Loathed Treasure

Chapter 43: Journey

(Song: Flower Viewing/Flowers of the Soul by RD-Sounds)

"Far off, somewhere, you can hear something

A mysterious and joyous sound"

I sing my poem in a softer tune and gentle tone. The moment I sang, I could already feel it calming down as I ease it with my singing. Taming the tree made me smile and I continued to sing with passion and pride while the negative energy left.

"Oh great tree, bloom in fantasy

Your time has not yet come"

The tree begins to hum and glow like a flickering lightbulb. Following the tone of the melody as it listens to my voice. My singing had calmed the great tree and I prepared to say the last line.

"As long as you have your short lives

for now, just be with beauty"

Then I sing the high-note at the end and it illuminates with my singing. It gets brighter and brighter the longer I strain my vocal cords and the higher the note. Then when the song finally ends, the light inside dies down and I take my hand off of it.

"... You have calmed down" I smiled. "See? It's not that hard to let go" I let go. "So please just listen to my one request and I'll leave" I backed away and looked at it with sad eyes that begged for its approval. I just lost my pride at this moment but I don't care. This is for her.

"... If it's only one branch, then I will give it to you but no more" The tree gives in and identifies me as a friend. The song has seemed to work on the big tree and gain its favor.

Neat.

"I don't intend to take it. I just want to save her so please" I begged it while going onto my knees. "Please save her" I bowed with my head down.

CRACK

I hear the sound of branches screeching out and the wood twitching. I lifted my chin and saw that the tree had reached out with one branch hovering. It was a long branch that extended all the way from above and it managed to reach us as it continues to go down. Then the branch move over to Athanasia's body and-

PECK

It stabbed her in the forehead and I was stunned by the scene.

"What?!" I screamed and it released her then retreated the branch. I ran over to her body to see the wound on her forehead but nothing was there. I panicked in confusion and rubbed her forehead, still searching for the wound. But it's just blank as if she didn't get stabbed at all when I literally saw it happened recently. I panted and scanned her body in concern.

"...." When I saw her mana stabilizing and getting greater power. I let out a sigh of relief and pat my heart. "A warning would've been fine. I thought you killed her"

"Fufufufu!" The tree teased me and I pouted my cheeks in frustration. Who would've thought this lonely tree had a sense of humor? A weird one too. "Your turn"

"Hm?" I blinked and gaped at the tree in astonishment. "Me too? Are you sure about that?"

"Why not?" It let out the positive energy of the rainbow expressing its joy. Then the same branch came down and hovered in front of me, over my forehead. I stared at it blankly and closed my eyes.

"Since you offered, I'll accept" I mumbled and the tip of the wood poked my skin immediately. Then it released and I already felt the mana spreading inside my body. It's very overwhelming and more powerful than I thought. It hurts me in a weird way that I can't describe it. But I can take it. I have to.