You could say that this clearing stood out from the vast expanse of corrupted forest that surrounded it: it was as if — by fantastic and incomprehensible means — spring had advanced over this small piece of land.
It so happened that, in the center of the circle of green trees, there was a strange dome made of intertwined roots. It had an oval shape, was covered in moss and emanated a soft green aura, which caused several wildflowers to bloom in an instant on the tall grass around it. This easily attracted people's attention, especially that of the well-equipped ones who were roaming the surrounding forest in tactical teams.
The reason for so much commotion, apart from the impressive ripple of power in the area around the cocoon of roots, was the fact that this mysterious object was dispelling the corruption that plagued this planet. After all, the entire forest was in a deplorable state: gray and dead, the leaves dry and without a shred of health, as if they had been burned to a flickering specter of their original forms — except, of course, for that mysterious green clearing, which looked like a fragment of the past struggling to survive.
— This is incredible, Commander! — One of the E.G.O. soldiers pointed out as the group slowly entered the area around the root formation. — It's as if corruption had never reached this patch of forest... And this energy, by the Gods, we could power several industries and entire cities if we managed to co-opt it properly!
— Focus on the mission, agent! — The commander demanded, keeping his rifle aimed at the tree cocoon. — This thing seems to be starting to move...
What these men didn't know was that a conscience was struggling to awaken, and was gradually coming to its senses inside those huddled roots.
༻ ༊*·˚ ༺
Seven felt a nagging headache, she was trying to digest everything that had happened: from her imprisonment, to the information passed on by that strange voice inside her mind and the suspicious and hostile chatter outside that dark capsule, in which she floated weakly.
What was this? Breaking the rules? Transported to the mortal world? Without powers or deities? And this system called Vez? Nothing makes sense!
"Yes, I remember now... I'm Sete, the Spring." — The girl felt that some fragments of memories and important information were still missing, but her headache was getting worse every time she tried harder to sift through her memories. — "Where are those three? What have you done with them!" — She asked furiously, remembering the other Seasons and Vez's words about them being separated from each other.
The soldiers' voices intensified as they drew closer and closer to the cocoon of roots in the center of the purified clearing. Sete, for her part, felt her head throbbing even more. She was furious, screaming and trying to get rid of the darkness that was meticulously enveloping her. With great effort, she was able to create a crack in the dark space in front of her.
The interior of the place lit up through the crack, and the little deity noticed that she was inside a dome made of thick tree roots, which intertwined and formed some kind of cocoon. Seven was kneeling in the center of that capsule — momentarily without strength, she imagined, as a result of the side effect of freeing herself — and she could feel traces of the auras of other Gods there.
— Commander! — One of the E.G.O. men exclaimed. — This thing is collapsing somehow. Look, there's a crack right there!
— Soldiers, stand by! — The squadron commander warned when he noticed a strange movement coming from the pile of roots. — It looks like something is coming out of that unidentified formation!
The men — dressed in black and gray tactical clothing — readied themselves and turned the sights of their rifles on the dome, when they heard something rustle in the mysterious darkness inside.
Then, suddenly, a pale, delicate hand grasped the edge of the crack in the cocoon.