Chapter 0 is now out, in that chapter i have uploaded the images and other stuff, be sure to check it out too.
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The world was quiet.
Only the sound of wind brushing through the Ashen barrow echoed faintly, carrying with it the scent of rain and burnt earth.
In the middle of it land was a giant tree and sitting in one of the branches of the tree was him.
A boy no older than sixteen, slender and hauntingly beautiful. His long, silvery-white hair drifted with the breeze, reflecting faint hues of blue under the dying light. His big violet eyes were hollow as if the boy was nothing more then a doll.
His expression was blank with his empty eyes, as if emotion had been stripped from his soul long ago.
He raised his right hand straight.
It trembled slightly, not from weakness, but from the weight of the something that can bent the world to his will.
A flicker of spark appeared above his palm.
Then it ignited into flame.
Orange, vivid, alive, yet his gaze remained lifeless. The fire twisted like a living serpent, coiling around his fingers, casting a soft, amber glow over his pale skin.
The flame vanished suddenly.
In its place, a stream of crystalline water flowed between his fingers, suspended in the air like liquid glass. He twisted his wrist, the water obeyed, forming spirals before freezing solid. Ice petals bloomed from the droplets, catching the dim light like fragile jewels.
He blinked slowly. The ice shattered into dust.
A tremor rippled through the earth beneath the tree. Cracks crawled outward as stones lifted, orbiting around him like satellites around a dying star. Dust and pebbles hovered in midair, rotating lazily, before collapsing back into the soil as he lowered his hand.
He exhaled softly.
A single gust of wind tore through the leaf's of the trees, making some of the fruits fall down too in the process. The wind also blow his white hair across his face. The pressure bent the hairs in every direction, yet his body stood motionless, a pillar of calm within chaos.
Then came the lightning.
A blinding bolt danced across his arm, crawling like veins of light beneath his skin. His hair shimmered as the air crackled around him, the scent of ozone filling the void. His emotionless violet eyes reflected the storm he commanded.
When it faded, he summoned ice once again, but this time fused it with fire, the two opposites struggling against each other in his palm until they merged into molten light.
Lava dripped from his fingers, thick and glowing, falling onto the ground and hardening into obsidian.
He stared at his hand pale and thin, trembling slightly under the residue of immense power.
"...Still imperfect," he whispered, his tone hollow, detached, like a god disappointed with it's creation.
The wind blew again, scattering the last of the embers into the horizon.
'When will i be able to perfect it.' a hint of sadness appeared on his eyes as he stared at his hands.
His gaze then turned towards the other as he looked at the other figures sitting on the tree.
Sunny was just staring at the Ashen barrow, his face was blank as he was lost in his own thoughts. After the encounter with that creature, he has gone silent not even speaking to anyone or saying anything else just simply sitting.
Nephis and Alex was having a spar, their sword clashing in seconds, to other it would look like that both of them are evenly matched but Raizel knows that it is only a matter of time before Nephis won.
Then their were Rebecca and Maya, both of them playing some weird games, Maya was sitting on the top of Rebecca while Rebecca was trying to get her off her, she also sounded angry too.
Cassie was also silently sitting on the one of the dark branches eating a fruit, some drops of the juices were also falling down from the conner of her mouth.
Then finally their was Vasiliy, who seems to be bringing more and more fruits for the cohort.
He even tried to give more to Raizel who rejected them, with a cold face.
'How long are they gonna be like this.'
Raizel didn't know why Sunny or Cassie haven't had their talk yet about the tree manipulating or using them.
'They need to realize that their are much bigger problems too.'
As he was thinking of this when he suddenly felt a strange sensation trying to break into his mind, but then it quickly disappeared almost like it never happened.
'This tree again....' from his thought it looks like it was not the first time the tree has tried to use it mind control on him.
Raizel quickly stood up as he jumped from one branch to another, then another with ease, before he quickly settle down on the hard solid ground.
'Soul devouring tree.'
In the books it was written that this tree, named **Soul Devouring Tree**, also known as "Soul Tree", is the Nightmare Creature that nearly enthralled Cassie, Nephis and Sunny in Ashen Barrow.
'It abilities are also strange.'
In the book It was written that this tree has powerful mind hexes that can subdue creatures and make them want to spend the rest of their lives taking care of the tree. In return, the tree gives them its Soul Fruits which could be used as a substitute for soul shards.
'But those fruits....' thought Raizel with a dark look, as he saw Cassie and others eating them,
'Their are actual souls on them.' Raizel didn't know why or how they can even eat something so disgusting.
Even thought he himself has no right to say it, as he too has eaten humans too.
But at that time he was forced to do so, if he didn't then his mother would have done things to him, but these people should have realized it long ago.
'How idiots do these guys have to be to trust a big strange tree and it's fruits.'
Raizel didn't know why would someone like Sunny or Nephis would even trust something in this land.
He couldn't help but point this out because of there lack of survival instincts.
He then looked at the big tree as he thought.
'A tree born from mountain of corpses.'
Raizel thought that it must be why it's leaves are crimson red in colour and why the fruits has a soul essence on them.
'It seems to have absorbs almost all the life out of this land.'
And so many other creatures too, whether sea creatures or crabs monsters.
'Then their is this guy...'
Raizel looked at Vasily giving fruits to other and also encouraging them to eat it, he was even bringing them for others too.
'Either this guy is control by the tree or he is using the tree to make an impression that he is under control and using it fruits to strength the cohort.' Raizel was incline to believe that it's the latter.
'But how did he even know this.' Raizel was sure that most if not almost all of the cohort expect himself were under the tree mind hex.
'Because i have head Sunny and Cassie speaking how good the tree is.'
That not the only people who said that but Alex, Rebecca, Maya and even Nephis too said the same thing, they are all under the tree control now.
'But if i hit them hard on the head, then maybe i can bring them out of the control.'
Thinking of this Raizel couldn't help but let out a "sigh"
As he thought 'I alone would be enough to complete this whole nightmare but then again their are something that i want in the dark city.'
Raizel has his eyes on some certain memories, echo's and a mask.
He then saw Vasily coming towards him, with a handful of fruits.
"Here, Sir Raizel have some fruits, they are really tasty." Vasiliy tried to stuff them into Raizel who just slap his hand away.
"Not interested." Raizel voice sounded cold and icy, as it made Vasily take three stepped back.
"Okay okay not need to be angry." said Vasily with a smile "But i will put some fruits here if you changed your mind."
He then turned around and walked away, leaving the fruits on the ground.
Raizel didn't even looked at the fruits on the ground as he looked at Vasily back.
"This guy is suspicious." he murmured slowly,
Raizel didn't know why but he can't seems to find anything about Vasily aspect, like is it related to "future sigh" or is it related to "strength type" or is it something related to fate.
'But what ever it is, he knows me and he knows what is gonna happened in the future.' Raizel in the human academy has not seen anyone who looks like Vasily, he has also not seen Alex, Rebecca, and even Maya, which proves that they are from another branch.
But Raizel thinks that Vasily knows something about him, after all he was calling him "sir Raizel" when they first met, for Nephis Raizel can understand that she is famous because of her fallen clan.
But Raizel was someone who has not made any public appearance nor anyone knows how he looks like, even the general public wasn't aware of that their is a Prince
'But somehow Vasily knows even with my disguise.' that why he needed to be keep an eye on Vasily. Raizel wanted to know that if Vasily knowns him truly, then how much does he know about him and how did he come to know about him.
'If he know too much then i will kill him.' Raizel eyes turned crimson for a movement before turning back to purple.
(A men who knows too much is a dangerous man, it would be good to make him an ally or get rid of him.)
'Getting rid is the safest options, after all what if in near future he betrays me.'
After making his mind up, Raizel decided to turn around and fly at the tallest branch of the tree, after all a certain egg was waiting for him.
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Vasily (pov)
After giving the last fruits supply to Cassie, i sit on one of the branches and started eating the fruits.
{Your souls grows stronger}
Looking at the ruins Vasily couldn't help but think 'Honestly, this the most easiest way to farm exp- i mean essence.'
Vasily have been acting like he was under the control of tree by eating all the fruits and even giving it other too, he wanted them to become more strong, by eating fruits they will be getting the one drop of essence which they would only get by killing the monster.
'So this is the most cheapest way and also the fasted way too.'
As he bite down the last fruits, then licking his fingers, he looked at where Raizel was.
'Honestly this girly guy sure miserable.'
A look of pity appeared on Vasily eyes as he remember the chapter in which Raizel past was reviled and how did he become like this.
'Honestly if getting tortured was not enough his mother even fucked him mentally and physically.' He couldn't help but shiver at the though.
How can anyone remain sane after going thought that, because if that has happened to any other person, he/she would most definitely would have lost their damn mind.
'And if that wasn't enough even the Author of the novel kill his sister the only one Raizel ever loved and feel close too.' Vasily remembered it because some people in the comment sections didn't like his sister so Author decided to get rid of her.
'That sick basted Author 'Panda343.' Vasily couldn't help but curse the Author for making such a novel, because only psycho or sicko are the one who would even write something like this.
"sigh" Vasily let out a sigh as he looked where Raizel was, only see no one.
'It seems like he knows that something is wrong with the tree.' Vasily knows that Raizel was too intelligent to the point that he can read people like and open book and can also almost predict the future. But that's not all as he was also way too strong. Way too strong for a sleepers, it was a plus point given to him by the Author for making his past miserable.
'But then again.' Vasily remember his fight in the forgotten shore by women who was able to copy any aspect ability, even the bloodline, if she get even a drop of the person blood.
'In that fight did Raizel was able to overcome his limit.'
But
Vasily face darken as he remember in the second nightmare where he nearly died, since he was fighting directly with some saints.
'But that's for the future, and i think the future will also change.' Vasily knows that worrying about the future that has not even come yet, is nothing but foolishness
He doesn't even know if those things are gonna happened or not, since a lot has changed.
'Like that new tentacles monster'
Then with these thought he stood up and decided to gather more fruits.
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