Adam took one step after another, his gait strangely forced. It was as if he were a marionette.
As for the one pulling the strings? It was the six-winged serpent, of course.
The crown of floating eyes continued to orbit the serpent's strangely humanoid face. Its body, coiled around the trunk, loosened as it saw Adam approaching.
'Come, human.' Its voice once again echoed in Adam's head.
'Become nourishment for the great tree. I had already sensed your intentions. You wished to harvest the fruit for your own benefit, but the moment you displayed your greed, your fate was sealed. No matter how powerful your mind, you were bound to cave in before my might.
'Although your body is frail and lacks vitality, you will still serve your purpose. You will be reborn, just like the others. You will be consumed by the great one from the Beyond. You struggled, and then you failed. All who came before you did the same. In the end, they were fed to the roots.'
