The campfire crackled softly, its warm glow flickering against the backdrop of the forest. Ash sat cross-legged on the ground, the wolf lying beside him, its crimson claws catching the firelight. Pyre leaned against a nearby tree, his arms crossed, his crimson eyes reflecting the flames as he gazed into the distance.
The silence between them was heavy but not uncomfortable. The battle earlier had been grueling, and even with his enhanced abilities, Ash felt the weight of exhaustion. Still, his curiosity burned brighter than his fatigue.
"Master," Ash said finally, breaking the stillness.
Pyre glanced at him but didn't speak.
Ash hesitated, then continued, "You're… strong. Like, insanely strong. And I don't mean just your fire tricks." He gestured vaguely toward Pyre. "You're not like me. Or anyone I've seen. You're from somewhere else, aren't you?"
Pyre's lips quirked into a faint smirk. "What gave it away?"
Ash shrugged. "The hair? The fire eyes? The fact you melted a gorilla the size of a mountain with one finger?"
Pyre chuckled softly, then uncrossed his arms and walked to the fire. He crouched beside it, poking at the embers with a stick. For a moment, it seemed like he wouldn't answer. But then, his voice broke the quiet, low and measured.
"You're right," Pyre said. "I'm not from here. Earth, as you call it, isn't my home. I came here… not long ago."
"I was traveling," Pyre began, his voice taking on a distant tone. "Not aimlessly, but with purpose. I've visited countless worlds—each one different, each one dangerous. Some thrive with life and light; others are wastelands of despair."
Ash leaned forward, hanging on every word. The wolf's ears perked up as if it, too, were listening.
"When I arrived here," Pyre continued, "I thought this planet was… ordinary. Unremarkable. But I was wrong. Earth hides its truths well."
His gaze shifted to Ash, his crimson eyes sharp. "The first truth I learned was from a tribe of beings I'd never encountered before—Tree Men."
"Tree Men?" Ash asked, frowning.
Pyre nodded. "Tall, ancient beings, their bodies like living wood, their minds deeply connected to the earth. They were peaceful, almost naïve, but they were desperate. When I arrived, they begged me for help."
"Help with what?"
Pyre's expression darkened. "A monster raid."
"They told me about a dungeon deep within their forest," Pyre said. "A place they feared above all else. Every ten days, creatures from that dungeon would emerge—a horde of monsters, relentless and ravenous. They'd steal everything: their food, their supplies, even their saplings. The Tree Men were too weak to fight back, too tied to the land to abandon their home."
Ash's jaw tightened. He could imagine the scene—innocent beings pleading for someone to save them, just as he'd once fought for survival in the lab.
"They asked me to go to the dungeon," Pyre continued, his tone colder now. "To stop the raids. I agreed, not because I wanted to help them, but because I was curious. This dungeon… it was different from anything I'd encountered before."
Pyre paused, his eyes narrowing as if recalling something unpleasant.
"The dungeon wasn't like the ruins you see on Earth. It was alive," he said. "The walls pulsed with energy, the air thick with something ancient. At its heart, I found a pond. It wasn't water—it was light. Crimson light, glowing like fire, but fluid and alive."
"A pond of light?" Ash asked, skeptical but intrigued.
Pyre nodded. "And above it, hanging from the ceiling, was a massive chandelier, its crystals catching the crimson glow and refracting it across the room. But the most striking thing was at the center of the pond—a sapling."
"A tree?"
"Yes. A small, fragile-looking thing, no taller than a child. Its bark was black as night, but its leaves glowed crimson, pulsing in time with the light."
Pyre's voice grew harder. "I wasn't alone in that chamber. Monsters poured in, dozens of them, their bodies twisted and grotesque. At first, I thought they were there to protect the sapling, to stop me. So I fought them."
He clenched his fist, the firelight reflecting in his eyes. "But then, something strange happened. As I cut them down, the surviving monsters didn't attack. They threw themselves into the pond, one by one. Their bodies dissolved into blood, their essence feeding the sapling."
Ash felt a chill run down his spine. "They sacrificed themselves?"
"Yes," Pyre said grimly. "Willingly. As if they were part of something greater, something they believed in."
"I knew I couldn't leave that sapling there," Pyre continued. "It was growing stronger with every sacrifice, its light brighter, its energy more overwhelming. Whatever it was, I knew it wasn't meant to exist."
"So what did you do?"
"I tried to destroy it," Pyre said simply. "I unleashed everything I had—fire, force, even space itself. But the moment I struck, the air around me bent. Space folded in on itself, twisting and warping until it spat me out of the dungeon."
Ash blinked. "It… threw you out?"
"Like I was nothing," Pyre said, his voice laced with frustration. "I couldn't touch it. Whatever that sapling is, it's protected by something far beyond my understanding. And after that day, the dungeon… changed. The monster raids stopped. The Tree Men were safe. But the sapling remains."
Pyre leaned back, staring into the fire. "That was my first lesson about this world," he said. "It's not just about strength. There are forces at work here that defy logic, that laugh at power. You'd do well to remember that."
Ash nodded slowly, the weight of Pyre's words sinking in. He thought of the crimson skies, the lab, the fusions, and now this sapling. Earth wasn't ordinary—it was a mystery, one he was only beginning to unravel.
"What do you think it was?" Ash asked finally.
Pyre smirked faintly. "That's for you to figure out one day. If you're strong enough to survive."
Ash's wolf let out a low growl, as if agreeing. Ash chuckled, scratching behind its ears. "Fine. But if I find it and it throws me out, I'm blaming you."
Pyre stood, brushing off his coat. "You'd better hope it only throws you out."
With that, he walked off into the night, leaving Ash and his wolf to ponder the story and the secrets of their strange world.