"..." Jass lingered before the ancient tree as she was still uncertain about the wishes swirling in her mind.
Although countless questions bubbled beneath the surface and doubt crept inside her brain as to whether answers would ever come from it.
The sole path to discovering the truth lay ahead…
""I must investigate." she exhaled with resignation as she tilted her head toward the towering branches. After a long time, Breaking with her usual hesitation, she decided to make a proper introduction.
"Hello! Nice to meet you. My name is Jass-"
Before she could finish, a remarkable transformation occurred – facial features materialised on the bark, complete with eyes, nose, and mouth. The tree's voice completed her sentence with unexpected familiarity to her.
"Stella, isn't it?"
"..." Jass chose silence over correction as she was simply offering a quiet nod in response: She doesn't want to be recognised as a Stella family member.
