The inside of the tree was packed. The sound of Amon slamming his sword resounded within, never reaching outside.
Vaelrix and Renard stood outside the tree. They were now close to its base.
Up close, the pressure was far worse. The air around the Celestial Tree felt distorted, heavy, as if space itself resisted their presence. Every step they took near the roots made the ground feel unstable, brittle, wrong. Even they felt some unknown danger emanating from the tree.
Vaelrix's dark blue eyes swept across the surroundings slowly. Massive black roots spread in every direction, overlapping, twisting, forming walls and natural barriers. Some were embedded deep into the earth, while others rose high above the ground like frozen waves.
"This place…" Renard muttered. "It feels hollow."
Vaelrix didn't answer immediately. He walked forward, boots crunching against cracked soil and dead bark, carefully observing the roots.
