Sumit gasped for air, trembling as the vines around him fell away, scorched by the eruption of his newly awakened aura. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of relief, but the sensation was fleeting. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the forest floor, panting, his body shaking from the strain.
"I did it... I really did it," he thought, his mind racing as he tried to grasp what had just happened. His aura—his will to survive—had awakened in the face of certain death. He could feel it now, thrumming just beneath his skin, a strange warmth coursing through his muscles. It made him feel alive, powerful even.
But he didn't have long to savor the feeling.
The dark-tree was far from defeated. As Sumit struggled to stand, he noticed the black vines, once burned and shriveled, regrowing rapidly. They slithered across the forest floor like snakes, their movements eerily deliberate. The core of the dark-tree pulsed faintly, as if feeding the vines with life, and with each pulse, they grew faster and stronger.
Sumit's heart sank as realization set in. This thing—this twisted abomination of nature—wasn't going to stop. He couldn't afford to waste time celebrating. He had only bought himself a few moments of freedom.
He clenched his fists, feeling the aura strengthening his muscles once again. He knew what he had to do, though the weight of it made his stomach churn. He couldn't fight like Jack or the other aura users who could manipulate energy outside their bodies. His aura could only bolster his physical strength, and he had to rely on that to survive.
"Alright, let's see what this power can really do," Sumit muttered under his breath, his determination hardening.
The vines lunged at him again, quicker this time, as if the tree itself was becoming more aggressive. But now, Sumit was ready. With a sudden burst of speed, he dodged to the side, his body moving faster than ever before. His aura-enhanced reflexes allowed him to react just in time as the thick vine cracked the ground where he had stood moments earlier.
Sumit turned and struck with all his might, his fist colliding with the vine. There was a satisfying crack as the vine split apart from the impact. The aura coursing through his arm made his punch feel like hitting with the force of a boulder. But as the severed piece of vine fell away, more of them sprang up in its place, coiling and snapping like vipers.
"This isn't working," Sumit grunted, his frustration mounting. He slammed his fist into another vine, shattering it, but two more immediately replaced it. No matter how many he destroyed, the tree regenerated faster than he could keep up.
The dark-tree loomed above him, its core glowing brighter now, as if feeding on the surrounding energy. Vines began swarming toward Sumit from all sides, closing in like a predator circling its prey. He fought with everything he had, punching, kicking, and tearing through them with aura-boosted strength. But it was a losing battle.
His body, though enhanced by the aura, was beginning to feel the strain. His punches weren't hitting as hard, and his movements were slowing. He could feel his energy depleting, the aura inside him flickering like a candle in the wind.
"Damn it!" Sumit cursed as another vine wrapped around his ankle. He yanked his leg free, but not without a sharp jolt of pain shooting through his muscles. His stamina was running low, and the dark-tree was only getting stronger. He couldn't keep this up much longer.
The vines came faster now, and one of them managed to snag his arm, pulling him off balance. Sumit twisted his body, tearing the vine apart, but in doing so, left himself open to another attack. A thick vine wrapped around his torso, squeezing the breath out of him. He gasped, struggling to break free, but the pressure was overwhelming.
He gritted his teeth, channeling the last of his aura into his arms. With a roar of defiance, he tore the vine apart, freeing himself once again. But as he stumbled back, panting and drenched in sweat, he knew he had reached his limit. The dark-tree's vines were too numerous, too relentless. And his aura, as powerful as it was, wasn't enough to overcome the tree's regenerative abilities.
"I have to get out of here," Sumit thought desperately. His gaze flickered to the edges of the clearing, where the forest offered some hope of escape. He couldn't defeat the dark-tree—not now, not like this. But he could live to fight another day.
Gathering what little strength he had left, Sumit turned and ran. The aura in his legs flared, giving him a final burst of speed as he sprinted through the forest. The vines lashed out behind him, but he was faster, weaving through the trees with agility he never thought possible.
The dark-tree's grasping vines grew smaller and smaller in the distance as Sumit pushed himself to his absolute limit. His chest burned with every breath, his legs screamed in protest, but he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop until he was far away from that cursed place.
The ground beneath him was uneven, roots and rocks tripping him up, but Sumit pressed on, pushing his tired body to its limits. He couldn't fight the dark-tree, not yet. His only option was to flee.
As he ran, his mind flashed back to the terror of being trapped in the tree's cocoon. The crushing pressure of its vines, the suffocating darkness, and the sense of his life being drained away had all felt too real. He still felt the lingering touch of those vines on his skin, as if they had left an imprint of their malice.
The forest seemed endless as he sprinted. His aura flickered within him, but it was too weak to call upon again. He couldn't strengthen his body much more, and his movements became sluggish, his limbs heavy with exhaustion.
Suddenly, his foot caught on an outstretched root, and Sumit fell forward, crashing to the forest floor. Pain shot through his arms as he caught himself, the rough ground scraping his palms. For a moment, he lay there, panting, staring into the thick underbrush. His body screamed at him to rest, to give up, but he knew he couldn't stop—not yet.
Pushing himself back to his feet, he glanced over his shoulder. The dark-tree was no longer visible, hidden behind the thick trees, but he knew it was still there. He could feel it—the oppressive silence, the unnatural stillness of the forest, the heavy weight of the dark aura that hung in the air. He was still in its territory.
He pressed on, his legs dragging beneath him. The trees became a blur of shadows as he stumbled forward, but eventually, the exhaustion became too much. He had no idea how far he had run, only that the tree was no longer in sight.
His legs finally gave out beneath him, and Sumit collapsed onto the soft earth. His body ached with every breath, the adrenaline that had pushed him this far fading rapidly. The dark-tree's looming presence was still at the back of his mind, but all he could think about now was how tired he was.
"I… I'll come back," he whispered, his voice weak and barely audible. His eyelids drooped as he lay on the cold ground. "I'll… beat it."
His vow was the last thought he had before exhaustion took him. As his consciousness faded, the oppressive silence of the forest remained, a haunting reminder that he was still within the dark-tree's domain. Yet, despite the danger, Sumit couldn't stay awake. His body gave in, and he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The dark-tree loomed in the distance, its vines writhing through the soil like searching fingers. But for now, Sumit was out of reach, too far for the tree to grasp—but not far enough to escape its influence entirely.
The dark-tree might have won this battle, but Sumit would be the one to end the war.