the Void," a rare flower that grew only in the most inhospitable and harsh deserts and relied on a series of coincidences to sprout.
Looking at the flower, a smile filled with solitude and weariness crossed her face.
She knelt down, gently plucked the flower, and placed it in a small box before turning to leave. But just as she was about to depart, she heard a melody in the distance.
"Hm?" Pausing for a moment, the old woman looked around, wondering if she was mistaken.
"Did I hear wrong?" she murmured, glancing around before closing her eyes. In the desert's silence, she focused her senses, trying to detect something. She stood still for a moment until she suddenly felt the strong wind blowing. It carried with it the laments of those who had perished in the desert, yet something unusual caught her attention.
A silent lament was carried by it—a cry filled with pain and loneliness. A cry she knew all too well.
"A baby?" Opening her eyes, the old woman ran in a certain direction, and after a few moments, she came across a sight that stunned her.
In the middle of a dune, a majestic and beautiful tree stood, rising amid the scorching desert sands. Its green leaves were few, but that did not diminish the tree's grandeur. However, what shocked the old woman was not the tree itself, but the sight of its trunk.
At the base of the tree, she saw someone, probably a woman, dead against the trunk. No, "against" wasn't the right word; it was more as if the tree had fused with the person, or rather, had grown out of her.
The old woman looked cautiously around as she approached, and after confirming there was nothing amiss, she relaxed slightly, allowing herself a closer look at the scene.
The lower part of the woman's body was entirely enveloped by roots, as were parts of her torso and left arm. Only her right side barely retained its human form, as she was gradually turning into a tree.
In her arms, a baby was crying, while the woman, even in death, still wore a warm smile on her face.
The old woman gazed at the scene in shock but quickly regained her composure. She approached, picked up the baby in her arms, and noted that it was only a newborn.
Very carefully, she held him as she removed a scroll from her sleeve. Glancing at the woman, who was almost entirely transformed into a tree, the old woman swiftly cut off her head and then sealed it within the scroll before departing, leaving the tree behind.
<><><><><>
In a central region of the arid desert, a magnificent sight arose amid a series of rocks and dunes: a village with unique architectural style built in the heart of the desert.
Its entrance, almost invisible due to its camouflage, was well-guarded, making it difficult for anyone to enter unnoticed.
Suddenly, one of the guards heard something and saw a figure rapidly approaching in the distance.
"Who?" Assuming a combat stance, the guard was momentarily confused, but upon seeing the approaching person more clearly, he relaxed and gave a slight bow.
"Elder Chiyo. Welcome back."
Chiyo glanced briefly at the guard before speaking.
"Notify the medical team to prepare."
"Are you injured?" The guard asked with a hint of anxiety in his voice and sighed in relief when he saw Chiyo shake her head in denial.
"It's not for me," she said, showing the baby in her arms. "It's for him."
'A baby?' Although confused, the guard nodded to his companion, who ran to the village while he inspected Chiyo.
Regardless, even if she was an elder of the village, entry rules had to be followed for safety.
After confirming her identity, Chiyo quickly hurried to the hospital, where a small medical team awaited her. She handed the baby to them, and after giving some instructions, she turned and headed toward the largest building in the village.
She needed to inform the village leader about the baby and, more importantly, about her strange discovery in the desert.