Bzzz... Bzzz...
A familiar and irritating hum vibrated once more through Velvet's skull. A sensation that has always preceded the unwelcome intrusion of fragmented visions or half-forgotten memories from deep within.
"Ugh... my head... what is it now?", she muttered while pressing her hand to her temple.
As the world around her blurred once again, the present faded into a soft, golden haze. As a warmth enveloped her, carrying a faint smell of earth.
A soothing and melodious voice, that is deep and resonant like the hum of a thousand distant harps, sounded at the other end of the fog. You don't know who that individual is but you know they're male by the sound of their voice.
"Dear Rose," he began speaking with a tone laced with a gentle amusement, "have you heard of the Heart Tree?"
Young Rose curiously asked, "Heart Tree? What's that papa? Is it something edible?", her voice as childish as an echo in the vast memory.
A soft, rumbling chuckle emanated from him, a sound that vibrated throughout her very being. "Always hungry aren't you, little one?", he mused.
"But no, it is not edible, at least not in a way you mean. It is a very... peculiar being. A very selfish tree, you see. So very ancient that its roots intertwine with the very fabric of creation. It is a tree capable of harming the very gods themselves, a power only a few entities possess, yet it only chooses to protect itself. Its existence is a paradox to many," he explained.
Then he paused, and Velvet felt a gentle, unseen hand ruffle her hair. "Others, particularly mortals, have misunderstood its intentions every single time, thinking it is protecting them from the Gods they feared the most. They build temples beneath its roots, offer sacrifices, and whisper prayers, believing it to be their divine guardian against our 'wrath'".
His voice grew more serious, though still imbued with that underlying calm. He said, "But a Heart Tree is only allowed to talk in the presence of a god and not mortals like your friends from below. It is a confidante to the divide, a silent witness to our existence. And when we, the gods, interact with it or even with each other under the presence of the tree, the mortals often misinterpret its reason for existence."
"Remember this, while others fight each other, it's at times not because they hate each other," he continued, a hint of ancient wisdom in his words. "But rather it is because they, in our own world, classify these skirmishes as mere play fights, tests of strength, or even elaborate art in a more crude form, rather than actual battles made to kill. The energies we gods release, the celestial tremors, the flashes of light that scar the skies... these are nothing but the playful expressions of our immense power. However, such 'fights' are tragically mistaken by the mortals to be the wrath of the gods, a sign of divine displeasure, or an act of destructive fury."
He knelt in front of the young child, and Velvet could almost feel the warmth in his gaze, yet his features remained indistinct and blurry. "As you must always remember, Rose, gods rank above all beings, far beyond the ephemeral power of kings and queens, even beyond the ancient might of dragons. Our existence predates the mountains, and our will can shape the very stars you see up above. Never underestimate the power of a god. Remember that, Velvet. It is a lesson the universe itself whispers."
The warmth began to recede, the scent of earth faded, pulling Velvet back to an empty space, leaving her with the lingering echo of his voice and the profound weight of his words.
The young child looked back at you, asking, "Don't you miss him? After all, you and I are one being," a voice echoed into your ears. And when you were about to ask her what she meant, you were sent back to the present world.
"Velvet! Velvet, are you alright?", asked Verosala.
The sudden yet urgent call of her name jolted Velvet back to the present, the golden haze of memory shattering like fragile glass. She blinked, shaking her head, the hum in her ears slowly fading. Verosala was beside her, her brow furrowed with concern, her hand hovering as if to steady her.
But before Velvet could respond, a new voice, impossibly ancient and deep, yet as gentle as a forest breeze, resonated not from the air, but from within her very soul. It was the voice of the Heart Tree itself, its colossal form shimmering with an inner light. As the leaves floating from the air began to surround her, they created an area where space was distorted.
A pink-leaf-haired girl came out of the Heart Tree, and it began to talk: "Rose, it's been quite a long time since you last visited me. How have you been?" The sound of the girl's voice is as soft as a rustling chorus of leaves and the whispers of forgotten ages.
Velvet's eyes widened, darting around. She looked at Verosala, who is as stiff as statues, and is remaining the same posture as before Velvet heard the voice of the girl. As if... time stopped.
"Who... are you?" Velvet whispered, her voice barely audible as the girl in front of her.
"It seems you don't remember me... how sad for you to lost all your will.", dejectedly said the girl sitting within the Heart Tree.
"However, I can answer your questions in the form of stories", as it tries to regain the measure of its gentle resonance. "This is because of the laws and regulations put before us, Heart Trees, rules that we must follow. As we are bound by ancient pacts, you see."
Before Velvet could ask another question, the pink-leafed-haired girl began to sing. Her voice sounds like it was woven from the quiet hum of the earth, the distant sigh of the cosmos, and the gentle rustle of leaves.
"To answer your question, 'Who am I', let me first talk about the story of the 'Kind' and the 'Cruel' ruler."
"Once there a kind ruler,
A ruler so kind and sweet.
She shares her love and her lasting wish.
to someone whom everyone viewed,
to be as cruel and evil as can be. "
"The Cruel Ruler, her very own brother,
is misjudged by all,
making him hate his sister,
the Kind and lovable ruler,
for taking what's his."
"A wish he made, so blindly selfish,
a wish in exchange for all of his heart,
a tool to be used for the wish.
And through that wish, he saw all that he missed.
and he regretted it deeply-
For it took not his heart,
but the souls who trusted and bowed to his every wish."
"Through the kindness of his beloved sister,
The kindest and most loved Ruler,
She too made a wish—to reverse his everlasting wish.
and to give him another chance,
She took the burden of two.
and left the Cruel Ruler,
stunned and ashamed."
"But with this second chance,
he asked for the two beings to become one once more,
After that day, the Kind Ruler disappeared.
Rumors blamed the Cruel King.
But no one saw... no one knew...
That they were back to one,
One that is both Kind and cruel."
"Through the eyes of the Cruel ruler,
the Kind Ruler soon no longer kind-
She became fair, and he stopped to actually care,
But due to their wishes,
A price must be paid.
At the cost of four wishes into one. "
"The body of a mortal,
with the eyes of two Gods,
has to bear, has to live, has to suffer,
Four Burdened curses for four beloved wishes,
Five lifetimes per wish,
Twenty deaths to return,
To the land she missed."
"Five per wish,
A wish for a curse,
A memory soon to be rewritten...
By the said everlasting curse.
Who you are,
Is how you perceive,
The truths and lies,
That's within your reach.
My Beloved Rose,
My most Kind yet Cruel Ruler of them all,
Never forget who you are.
As it is your everlasting wish,
To live a life full of bliss~"
The Heart Tree's song reached a crescendo, a single yet resonant note that vibrated through the very air. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the shimmering space bubble around Velvet dissolved, vanishing without a trace.
The profound silence that followed was jarring. Verosala, who had been like a statue, now focused her eyes and asked, "Is something wrong, Velvet?".
"No, it's nothing. Shall we go to another place?" asks Velvet tentatively. Deep within her heart, she somehow knew that that is all the answers she could get for now from the Heart Tree.
As they walked far into the distance, the pink-leaved-haired girl standing on top of the Cherry Blossom Heart Tree smiled and then disappeared.