Morning arrived quietly over the Emerald Forest.
Golden sunlight filtered through countless layers of emerald leaves.
Birdsong echoed across the forest.
Ancient beasts emerged from their territories.
Today...
The Emerald Beast Court celebrated one of its oldest traditions.
The Blessing Ceremony.
---
Unlike humans, beasts did not measure talent using Magna Resonance Crystals.
Their judge...
Was the Worldroot Tree.
The oldest living being within the Emerald Forest.
A tree said to have stood since the earliest age of Gaia.
Its roots stretched beneath mountains.
Its branches pierced the clouds.
Legends claimed that even Sovereigns showed respect before it.
---
Thousands of beasts gathered beneath its enormous canopy.
Moon Wolves.
Silverback Apes.
Thunder Hawks.
Crystal Deer.
Stone Tortoises.
Wind Foxes.
Azure Serpents.
Even creatures that would normally hunt one another stood peacefully today.
Within the Beast Court...
Conflict was forbidden during the Blessing.
---
Queen Sylvia stepped onto a platform formed from living wood.
Beside her stood the Elders of the Beast Court.
Each represented one of the ancient beast clans.
The Queen's calm voice spread naturally through the forest.
"Today..."
"We witness another child receive the Worldroot's blessing."
"No matter the result..."
"She remains one of our own."
The gathered beasts lowered their heads in respect.
---
"Liora."
The young girl stepped forward.
Despite the thousands of eyes upon her...
She wasn't afraid.
She was simply nervous.
She glanced toward Uncle Gor.
The great Silverback Ape gave her a reassuring nod.
"You'll do fine."
Liora smiled.
---
She slowly approached the colossal trunk of the Worldroot.
Its bark shimmered with faint green runes.
A gentle pulse echoed through the surrounding forest.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Almost like the heartbeat of Gaia itself.
Queen Sylvia spoke softly.
"Place your hand upon the tree."
Liora obeyed.
The moment her fingers touched the ancient bark...
Silence descended.
Even the wind stopped.
---
One heartbeat.
Two.
Three.
Nothing happened.
Several young beasts exchanged uncertain glances.
"...Was she rejected?"
"No."
"The Worldroot has never rejected anyone."
"Then why hasn't it responded?"
Even the Elders frowned.
Never before had the tree remained silent for so long.
---
Then...
A single leaf fell.
It landed upon Liora's shoulder.
Another followed.
Then another.
Soon...
Thousands of emerald leaves descended from the colossal tree.
They circled around the young princess like a gentle whirlwind.
The forest gasped.
The leaves weren't falling.
They were dancing.
---
Suddenly...
The Worldroot glowed.
Not green.
Gold.
Brilliant golden light spread through every branch.
Across every root.
Across the entire forest.
Every beast instinctively lowered itself.
Not out of fear.
But reverence.
The ancient tree had awakened.
---
Deep beneath the earth...
The chained crimson eyes opened once more.
"...Golden resonance."
"...After all these years..."
The chains trembled violently.
Then became still again.
---
Above...
One of the Elders whispered in disbelief.
"The Ancient Blessing..."
"It truly exists..."
Queen Sylvia's usually calm expression showed unmistakable surprise.
Even she had only read about such events in forgotten records.
The Worldroot had acknowledged Liora.
Not simply as another child.
But in a way unseen for countless generations.
---
The golden light slowly condensed.
Not into a weapon.
Nor an artifact.
Instead...
A tiny emerald seed floated gently from the trunk.
It drifted toward Liora.
Resting softly in her open palm.
The light disappeared.
The forest returned to normal.
Silence lingered.
---
"What..."
"...is that?"
A young Thunder Hawk asked.
None of the Elders answered.
Because...
None of them knew.
---
The eldest among them finally stepped forward.
His fur had long since turned completely white.
He bowed before the Worldroot.
Then toward Liora.
His voice trembled ever so slightly.
"The Worldroot..."
"...has given the Princess a Seed of Origin."
Murmurs spread throughout the gathered beasts.
Most had never heard those words.
Others had.
And their expressions changed completely.
---
Liora blinked.
"...What does it do?"
The old Elder smiled kindly.
"I don't know."
The young princess tilted her head.
"You don't?"
"No."
"Because the last Seed of Origin appeared..."
He gazed toward the endless sky.
"...before any of us were born."
---
That evening...
The celebration filled the Emerald Forest with joy.
Young beasts played beneath the trees.
Elders exchanged stories.
Music echoed through the woodland.
Yet...
Liora quietly slipped away.
She climbed to her favorite branch overlooking the forest.
The tiny emerald seed rested safely within a small wooden pendant around her neck.
"It doesn't feel special."
She whispered.
"It just feels..."
"...warm."
A familiar bark interrupted her thoughts.
The three Moon Wolf pups had found her.
"There you are!"
"We thought you'd forgotten us."
Liora laughed.
"I could never."
The four friends watched the stars together.
None of them noticed that the pendant resting against Liora's chest pulsed faintly.
At the same moment...
Far away in a secluded valley...
Kieran, now six years old, sat beneath the ancient oak tree.
The Magna surrounding him stirred gently without reason.
Crystal opened her eyes.
"...Another ancient inheritance has awakened."
She couldn't know where.
Nor who.
Only that somewhere within the Melika Realm...
History had quietly shifted once more.
The children of this generation were beginning to awaken.
And the world...
Was watching.
End of Chapter 24