Under the cold gray fog, clouds opened the path to the sunlight as it fell over the two figures sleeping in calm. Beside them, the extinguished campfire still smoked, as if the heat was still inside it.
Low chirpings of birds followed, and behind, with a silence, someone woke up.
It was something dead yet alive amongst the land and him; it was Noen who finally woke from his slumber, finding himself covered with multiple leaves. He thought, "What...?" A confusion dawned over as his vision was restored to normal from the previous blurry sight.
He slightly tilted his head, holding it, as then a sudden jog of memory hit him, remembering the rain, the sweat, and dying Sera. A panic surged over, standing atop. In a jolt, all the leaves fell, covering his body. He stood naked, but one leaf clung tight to his below, but he didn't care and turned his head. "Sera!" he shouted, hoarse, yet heavy and loud.
Suddenly, his ears moved as if sensing something; it was like a wolf's, perceiving noises far beyond any human. Among the sound of the tree rustling and the growling of a beast looking for prey, he heard one heartbeat beating near him.
He just stood, standing like a statue. A tear slid down, and a calm surged over, a relief with a slight smile.
"She's alive…" he said, falling to his knees, turning his face toward her, looking down with deep expression. "Because of me, you almost died… again."
chuckle…
"I'm really pathetic, aren't I?"
slap!
A thunderous sound echoed as Sera, who had been sleeping, stood with an angry expression, her eyes sharp. She shouted, grabbing his face, "You are not! I'm alive because of you!!"
Noen just stared in astonishment, eyes shaking in confusion, cause for him the world had gone silent.
Where Sera shouted, continuing her words, "Why do you always put yourself in guilt, Mister!?"
He found calm in her words, and without any thought, he just hugged her in his broad arms. Her body pressed tightly against his bare chest. He just closed his eyes, relieved.
But somewhere else, someone wasn't.
Ah. Ahem... hfehf.
She just sat there, tugging her arm on his chest, her face flushed red, trying to make sense of anything. Her small hands gently tried to push him away, but against his strength, she couldn't move an inch.
Her heartbeat grew faster, her breath became ragged, and body weakened, as she let go of herself, slightly pressing her head near his chest, but what she heard was silence, a beating of imitation.
Her eyes saddened.
"Mister."
"Your heart… it isn't beating."
But Noen, he didn't say anything and sat silently, hugging her, remembering those words…
(Get stronger, or there won't be a next time.)
He let go of Sera, slightly pushing her away, holding her shoulder, but before he could say anything—
"Ahh... Ahh... ahhhh!"
She screamed in embarrassment, "You- you are naked!!"
A punch landed on his chin as Sera went far away, completely red, hiding her face, where Noen sat completely stoned.
Confused why she hit him.
And just like that, a while passed.
Noen stood completely covered in leaves, bound by the forest vines, where Sera, who had finally calmed down, made a ponytail on her head.
Looking back at him, "So, should we start moving, Noen?" she asked in a soft voice.
Where he just smiled, turning toward the long, barren path going forward, the remains of what once was a lively village. He started moving.
"Wait. I just remembered," Sera said, looking at him while she searched through her pockets.
Noen looked back, confused, asking, "What happened?"
"There was a letter I found near you."
"A letter?" he quickly questioned.
"Yes, I found it near you. I thought it was something important, so I kept it."
"Show it to me!" he bellowed, moving closer. He took the letter in his hand, but the world shifted to a twisted dusk.
He sensed an ominous aura emanating from the single piece of paper. He looked at it intensely, eyes narrow and cold. The paper, which looked full of scribbles, translated before his eyes.
"Ner the wrld true el kill bull tribu," he said, unconsciously reading it. "What?" he murmured to himself.
Sera looked at him, confused as well, and asked in a worried voice, "What does it mean?"
"World tree…" he said.
"Near world tree... kill the bull tribe?"
"World tree..!?"
"You know something about it?" he asked.
Sera thought for a moment, her eyes closed, before she responded.
"Yes, in history it was said that near the world tree the first sacrifice of great wars took place."
"Is it again the Great War of Heavens..? Sigh..."
"Leave that letter as it is. It isn't worth our time—"
ding...!!
The world turned black like a preceding dark. The fog rose above the crystal white skies. It shone like a million white stars, shimmering like the jewels of the sun.
Sound glistened like crystals ringing near the ears.
Both stood among it all, breath stopped, almost heavy from the cold. A tree similar to Yggdrasil rose in front of their eyes. They stood shocked by it, where eight veils hung tied to its falling roots.
And behind, a long-legged entity stood, eyes pure white, a glowing giant face, and a stretching smile. Ribs opened, staring into a hollow. It looked at them, hands curved, face twisting.
Its mouth was wide open, its body slim, walking toward them like a moving machine.
Sera looked at it in terror, her face pale from fear. Noen, yet certain, readied his hands, holding a blood sword.
But it did nothing, phazing through them like a mere mirage. They both turned, following their eyes, seeing where it was going.
And what they saw even left Noen stunned.
The giant tree stood high in front of their eyes, its 8 branches extended, and its roots held 8 veils on their tips.
But inside the trunk, human faces stretched outward, made of wood covered in hundreds of human bodies, and that monster just stood there.
Staring at it with its open mouth, as if it were stuck forever in that state.
It twisted its head and—
crunchhhh...
It bit on the trunk. Blood poured out, and screams echoed with a piercing sound.
Noen looked at it, eyes dazed, but his ears were flooded with words…
Please… save u@#$%
YOU...!!
Are one of u@#$%...!
The world tree grew larger.
Blood stained the screaming pain, and that monster kept eating that tree, plunging into its flesh.
It turned around, looking silently at Noen, staring at him.
He just gulped; his calm had broken down against the ominous aura of that beast.
A presence larger than his own.
It moved closer… more closer.
He looked to his side, moving his hand to protect Sera, but she wasn't there.
It was only him, and that monster, and before he could have thought of anything, it moved, standing close to his face.
Its breath, filled with the smell of flesh, reached his nose. It silently stared at him, its mouth stretching like creaking bones, its bright white eyes close to his face.
"It just smiles…"
crunch...
Hugh. Huff. Huff.
***