Rustle~
“…You’re putting in more of a struggle than I thought.”
Seraphina’s lips pulled upwards as she noticed the tree still resisting her. Although there were several dozen threads connected to the tree, it had still not fully submitted to her.
It was still resisting her.
Flicking her head back to stare in the direction of the walls of the distant city, she nodded faintly and pressed her hand against the bark of the tree.
“I shouldn’t delay this for any longer.”
The mana around her started to agglomerate rapidly and an intense pressure suddenly burst out of her body.
In order for everything to flow smoothly, she needed to take complete control of the tree.
She was nearly there but was just missing the last piece.
“Stop struggling.”
Treads appeared all around, and her mind focused on one particular spot.
Towards where an owl-like figure stood.
‘I see you.’
As if noticing her, the owl’s eyes flicked open, but it was too late.
“!”
By the time it reacted, the treads connected with its body and right after, several roots appeared from out of nowhere, binding its body.
“I’ve got you!”
Laughing, Seraphina squeezed the bark of the tree.
The roots continued to bind the owl and Seraphina felt her control over the tree start to increase.
While this happened, the owl tried to resist but it was useless.
“Stop struggling, it’s over.”
Voom—!
Her hand glowed even further, and the owl’s struggles grew more strained.
There was no escaping her.
It was over.
It was…
“Huh?”
Lifting her head, Seraphina noticed a faint red leaf drop over her. Another, and then another soon followed the leaf.
Gradually, more and more leaves started falling from the tree, exposing its bare body.
Seraphina stared at the sight with a blank look before smiling.
“Looks like you’re finally giving up.”
The loss of the leaves only meant one thing.
The tree’s consciousness was about to give up.
It could no longer resist.
She then thought about her son who was within the tree and licked her lips.
Once she was done taking over the tree, he was next.
“…Just wait a little bit.”
Voom—
The mana around her spiraled further.
***
To exist.
What did it mean to exist?
There’s no real answer to the question.
All living beings have different purposes and aspirations.
For some, the answer was simple; survival and reproduction. This usually applied to the less conscious beings.
But what about those who had higher thoughts?
What was the reason for their existence?
Was their answer something as simple as; survival and reproduction?
No, it wasn’t something as trivial as that.
There was more to their existence than that.
Owl-Mighty understood that. Having seen all sorts of memories, it understood that concept, but the more Owl-Mighty saw, the more confused it became.
Its primal thoughts centered on “growth, survival, and reproduction.” However, as Owl-Mighty’s consciousness expanded, it began to sense that these instincts were no longer enough.
The more it awakened to its own awareness, the deeper its longing grew for something beyond mere existence.
It yearned for a purpose that transcended the basic cycle of life, driven by a newfound sense of curiosity and the desire for understanding.
‘Why do I exist…?’
The question haunted it throughout its entire life.
It wanted to understand.
It wanted to know.
…And for that reason, it did something it never did before.
Leave its own body in search of an answer.
Owl-Mighty watched and observed everything, trying to decipher the answer. It wanted to know.
It was desperate to know, and it came close to an answer.
Following Julien, Owl-Mighty felt like it had grasped something.
It was closer than ever.
But…
‘I…’
Squelch, squelch~
Seeing its own roots dig at it, Owl-Mighty felt trapped. Despite its best attempts at resisting, it couldn’t.
The roots were too strong, binding its body down.
‘No, not yet…’
Owl-Mighty continued to resist, but it was no use.
Its own body was rejecting it.
‘No, stop…’
Owl-Mighty pecked at the nearest root with its beak, but it was useless.
…It wasn’t able to do a thing.
‘Ah.’
An unfamiliar feeling started to rise within Owl-Mighty.
It was an unpleasant feeling.
One that wasn’t so unfamiliar upon thinking about it.
What was this feeling?
“Looks like you’re frustrated.”
The answer came in the form of a familiar voice. Raising its head, Owl-Mighty locked eyes with a pair of deep hazel eyes.
“Human…”
Why was he here?
Owl-Mighty looked around, and as expected, it noticed the roots around it stir.
“…You should leave before its—”
Squelch, squelch!
Before Owl-Mighty could even get its words out, several roots sprouted beneath Julien who pressed his foot down and avoided the roots.
Swoosh—!
Just by a hair’s breadth, he managed to avoid the roots.
But that was merely the start. Right as he dodged the first roots, even more roots appeared from behind him, twirling in the air like snakes.
As though he had eyes at the back of his head, Julien remained calm and merely snapped his fingers.
Thud, thud!
They dissected into a dozen pieces before falling to the ground.
“Hooo.”
Air flowed out of Julien’s mouth as his brows furrowed tightly. Things were far from over. Looking down, up, and to his sides, roots appeared everywhere.
And yet, he continued to put up a fight.
“Why?”
His struggle made Owl-Mighty question his decision.
“…Why do you keep resisting?”
It was over.
There was no point resisting anymore.
Owl-Mighty was a mere minutes away from being absorbed.
By then, Julien would succumb as well. And even if he did try to run now, that woman would be waiting for him outside.
“It’s over, stop resisting.”
There was no way out.
Xiu, Xiu—
Even so, Julien continued to fight.
Owl-Mighty had seen him act like this in the past, during the time when they first met the stupid dragon.
That was the first time Owl-Mighty had truly been impressed by the human, and what sparked his curiosity but at the same time made him question.
“…Why do you struggle under certain death?”
“Why…?”
Overhearing Owl-Mighty’s question, Julien tilted his head to the side, wincing as a root grazed past his cheek.
Julien had many answers, but after a while, one truly stood out from the rest.
“Because I’ve already died once.”
“…?”
“Hoo…”
Ducking down, Julien’s muscles bulged and his eyes turned red. He brought his fist forward and punched the roots headed his way.
Bang!
“I used to live for the sake of my brother.”
Relaxing his back, Julien’s eyes grew sharp.
“I had no one else but him. He was the reason I lived. It used to be even after death, but that’s different now.”
“Different?”
“I’ve learned to stop living in the fear of living. I’ve now started to live, and lose the feeling of just existing.”
Lose the feeling of just existing?
Something tingled within Owl-Mighty’s chest.
What could the human mean by this?
“Yes.”
Swoosh!
Julien’s leg tensed, and his figure blurred, appearing a few meters away. His face grew a little pale as he raised his hand, and purple hands burst out from the ground, grasping onto the many roots headed his way like a tsunami.
“Don’t you find it odd how so many versions of me exist in this world? To Leon.. Haa… I may be an annoying master who isn’t even their real master. An annoying person in general.”
Julien’s face turned a little paler.
“To you, I may be a simple tool designed to help you understand emotions.”
Stepping back, the roots before Julien slowed down.
“Some see me as this cold and indifferent being that they can’t touch or ever hope to catch up to while others see me as an arrogant guy who was born with a silver spoon and blessed with talent.”
Pausing, Julien flicked his wrist and the roots all dissected.
“But are these versions of me the real me?”
Owl-Mighty thought for a moment before shaking its head.
“They aren’t.”
“Right.”
Julien smiled.
“They’re just pieces and fragments shaped by the way people perceive me through the little interactions that they’ve had with me.”
They weren’t really him.
“Is the culmination of all those fragments the real me?”
But what if someone’s impression of him was way off the mark?
Would that fragment count?
“…Or is the real me the me that I myself perceive?”
Owl-Mighty stood blankly, unable to answer.
“I don’t think that’s it either.”
Julien continued.
“My judgment is flawed, biased, and so are the fragments of what others see me as.”
The more he spoke, the more his words resonated with the owl.
“I am undefinable…”
Not defined.
“…And that’s what makes me exist.”
Pausing once more, Julien looked directly at the owl.
“I exist solely based on the choices I make, the paths that I take, and the emotions that I feel.”
“I want to be happy, but cling to the things that make me sad.”
“If I forget all the pain, make it go away, I’ll be happy. I can do it. I have the power to do it.”
“….But I can’t forget.”
“I am who I am because of the pain I endured.”
“I am who I am because of my experiences.”
I am who I am because of the pain I endured? I am who I am because of my experiences?
Owl-Mighty felt its chest stir further.
Lifting its head up, Owl-Mighty’s eyes widened as it saw a root latch onto Julien.
“Kh!”
Julien tried to resist, but it was no use. The moment his moves slowed, even more roots appeared, clinging onto him.
“Ah, looks like they got me.”
…And yet, in spite of the situation, he continued to speak, his eyes never faltering away from the owl.
“From the moment you stopped being a tree and started to question your own existence, you started to forge an identity.”
Owl-Mighty opened its beak in an attempt to say, ‘Stop speaking. Focus on yourself,’ but the words never left its mouth.
Julien’s words felt entrancing.
“You stopped being defined and became undefined.”
All it could hear was Julien’s words.
“…You stopped being a simple tree with red leaves.”
A monster…
“You started making your own choices, started to take new paths, and started to feel emotions.”
Owl-Mighty’s chest continued to stir, and something within his mind snapped.
“You’re existing.”
I’m existing?
“Within your mind, you exist.”
I do?
“To me, you exist.”
But…
“And that’s enough.”
Is it?
“Yes.”
‘….’
“So…”
Owl-Mighty met Julien’s eyes.
“Bloom.”
“Make your existence known to others.”
“Bloom.”
“Create the little fragments that define you.”
“Bloom.”
“Stop asking, start being.”
Julien paused and looked directly at Owl-Mighty whose gaze seemed so intently focused on him. With a thin smile, Julien’s lips parted one last time.
“Bloom.”
“Don’t give up on existing.”
…And a brief silence fell shortly after.
It was a silence that merely lasted for a few seconds before Owl-Mighty closed its eyes.
A change occurred from that point forward.
“Uh?”
Be it Seraphina, or the people within the city.
“What’s going on?”
Everyone noticed the changes.
“What is happening?”
It was hard to not notice.
After all, on that day, a tree bloomed.
It was a tall tree.
A very tall tree.
One that seemed to touch the sky and the minds of everyone present.
On that day, fragments were created.
On that day…
Continue your saga on empire
Owl-Mighty started to truly exist.
