In another place, where the wind moved the massive leaves of the Estrason Tree, Ateen finally arrived at her home—at the heart of the giant tree, the homeland of the warrior women and the children who had grown up among its towering branches. Houses were suspended between the branches, connected by wooden bridges that swayed with the wind, giving the place a magical and unique atmosphere.
She paused for a moment, contemplating the scene before her, and a warm smile filled with longing appeared on her face. She whispered to herself,
"How much I have missed home after this long absence."
As soon as she took a few steps forward, the women of Estrason welcomed her warmly. Some of them began scattering flowers into the air in celebration of her return, while another group shot arrows at colorful spheres that burst into bright colors and sparkling lights, filling the place with a magical festive atmosphere.
Amid this warm welcome, an elderly woman approached her and said,
"Grandmother Asil is waiting for you, Princess."
Ateen nodded gratefully, then headed toward the place where Grandmother Asil was sitting—The wisest woman in the homeland
When Ateen arrived and her eyes fell upon Grandmother Asil, she could not control herself. She rushed toward her and embraced her tightly, saying,
"Grandmother, I missed you so much."
The grandmother smiled as she held her with affection, then placed her hands on Ateen's shoulders and looked into her eyes with warm emotion.
"I missed you too, my little one. It has been a long time."
Ateen stepped back slightly while smiling. Then Grandmother Asil spoke in a calm tone:
"Welcome back, Ateen. How are you? And how are things in the royal guard?"
Ateen smiled and replied,
"Things are under control, but working far from home was not easy. I truly missed this place."
After some time had passed in conversation between them, the grandmother looked at her and said:
"You are now about to enter a new stage of your life. Soon you will become the king's wife, and that means you will need to choose who will succeed you as the commander of the royal guard."
Ateen fell silent for a moment, then raised her head and said:
"I believe the twins, Dia and Mori, are the most suitable choice. They have shown courage and intelligence in battle, and I trust they will become remarkable leaders."
The grandmother smiled with satisfaction and said,
"Your decision is wise."
Then she looked closely at Ateen's face and said:
"You look tired. I think it is time for you to go to the Chamber of Purity to restore your vitality and beauty."
She added in a serious tone,
"But remember, my daughter, you must remain in the basin until sunset. You are not allowed to leave before then."
Ateen lifted her gaze toward her grandmother and nodded.
"I understand, and I will do what must be done."
Grandmother Asil gently patted her hand and said,
"That is what I wanted to hear."
Then she added,
"Go now, and prepare yourself for what is to come."
Ateen stood up and headed deeper into the tree, where the chamber was located.
She entered the Chamber of Purity. It was a dark room, illuminated only by a faint light coming from magical water shimmering inside a stone basin in the middle of the chamber.
As Ateen approached the basin, she noticed two lights glowing on the sides of the room—one eye emerging from the right and another identical one from the left.
Ateen stopped, her eyes staring cautiously, then she said,
"Is someone here?"
Suddenly, the room lit up, and two identical girls appeared before her. They said together with smiles,
"Welcome. We have been waiting for you."
One of them had a glowing line crossing her right eye, while the other had the same line across her left.
Ateen's eyes widened in surprise.
"Dia and Mori? What are you doing here?"
Dia laughed and said,
"We knew you would come here, so we decided to see you before you begin the ritual."
Ateen replied,
"Thank you both for coming here."
Mori spoke and said,
"You know, this room is scarier than I expected. It's quiet and dark. Don't you think so?"
Ateen cast a calm glance around the room, then turned to them and said,
"If darkness is part of it, then I must learn to live with it."
The twins exchanged quick glances before Dia smiled and said,
"Alright, alright. We don't want to disturb you any longer. We just wanted to wish you an enjoyable time."
Then they left, and the door slowly closed behind them, leaving Ateen alone in the chamber, where nothing could be seen except the glowing water in the basin.
Ateen removed her outer robe and stepped toward the basin with calm steps. Her long hair flowed behind her, and her eyes began to shine with a glowing blue light as she approached the water.
When her feet touched the water, she felt warmth flowing through her body.
Then she sat inside the basin, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath as she felt her body slowly relax. A warm stillness filled her, as if life itself was flowing into her once again.