1.
In the distant future, Earth is ruled by a newly born intelligence of technology, reducing humanity to a mere adjunct. To begin anew, the "Kunpeng" sets off into the vast cosmos, carrying the Nuwa System designed to reboot civilization.
"Elementa...
Raina Grace finally reached the massive shadow in front of her. It turned out to be the trunk of a gigantic tree, and the "vines" she had been following were likely its roots. Exhausted, her brain barely processed this information before she succumbed to an irresistible sleep against the tree trunk.
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Everywhere was the gentle embrace of water, omnipresent and free.
A deep stirring from the soul emerged, a primitive sense of satisfaction, a natural peace and belonging that seemed innate and nurtured.
It felt so comfortable that she wished to remain submerged in it and never wake up.
Yet, something was nagging at her senses, was it hunger or death?
Raina Grace struggled to wake from her dream. The suffocating darkness and the sticky, stiff feeling on her body almost drove her to tears.
How did she end up in this situation? Raina Grace started to recall the events leading to her fall.
She was forcefully "invited" by the elders in the plantation to the Elemental Magnetic Fruit orchard and was "enthusiastically" offered the fruits. She always found them foul-smelling and refused to eat them.
The elders, upon her refusal, began to rage inexplicably, pounding their chests and stamping the ground until a pit formed, which Raina Grace then fell into.
It was a vast and deep pit, and she almost thought she would die from the fall, but instead, she landed softly. After groping in the darkness for a long time, she found her way to this giant tree.
Yes, the pit was the endless, dark cavern she was now in.
She had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion and even had a dream—a dream of water and a profound sense of joy and belonging.
But reflecting on it, those feelings were intense and heavy, unlike anything she naturally harbored. She preferred the calm, expansive ocean.
Why did she dream such a dream? Leaning against the trunk, Raina Grace faintly felt it was related to the tree.
Even now, she could sense the tree's deep regrets and sighs, so strong that she couldn't ignore them.
Strange, a tree dreaming of the freedom of water?
Raina Grace stood up, curious to see the true size of the tree.
She walked around the trunk slowly, unable to reach or clearly see the height, shape, or presence of leaves, relying solely on her senses to perceive her surroundings.
The feel of the tree's bark was also a crucial source of information. Even as her palms grew sore from the friction, Raina Grace continued to explore gently, not wanting to miss any detail.
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Surrounded by a gentle embrace of water, free and omnipresent, she felt a pulsation from the depths of her soul, a primitive satisfaction, a natural calm and belonging born and bred within her. It was so comfortable, she wished to stay submerged in that feeling, never to wake up.
Yet, something nagged at her, was it hunger or the threat of death? Struggling out of her dream, the stark contrast between the vivid dream and the oppressive darkness and stiffness of reality made Raina Grace's sense of loss palpable.
How had she ended up in this situation? She recalled being forcefully "invited" to the elemental magnetic fruit orchard by the elders and their "enthusiastic" offer of the fruits, which she had refused due to their off-putting smell. Angered by her refusal, the elders had stomped the ground, creating a pit into which she fell.
It was a deep pit, but she landed softly. After a long trek in the endless dark cave, she reached the giant tree and, out of sheer exhaustion, fell asleep, dreaming of water and immense joy and belonging. Reflecting on it, those emotions seemed too intense to be hers; she preferred the calm and vast sea.
Why such a dream? Leaning against the tree trunk, Raina Grace sensed a deep regret and sigh from the tree, too intense to ignore.
Curious, she stood up to examine the tree's size.
Circling the trunk, unable to grasp its height or shape, she relied solely on touch. Despite the pain from friction, she carefully explored, astonished by the "giant tree" which seemed beyond description as mere "wood." If it truly was a tree, its trunk was as wide as a hotel she once stayed in. Completing the circle left her drenched in sweat.
Was it really a tree? Could there be a tree so large? Yet, it felt unmistakably like a tree trunk.
After resting, Raina Grace decided to circle the tree again, hoping for new discoveries. This time, she paid special attention to the ground, noticing many "vines" like the ones that led her here, part of the tree's vast root system.
On her third round, she attempted to reach higher on the trunk but only succeeded in injuring her finger, which bled.
The fourth time, she noticed a faint light in the darkness, surprising given the increasing darkness as she approached the "giant tree." Now, a glimmer of light appeared!
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Straining her eyes, she confirmed the light was real, not an illusion. Hesitant to touch it and possibly extinguish the light, she watched intently, realizing the glow seemed to emanate from where she had cut her finger.
Squeezing her wound, she smeared more blood on the trunk, both near the glowing spot and elsewhere, then sat down to wait, avoiding direct gaze to manage her expectations and disappointment.
Hunger and pain made the wait unbearable. Raina Grace hadn't eaten since arriving at the tribe, her last meal shared with Flame Wave. She longed for Granny Rain's lotus roots, sweet and crunchy.
Driven by hunger, she decided to check the effect of the blood on the trunk. Mimicking Granny Rain, she closed her eyes, whispered a prayer, and then looked.
The spots where she applied blood were now glowing faintly. Elated but quickly sobering, she wondered about the utility of these weak lights. Did she need to bleed out to gain illumination? But hunger would claim her before she ran out of blood.
There must be another use she hadn't discovered.
Confirming the light was due to her blood, she felt less worried about damaging it. She inspected the trunk closely, finding no significant change except for the rough bark emitting a bit of light, which seemed to fade over time, especially the first glowing spot.
Wondering why the light faded, she speculated it was due to the passage of time affecting the blood's luminosity.
Touching the still-glowing spots, she felt weakened, dizzy, a sign of her physical state deteriorating. Noticing the trunk felt softer where her fingers had felt weak, she tried to dig into it, hoping for sustenance, but found nothing tangible.
Persistently, she tried until all light faded, returning her to darkness and silence.
