The group continued further into the forest, our feet crunching on the fallen leaves. The atmosphere became more mysterious as we ventured deeper into the unknown. The trees around us were growing denser and thicker, their branches intertwining above our heads to block out the light from the sky and cast a deep shadow over us.

We kept our eyes open for any sign of Yggdrasil while walking along dirt paths, which seemed to be leading us in circles instead of straight ahead like they had before. Some of us started noticing strange symbols carved on some of the trees that we passed by, but none of us could figure out what they meant or why they were there.

As we pushed forward, we heard a faint sound coming from somewhere close by. It was an eerily beautiful song that drew us in with its beauty. We decided to follow where it was coming from, and soon enough we found ourselves standing in front of three huge trees—Yggdrasil—each one remarkably different from all other life forms in this forest.

The first tree was covered in lush green leaves, which seemed to never end no matter how far up you looked, giving off a warm feeling when you stood close to it. The second tree was incredibly tall, with long, bare branches extending high up into the sky. It had a cold, solemn air about it that made you feel uneasy just being near it. And lastly, there was the third tree, which resembled a twisted wolf’s claw reaching for prey; its thick bark seemed almost impenetrable and intimidating at first glance yet strangely inviting all at once due to its captivating scent.

I slowly walked closer to the immense Yggdrasil, feeling a strange pull towards them. As I got closer, I noticed something strange—a piece of bark was missing from one of the trees. Taking out the fragment of bark I had found earlier from my pocket, I realized it seemed to fit perfectly in the place where the piece was missing.

I carefully placed the bark in its rightful place and stepped back to admire my work. Suddenly, the ground started shaking beneath me, and a bright light began emanating from Yggdrasil. Its branches started to move as if they were alive, its leaves shimmering in an eerie yet beautiful way.

As I watched with awe at this magnificent display of nature's power, I heard a voice calling out for me from within Yggdrasil's depths: "Come closer," it said. Hesitantly, I moved forward and looked up at the tree’s illustrious branches extending high above me into the night sky.

Suddenly, everything around me turned quiet, and it was still as if time had frozen in that moment. Then suddenly, ancient knowledge flooded my mind—knowledge about the history of Yggdrasil and how it connected all realms together as one living being known as the World Tree.

In that moment, I felt like part of something much greater than myself—like an integral part of existence itself. I am in awe of this newfound understanding and connection to nature. Suddenly, Yggdrasil starts bleeding golden sap. My heart beats hard.

"Why is my hunger getting stronger?" I ask myself before hearing Yggdrasil speak to me. "Please, drink the sap from my holy bark." I look down at the sap and hesitantly walk towards it. I scoop some sap into my hand and drink it.

I suddenly feel my power skyrocket; pressure releases from me and forces everyone to the ground.

"What's happening?" Alistair struggles to say. He looks over at me and sees me drinking the sap. "Kamen, what are you doing?" He yells out. I look back at him and smile. "I'm increasing my power and learning about the universe at the same time." I explain before drinking more of the sap.

I look up towards Yggdrasil. "Thank you so much; this will help me and everyone else out greatly." I say this before turning around and seeing everyone get up off the ground.

Alistair looks at me with a confused expression on his face. "What did you do?" He asks.

"I learned more about Yggdrasil and the universe; her sap also happened to increase my power." I explain before drinking more of the sap.

I felt something change within me as I drank more of the sap. It felt like a new power was growing inside of me. I grow stronger with every sip and soon feel like no one can stop me. The dark forest starts to tremble, as if in fear of what I am becoming.

The sound of rushing wind fills my ears as I stand there, looking up at the trees. The leaves begin moving in unison to create patterns of light against the darkness of the night sky. As I watch the leaves move, I hear a faint voice call out to me. It sounds like a woman singing in a language long forgotten by mankind. Her words carry such wisdom and truth that they echo through the heavens.

As she sings, the air becomes charged with energy, then everything goes black for several moments until everything comes back to life again. All of a sudden, I find myself standing next to the world tree of death. It stands ominously in the darkness, towering over everything around it. The forest seems to fade away, as if it were never there in the first place.

I reach out my hand and touch the tree; its bark feels rough against my skin. I move my hand up and down its trunk, marveling at how cool it feels. I press my body against it and feel the chill seep into my bones. It is a wonderful sensation that causes me to shiver with delight.

As I stand there, I feel like there is something I need to do. I need to complete some sort of task or ritual in order to attain the power of the tree. Yet, I'm not sure what I need to do.

I try to determine the best course of action, but the tree keeps drawing my attention away. I lean in close to the tree and inhale deeply, enjoying its smell. I touch the bark once more and feel the energy from the tree flowing through my body.

I close my eyes and concentrate on this feeling. I want to become one with the tree. I want to merge with it and let its power flow through me. I need this power.

After a few minutes, I'm able to relax enough to allow the tree to enter my mind. In the midst of a forest filled with dead trees and numerous men's bodies, a woman wearing a long black dress is standing. She is dressed in a long black dress with a white mask covering her face.

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Her hair flows freely behind her, forming a veil of sorts that hides her features from view. As I look around, I notice that everyone is dead. No one is left alive. There are no animals in the forest. Nothing is moving. Everything is still and silent.

I look back at the woman, expecting her to be gone, but she is still there. She continues to walk towards me, her stride long and graceful. She stops when she reaches me and removes her mask. Her face is pale white, with long black hair falling loosely down her back.

She stares at me with piercing blue eyes, a strong emotion swirling within them. Her beauty has me spellbound. I can't look away from her. Her gaze is magnetic, and I am drawn to her.

I am scared and yet fascinated by her. I want to know more about her. I need to know more about her. She is the only thing that matters to me right now.

I start to approach her, wanting to get closer to her. I can feel myself losing control as I draw nearer to her. She is intoxicating, and I am drunk on her presence. I don't know why I am so drawn to her, but I want to be with her.

I have to be with her.

I have to have her.

She is mine.

She is my salvation.

She is my destiny.

I belong with her.

I will be with her.

Forever.

My inner self screams at me to stop. To fight the compulsion that I feel towards this woman. I know that if I give in to it, I will lose everything that I have worked so hard to achieve. I will be ruined.

I struggle against the urge, but it is like a wildfire raging inside of me. Suddenly I snap out of it, and the woman is smiling at me. "You're a strong one, Kamen. I'll give you that. I will assume you are here to ask for a part of my power like you did with Yggdrasil." The woman says,

"Yes, I have come to ask for a part of your power, my lady." I say, bowing my head.

"Very well then, I will give you the power you seek." The woman says it with a smile.

She motions for me to come closer, and I do. I kneel down and touch her hand. I feel a burning sensation at first, but then it quickly fades away. I feel weak and exhausted. I fall to the ground, and I hear the woman laughing. "I hope you enjoy your new power, Kamen. I'll be sure to visit you soon." She says this before disappearing.

I wake up with a start, breathing heavily as I look around and see everyone staring at me. "You need to stop doing this." Alistair says as he shakes his head.

"What? What happened?" I ask, confused.

"You've been asleep for three days." Alistair explains.

"Three days?! Why did no one wake me up sooner?" I was shocked.

"We tried, but you were too deep in your sleep." Alistair says it with a frown.

"It would seem that you have taken my power now, Kamen." The woman's voice is in my head.

"What?!" I yell out in surprise.

"What is it?" Alistair asks, confused.

"Nothing, just give me a moment." I am trying to calm myself down.

I breathe in deeply and then out slowly until I feel calm enough to continue speaking. "You mean that I took the power of the World Tree of Death?" I say, looking over at Alistair.

Alistair nods his head. "That's what she said."

"What does this mean?" I ask.

"I'm not sure." Alistair responds.

I look around at everyone and realize how much power I have gained. "I need to go to the world tree of knowledge." I explain.

Everyone looks at me strangely. "Are you okay?" Alistair is concerned.

"I think so, maybe," I reply.

I look at the others and tell them I need to leave immediately. They all agree, and we set off walking towards the World Tree of Knowledge.

***

When I arrive at the World Tree of Knowledge, I see that the area surrounding it has changed dramatically. Trees cover the land and form a lush green canopy above our heads. Birds sing their songs high up in the branches, while butterflies flutter from flower to flower. It is beautiful.

The tree itself is massive, reaching hundreds of feet into the air. Its thick trunk is covered in moss and vines that hang off of it like a waterfall. A small stream runs along the base of the tree, collecting water from a nearby pond. The tree seems to glow softly in the sunlight.

I look around at the other people who have arrived with me. Everyone is amazed by the changes around us. We look up at the tree and wonder where to begin.

Suddenly, someone appears next to me. I turn around and see the woman from last time wearing the black dress and veil. This time, however, she isn't alone. Two other women are with her.

They introduce themselves as the Three Sisters, a trio of powerful witches that have lived together since birth. Their father was a great wizard who taught each of them different magical powers.

He told them that they should live separate lives but remain friends forever. Each sister had a unique power, which they used to aid those in need.

Each sister is named after the elements of fire, earth, and wind. One of the three sisters spoke.

"If you truly want to gain the power of this tree, you must pass a trial before talking to her." The middle sister, Wind, says

"Why?" I ask, surprised.

"Because the tree wants to test you," Earth, the eldest sister, replies.

"And if I fail the test?" I ask.

Earth smiles at me. "Then you shall die."

Wind laughs. "Don't worry, you won't."

Before anyone else can speak, the youngest sister, Fire, interrupts. "Let him finish! He asked a question!"

The others nod in agreement.

Fire turns back to me. "Now listen carefully, for this is important. You will need to fight different beasts and creatures based on the knowledge you currently possess. If you are able to beat them, we shall grant you access to talk to her." She explains.

"How many will I need to defeat?" I asked nervously.

"At least five, but you may have to fight more depending on the difficulty of the beast." Fire says.

I look over at Alistair and the others. "Who among us wishes to join me in this challenge?" I ask.

All four of the girls raise their hands. "Me!" they shout in unison.

"Fine then, let us begin." I say.

We walk through the woods until we find a clearing near the edge of the forest. In the center of the field is a large rock formation. On top of it sits a huge red dragon. It is glaring down at us with yellow, glowing eyes.

I look at the creature and realize that I know exactly how to kill it. "This will be easy." I say confidently.

I step forward and prepare myself for battle. My magic begins to swirl around me. I take a deep breath and focus on the dragon. Then I open my mouth wide and roar at the monster.

"Hahaha, you can't hurt me!" The dragon roars back at me.

I charge at the beast and attack. It barely notices me as I run past it. I swing my sword at its neck, hoping to sever it from the rest of its body. However, I miss and hit nothing but air. The dragon transforms into a humanoid dragon and attacks me, striking me in the side and pushing me into the ground.

I roll to my feet and try to strike again, but I am unable to reach the beast. I look over at the others and see that none of them have managed to harm the creature either.

"It looks like we are going to need help." I say this as I look over at Alistair and the others.

"There's no way we could manage to beat such a powerful foe without the use of our own abilities." Alistair says, shaking his head.

"No matter, I have another idea." I respond.

I concentrate and feel Vestis' power building within me. I hold it tightly inside and wait patiently. When I am ready, I release the power and send it flying towards the beast.

In an instant, the power strikes the creature, knocks it backward, and sends it flying into about a mile and a half of trees. "Who's the bitch now?" I yell out at the dragon.