Kael floated in an endless expanse of darkness. There was no sound, no movement—just the eerie sensation of weightlessness. His mind swam in a haze of confusion. The pain that had wracked his body earlier was gone, replaced by numbness.
"Is this it?" he thought.
"Is this what dying feels like?"
He tried to remember what had happened before he fell into this void. The cave, the crystal, the rejection—then nothing. The memory was distant, as if it belonged to someone else. He felt detached from his own body, and for a moment, the numbness was almost peaceful.
But just as he began to surrender to the emptiness, something stirred in the void.
A presence reached out to him. It wasn't human. It wasn't like anything Kael had ever encountered before. His surroundings shifted, and he found himself in a dimly lit forest. Vines twisted in the air, and roots seemed to pulse beneath the earth, glowing faintly.
From the shadows emerged a figure—a tall, slender woman with emerald-green skin, her body intertwined with roots and leaves. Her eyes were a deep, sorrowful gold, glowing faintly like a dying flame.
"You're not dead," she said, her voice a soft whisper in the stillness.
"Not yet, at least."
Kael blinked, unsure if this was real.
"Who… who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
The figure sighed, her expression weary.
"I am called by many names, but you should know me as 'tree demon' based on your memories," she said.
"I was once the guardian of this forest, but now… I am but a fragment of my former self."
Kael's mind raced, recalling the battle he'd seen—the clash of the titans, the mysterious figures that shook the land.
The tree demon's gaze darkened.
"My power was taken from me when my origin crystal was stolen. While I managed to escape with my life, I no longer have any strength left." She paused, then continued,
"Without my origin crystal, I am slowly fading. Losing vitality with every moment. That's when you showed up."
Kael stiffened. "Me?"
"Yes. You had something I needed—your origin root. I tried to take it, absorb what little power you had, but…" She hesitated. "It was futile. Your root is damaged, and your body is deteriorating—dying."
"I no longer had the strength to change targets. I'm stuck with you. If you die, I'll die too. So I took hold of your origin root, bearing the damage it's experiencing, hoping to prevent its complete destruction."
Kael was silent, taking in her words.
"Then…" she continued, her eyes softening with a hint of awe,
"Something remarkable happened."
Kael's mind spun. "Remarkable?"
The tree demon nodded.
"You were attempting to consolidate your talent into your origin root. You failed, but when I connected with you and bore the damage, something changed. Your root… was able to partially consolidate your talent."
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that you've successfully activated your talent, young man, though most of its power remains locked within your soul, not in your origin root. I don't know what that entails, as this is the first case I've ever seen." Her voice grew more serious.
"But whatever it is, it saved your life."
A heavy silence hung between them as Kael processed her words.
"So what happens now?" he asked quietly.
The tree demon closed her eyes for a moment, as though she were making a difficult decision.
"We are bound now. Your life and mine are connected. Without my influence, your origin root will collapse, and you will die. Without your life force, I will wither away."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"The only way forward is for us to form a soul contract."
"A soul contract?" Kael echoed, unfamiliar with the term.
"It is similar to a familiar contract," the tree demon explained,
"But far deeper. A soul contract binds two beings at the core of their essence. We basically become one. We will be connected mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. What you feel, I will feel. What I experience, you will experience and if you die, I'll die also."
"How ironic," she added with a dry laugh.
"I was once called the Myriad Tree, yet now I've fallen, becoming a mere parasite clinging on to survival."
Kael frowned, unsure how to feel about any of this.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we will both die,"
The tree demon said simply, her golden eyes locking with his.
"I wish there were another way, but this is the reality we face. I'll soon lay dormant, and I don't trust you enough to leave my entire being in your hands."
Kael took a deep breath, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. His survival depended on this contract.
"What do I need to do?" he asked.
The tree demon raised her hand, and a delicate vine grew from her palm, glowing faintly.
"Place your hand on this vine. Once we connect, the contract will be sealed."
Kael hesitated for a moment before reaching out. As his fingers touched the vine, a surge of energy rushed through him, and he gasped. The world around him blurred, and he saw flashes of the tree demon's past—her life, her battles, her loss, her pain. He felt it all as if it were his own. Then, just as quickly, it was over.
The vine disappeared, and the tree demon looked at him with a mixture of relief and sadness.
"It is done," she said softly.
"Kael Virel… don't worry. This contract will benefit you. We now share life forces, which means I'll protect you like my own. Though I'll soon lay dormant, I'll transfer some of my abilities to you—those your body can manage—so that you can protect yourself."
"But don't misunderstand," she warned.
"Your origin root is still damaged. You can't level up like the others. I'm the one keeping your body in check. Don't do anything reckless."
Kael felt a strange energy coursing through him, not entirely his own but not foreign either. He and the tree demon were linked in ways he couldn't fully comprehend. But for now, it meant they were both alive.
"Wait…" Kael started.
"I still don't know what to call you."
"I am a different being now," the tree demon said softly.
"If you wish, you can grant me a new name."
Kael thought for a moment.
"Then… how about Sylvia? What do you think?"
Sylvia smiled, a faint glow flickering in her golden eyes. "Sylvia… I like it."
"You better be going now," she added.
"Someone is waiting for you dearly."
"That's right!" Kael exclaimed, remembering.
"Remy!"
Sylvia laughed softly before turning into a small seed, retreating into Kael's origin root, laying dormant within him.