Chapter 224: To The Eternal Tree
"Let’s take you to the Spirit Realm, Seraphina."
His voice was steady, yet gentle, as if speaking to something fragile he had vowed never to break. Before she could even respond, his arms slipped beneath her weight and lifted her as though she were light as air.
Her emerald-green eyes widened, her heartbeat stumbling wildly at the sudden closeness. She wanted to protest, to demand why a stranger dared touch her so intimately... yet no words came. Something in his presence melted her resistance. She found it strange, unsettling, yet oddly comforting.
In the next breath, her surroundings blurred. The broken world dissolved into streaks of light. Then, as though the void itself bent to his will, they descended into a realm of vast silver skies and endless rivers of light—the Spirit Realm.
Her breath caught. "H-how...?" she whispered. No living being, let alone a mortal, should have been able to bypass the layers of seals binding this sacred place. And yet, he had brought her here in seconds.
Who is he? How does he have the right to step into the Spirit Realm?
The answer, unknown to her, went back to the day he repaired the Ancient Guardian Mechas of The Architect—machines older than empires, guardians of the Spirit Realm’s gateways. Once he fixed their broken cores, they acknowledged him, granting him access to Spirit Realm and God Realm alike. That was all he needed. A single opening.
Because this was not his first time here.
In another timeline, long buried in ashes, Igaris had stood in this very place. He had freed Seraphina once before, when the skies of Mythraldor bled with fire. Together they had fought the so-called Gods of Mythraldor—celestial tyrants who had abandoned their vows, forsaking their divinity in exchange for hunger.
Unable to reap faith any longer from mortals who had turned away, those gods colluded with the Demon God himself. Faith became despair. Hope was replaced by terror. The spirits of this realm were harvested, their essence devoured like cattle, feeding an endless war of chaos.
That was when Igaris and Seraphina had fought side by side. That was when he had first seen her brilliance, her unwavering resolve even when caged in sorrow.
And now, history was repeating itself.
The Spirit Realm unfolded around them like a painting drawn from the dreams of children.
Vast skies shimmered in hues of silver and pale blue, streaked with floating auroras that drifted as though they were alive. Below, rivers of pure light meandered through emerald meadows, their currents whispering with the laughter of spirits. Towering trees with crystalline leaves swayed gently in a breeze that carried no weight, only serenity.
From the tall grasses, gentle beasts emerged—creatures that seemed untouched by corruption. A snow-furred stag with wings of translucent feathers bowed its head before them. Tiny sprites, glowing like lanterns, circled curiously around Seraphina, tugging at strands of her pale hair with playful innocence. Even a small fox-like creature with tails made of mist approached, sniffing at Igaris’s boots before darting away shyly.
Seraphina’s lips parted in wonder. "It’s still... alive," she whispered, almost to herself. "After everything... this place hasn’t lost its innocence."
Her voice carried both relief and sorrow, for she remembered the screams, the flames, the despair when the Demon God’s corruption had first seeped into this land. To see even a fragment of purity surviving... it shook her heart.
Igaris set her gently down, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Innocence doesn’t die easily. It hides, waits for someone strong enough to protect it." His gaze softened, glancing toward her. "Perhaps it waited for you."
Her breath caught. She turned to him sharply, emerald eyes narrowing with unease. "You speak as though you’ve known me far longer than today... As though..."
She hesitated. The words felt absurd, yet her heart pressed them to her lips. "As though we’ve met before."
For a moment, his silence was heavier than the endless skies above them.
Then he gave a faint, almost melancholic smile. "Perhaps your soul remembers what your mind does not."
The gentle sprites around her suddenly stilled, as if even the Spirit Realm was listening to his words.
She clenched her hands to her chest, confused, vulnerable. "Who... who are you really? A mortal should not walk here. No one should be able to carry me through the seals. And yet... you did."
He didn’t answer her directly, instead crouching to pat the mist-fox that had returned, its tails curling happily around his arm. His calmness only deepened her confusion.
The silver rivers sparkled, the beasts frolicked, and the Realm seemed untouched by the evils she had suffered. Yet in her heart, Seraphina knew—this stranger who carried her here was far more dangerous than any Demon Lord.
And for some reason... she could not bring herself to push him away.
Seraphina’s emerald eyes lingered on the playful spirits before turning distant, as though a forgotten memory had stirred within her. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the faint echo of her power still dormant.
"This peace won’t last," she said quietly, her voice carrying a note of sorrow beneath its grace. "The Gates are still open. As long as they remain, the Gods and Demons will pour their corruption into my realm."
She lifted her gaze toward the horizon, where the faint outline of a colossal silhouette shimmered in the distance. A tree so vast it pierced the clouds, its crown disappearing into the veil of auroras, its roots stretching endlessly beneath the land. Its bark radiated a pale-golden glow, and its leaves glittered like fragments of starlight. Every breath of wind seemed to carry its pulse—ancient, eternal, unyielding.
"The Eternal Tree," Seraphina whispered, reverence softening her tone. "It has always been the heart of our Realm. From it flows the lifeblood of every spirit, every innocent beast you see before you." Her fingers curled into fists. "But I was torn from it when I was captured. Stripped of its blessing... I became weak."
She turned to Igaris, her eyes sharp now with determination. "If I return to the Eternal Tree, I can reclaim my power. More than that... I can awaken its roots and call upon its authority to seal the Gates once and for all—banishing both Gods and Demons from ever setting foot here again."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them. The only sound was the crystalline rustling of the colossal tree’s leaves in the distance, as though even it listened to her vow.
Igaris studied her, his expression unreadable. "And if it costs you everything? Power always demands a price."
Her chin lifted, pride and sorrow mingling in her emerald gaze. "Then I will pay it. This Realm is my home. These spirits... they are my children. If the price of their future is my existence, then so be it."
The playful sprites that had circled her moments ago quieted, their glow dimming in shared grief at her words.
But before she could take another step toward that colossal tree, Igaris’s hand caught her wrist—firm, unyielding. His voice was low, steady, carrying a weight that made her heart waver.
"I did not bring you this far only to watch you burn yourself away." His golden eyes gleamed like suns behind a veil. "If the Gates are to be sealed, then we will seal them together."
---
The Spirit Realm unfolded before them like a dream carved from starlight.
In the distant, the silhouette of the colossal Eternal Tree could be seen. Its leaves were green, it branches scattered like an umbrella. Its peak was high above the clouds, ancient and mysterious.
But as they pressed on toward the colossal silhouette of the Eternal Tree, the air grew heavier. The rivers darkened, their glow tainted by strands of black mist. The earth cracked, and twisted roots jutted from the soil like skeletal claws.
Seraphina’s steps slowed. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "No... the corruption has spread even here."
A guttural roar split the air. From the ground rose a hulking figure—once a guardian beast of the Eternal Tree, now twisted by demonic essence. Its crystalline fur had turned obsidian, its many eyes glowing with sickly green fire. The creature’s sheer aura pressed down on the land, causing the lesser spirits to scatter in terror.
Igaris tilted his head slightly, his hand already resting on the hilt of his blade. "So this is what became of your protectors."
Tears glistened in Seraphina’s emerald eyes, but they hardened into steel. "They fought for me... and were consumed for it. I will free them."
The beast lunged, the ground shattering beneath its weight. Seraphina raised her staff, but before the corrupted guardian’s claws could reach her, Igaris stepped forward. A flicker of shadow, a flash of golden light—his sword pierced through its blackened chest.
The guardian let out a bone-shaking wail as the corruption burned away, revealing its original form for a brief instant—a majestic wolf with wings of crystal. It bowed its head toward Seraphina, then dissolved into starlight.
Her breath caught, tears spilling freely now. "You... saved him."
Igaris wiped his blade clean, his tone calm, almost indifferent. "No. You did. He was waiting for you to return."
They continued, but each mile brought more trials. Twisted guardians, rivers poisoned by demonic sludge, and storms of corrupted spirit-energy. Through it all, Igaris carved a path with overwhelming force, while Seraphina used her dwindling power to purify what he broke. The closer they came to the Eternal Tree, the more her resolve deepened, and the more she found herself looking at him with emotions she could not name.
At last, after days of peril, they reached the roots of the Eternal Tree. Its bark pulsed faintly, as if it still remembered her touch. But above them loomed the greatest threat yet—a trio of colossal wardens, once knights of the Spirit Realm, now armored in demonic chains and wielding weapons dripping with black fire.
Seraphina’s heart sank. "They were my protectors... my most loyal."
Igaris stepped forward, his golden eyes flaring with quiet promise. "Then allow me to free them."