In the ancient forest, three small figures could be seen walking along a narrow pathway. The towering trees loomed around them, their leaves rustling softly in the night breeze. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting faint shadows as the trio moved forward in silence.
It was so quiet that they could hear their own heartbeats. The rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of footsteps were the only sounds in the still night.
They all moved in silence.
When they reached the spot where Marriane had seen the tree, they all held their breath. The towering trunk stood before them, its gnarled roots twisting into the earth like ancient veins. The forest felt even quieter now, as if it, too, was watching. A faint breeze stirred the leaves, but none of them dared to move.
They all froze like a statue.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, Jeremy said,"No... that tree isn't connected to enemy, it's the enemy itself."
A cold chill ran down their spines. The air around them felt heavier, the shadows stretching unnaturally beneath the tree's twisted branches. The silence deepened, as if the forest itself was holding its breath along with them.
They slowly stepped back, their breaths shallow as they retreated just as planned.
They all returned, each too shaken to speak. The weight of what they had seen hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. After a long silence, Marianne finally broke it, her voice soft yet uncertain.
"What do we do know?"
Anastasia paused, her mind racing as she considered their options. The cold night air bit at her skin, but her thoughts burned with resolve.
"What else...besides killing it?" she answered, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words. The answer was clear, even if the path to it was fraught with danger.
After hearing Anastasia's response, Marriane didn't say anything. She knew this was the only way they could make it out alive—or maybe not.
Then Jeremy spoke, his tone calm but firm."Guys, let's sleep we'll figure this out tommorow".
As he said that, he raised his hand, and a black barrier formed around them. Marriane's jaw dropped as she stared at the dark shield, wide-eyed. Anastasia, however, quickly realized what he had just done—he had used his hidden element, dark magic.
Though she already knew, she couldn't help but feign shock, her eyes widening clumsily as if the sight still surprised her.
As they settled inside the barrier, Jeremy began to explain, "We'll be safe this way. The barrier will protect us through the night."
But Marriane quickly interrupted, "What? This isn't what you should be explaining!"
Jeremy blinked, then realized what she meant. With a shrug, he replied, "Oh, this element? I've just always had it since I was born." His casual tone did little to ease the tension, and Marianne stared at him in disbelief, unsure if she should be impressed or frustrated.
Neither Anastasia nor Marriane asked any questions after that. They were too tired to think about anything else. It had been a long and exhausting day, and their bodies ached for rest. They lay down on the ground, closing their eyes, the soft hum of the barrier around them lulling them into a much-needed sleep.
....
The entire imperial palace was in turmoil as the Emperor urgently questioned the knights about the missing children. However, to everyone's surprise, no one had seen the children that day. Even Roseyy, who was usually with Anastasia, had taken the day off, as though it had been planned.
The Wellos and Niolle families were also present, deeply worried for their children. Tension filled the air as the officials searched for answers.
But despite the growing concern, the news was kept private, hidden from the public eye. Everyone seemed to be on edge.
As Anastasia's mother cried uncontrollably, Sidric, Anastasia's father, stood frozen, unable to do anything but watch her sorrow. His heart ached, but his mind was clouded with questions. Why? He thought to himself. Why my daughter, of all people?
A wave of quiet rage simmered beneath his calm exterior. Whoever was behind this, they would pay. If there was even a scratch on her...
His resolve hardened, and with a final glance at his wife, Sidric left his office, determined to find answers, no matter the cost.
————
The next morning, when the three of them woke up, they had the black fruit for breakfast. The fruit, dark and slightly bitter, but none of them spoke a word as they ate.
Each was lost in their own thoughts, their minds consumed by the looming challenge of dealing with the tree.
After some time, Marriane asked, "So, what is the plan?"
She looked at Anastasia and Jeremy, waiting for them to decide what to do next. The quiet from before had shifted, and now they needed to figure out how to handle the situation.
"We will attack it, but before that, Marriane, you have to find the tree's range," Anastasia answered.
marriane nodded, while saying "okey!"
Then Jeremy spoke up, "Wait, I have a suggestion too," he said, his eyes drifting toward the utensils Marianne had made with the dark wood.
"Let's make a poisoned bomb," Jeremy said.
Anastasia and Marriane spoke in unison, "Poisoned bomb?"
Jeremy looked at Marianne and said, "Aren't you the craftsman, Marriane? It should be a piece of cake for you, right?"
Flustered, Marriane quickly replied, "Yes, of course!" She was more than capable of making such a bomb, atleast that is what I think so.
After some time, with Jeremy's dark magic as a base and Marriane's poison as the main ingredient, they were able to create the poisoned bomb.
The mechanism was simple yet effective: as soon as someone threw the bomb, the layer of black magic would vanish, leaving only the poison behind. The poison was strong enough to melt the tree, they hoped. It was a risky plan, but it seemed like their best option.
"Let's just hope it will be effective on that particular tree," Jeremy said, his tone filled with uncertainty.
They all knew the plan was their best shot, but none of them could be sure if the poison would work on such a mysterious and powerful tree.