They all stood in one of the side passages, gawking, as Aaron ran forward, cooing at a large moss-covered rock. With a shake of their heads, they continued exploring the tunnels, leaving him behind in the small cave.

‘Home!’ Aaron sighed as he lay atop the rock with a serene look on his face. The cavern below the tree had several side passages, even leading to an underground stream. Some of his siblings were overjoyed, as their Insights were of the earth, so they began making small shelters.

Most had stayed above ground and were currently building a larger camp. Aaron had called Cornelius and the gang into the cave, and they were inspecting the surrounding tunnels. Nara was in the cavern with the core as she and Ciel attempted to see if anything could be done about the dying tree.

Aaron felt the tree’s life force and didn’t have much hope, but it never hurt to try. He decided the small cave he was in would be his residence and left to catch up with the others. After inspecting their surroundings and realizing all the tunnels eventually ended, they turned, heading back.

They watched as Nara and Ciel attempted to nurse the core to prevent the tree from fading further. Slowly, they turned away with sorrowful looks as Aaron and the others came in to comfort them. Aaron walked forward and slowly picked up the core, noticing a faint shimmer below where it was nestled in the bark.

He peered closer, seeing faint crystal-like clusters spread through the crevice in the bark. Placing his hand on the crystals, his heart raced, as they were eerily familiar, and he could only think of one possibility. Finding it hard to breathe, he sent a call through the bond as he handed Nara the core for safekeeping. One of his siblings raced into the cavern with a small box, placing it at Aaron's feet.

They all stepped back as he reached down and gently opened the lid.

A golden aura washed through the cave as Mother’s core seemed to vibrate and thrum with activity. Feeling excitement race through his body, Aaron picked up the core, holding it tenderly as it vibrated in his hands. He placed it into the crevice in the bark and stood back, gasping with his siblings.

A golden radiance began to billow from its center.

Pulsating through the cavern.

Crystals began to creep up from the floor, wrapping the wooden dais. The bark started to swell and enclose the core tightly, hugging it in an embrace. Golden ripples shot through the tree, and Aaron watched with his Sight as they spread through the trunk and into the branches.

Their hearts clenched upon hearing shouts and gasps from outside the cavern. They exited the cave to stand before the great tree, mouths open and legs trembling at the shocking changes happening before their eyes.

As the ripples spread through the tree, it swelled with new vigor. The leaves grew larger as a golden hue graced their tips. It began to glow with a faint aura as he and his sibling wept with tears of joy. It felt like Mother had heard their pleas and given them her final gift.

Their tears soon turned to shouts of joy as they rejoiced in their Mother’s legacy. They gathered all their supplies and celebrated the momentous occasion with wonder in their hearts. Ciel sang beautiful songs, and Nora held a play with her golems, bringing tears of laughter.

Even Garin came from the shadows to enjoy the festivities as his group chose to stay in the shadow plane, absolutely hating the forest. Aaron roared with laughter with his siblings, as if all their worries were swept away. This would be their forever home, and it lifted his spirits, so he danced and sang with his siblings as they celebrated a new beginning.

They enjoyed themselves until night began to fall, reveling in the glow surrounding the great tree. When the festivities ended, Aaron entered the cavern and called the others. They needed to hold a meeting to try and determine what exactly had happened.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

This was no ordinary event.

It was all just too wondrous, and Aaron couldn’t help but be shaken. Attempting to calm himself, he looked on as the others slowly trickled into the meeting. They huddled around the core as its aura spread around them, looking at each other sternly.

“This is not... Mother,” Nara whispered, her voice soft and faltering as if holding back tears.

Aaron nodded, looking around and seeing the gloom on their faces. “Our true Mother is gone,” he said, grasping the shoulders of his siblings, trying to comfort them.

“But what? How?" Aaron fumbled, unsure exactly what to ask.

“It feels like the world is trembling,” Nara mumbled quietly.

Cornelius spoke, a look of concentration sparkling in his eyes. “From what little I saw, the humans had no records of something like this. Mother’s core has connected to… something more, giving new life to the great tree.”

This was not the same tree, nor was it their Mother.

The aura emanating from the tree was the same nurturing energy their mother had used, but also different. Standing before that aura, however, almost felt like being held in Mother's loving embrace, making their hearts flutter.

But this was not their Mother.

There wasn’t a hint of her soul.

“It feels like the world is singing,” Ciel said, her eyes holding a serene look.

Aaron pondered what they were saying and had to agree with all of them. Something from the world itself had connected to the tree through their Mother’s core, breathing a new life into existence. He wasn’t necessarily against all of it, but the implications were frightening.

What could give life so easily?

Aaron shivered, feeling out of his league, when Cornelius spoke up, inspecting the core and the crystal formation growing around it.

“The crystal looks to be the same as the crystal in our nest,” he explained hesitantly.

“Wh…?” Aaron trailed off, still unsure how to process what was going on.

“That’s It!” Nara shouted, perking up as everyone jolted. She backed down, embarrassed, mumbling quietly, “Mother connected to the world somehow and… gained an Insight.”

“An Authority!” Cornelius gasped, a look of disbelief written on his face.

The words echoed as everyone tried to process what was said. With Mother’s origins, it seemed too unlikely—practically impossible—that she had connected to the world and gained some Insight or maybe even an Authority.

“Gifted,” Aaron stated, looking around at his siblings. According to Mother’s memories, the crystal had called to her, much like the crown had called to him.

“Gifted…” Cornelius reflected on his words, “The idea that the planet itself would—”

Jessie stepped forward, her face pale as she spoke gruffly, “We worked closely with the hunters; some believe the world to be a living, breathing entity.”

Aaron was troubled by the thought of some force calling out to their Mother and using her for its own nefarious designs. That didn’t sit well with him, making his heart beat fiercely.

“This is all just conjecture,” Cornelius scoffed. “We cannot say for certain what occurred within our nest. There are still too many unknowns, and anything we say will only be guesswork.”

Aaron nodded as murmurs of agreement spread through his siblings. They had too little knowledge to say exactly what had happened or was currently happening. With fatigue setting in, they decided to end the meeting, leaving Aaron alone in the small cavern.

He couldn't help but be shaken by everything that was happening.

Their mother had used this same aura to nurture them, making them closer to the world around them. They gained insights faster than humans and cultivated differently. Their affinities were increased dramatically, and they could process mana more efficiently.

They were built for this world.

A shiver went down his spine at the thought of some unknown force playing a role in their development. But he had also felt something off, ever since leaving the tunnels of the labyrinth and seeing the world. The human records and knowledge had only increased this feeling of unease.

Something was wrong.

He could feel it in his bones.

Approaching the core, trembling slightly from the golden aura still billowing from its center, he looked at the Runes in his vision with a lump in his throat.

[The Mother Tree]

“Mother’s core has awakened the World Tree.”

Sighing, he turned away, heading to his small cave down a side passage. Climbing atop his new rock, he lay back on its mossy surface and struggled to sleep with an ominous feeling in his gut.