The Romance Of The Kingdom

Chapter 33: The Aurora

Pov 1's. Auroras

I woke up on a broken altar. The roots of the giant tree made this place a mess. But that's not what surprised me. A minute ago I was still reading Madam's secret book. Now I find myself in a strange place.

A gigantic tree towering through the clouds stood firmly before me. But the atmosphere in this place is very familiar to me. Something like telling me that this place is my place to go back to.

But somehow everything was so quiet. The sound of branches and wind even disappeared from my hearing. My heart beat changed in a voice that rhymed with my fear and curiosity. I stood up and walked towards the tree. A ruined palace and ancient ruins lay before me.

"Welcome Elf."

The voice of the woman breaks my daydream. I'm looking for the origin of the sound but in this place I'm alone without anyone in this place.

"W-who are you?"

A small laugh could be heard from all over. The fur of my romance stood up and the voice disappeared again.

"I forgot you were Half."

That sentence made me alert. How could that voice know the fact about my blood having a mixture. I was just waiting for the voice to come back and try to get out of a place that might just be this dream world.

"I was the one who started it all. Die and come back to life. But my life takes a lot of precious things from other creatures."

That voice sounded sad and full of regret to me. Although I did not know the woman who owned the voice, yet somehow her sadness seemed to possess my soul.

"What do you mean? how could you live at the expense of others."

Once again the sound of a little laugh filled my surroundings. I try to control the Mana that is in my body. Feeling the flow of Mana was the thing Madam taught me.

"Tree? you are that tree?"

There is no answer to my question. I sensed the incredible Mana of the giant tree before me. The mana moved and the roots formed the body of a woman standing before me.

The woman simply stood in place and her body was still attached to the root of the tree. The woman's face smiled at me. His eyes seemed to hold a deep longing and sadness when he looked at me.

"You are the first Elf to set foot in this place after hundreds of years."

I slightly retreated when the woman wanted to reach my body. Seeing the reaction I gave, the woman smiled. He seemed to realize that I was still suspicious and kept my distance from him.

"Something invites your soul elsewhere, I shift its power and that's what keeps you in this place."

I was silent to the woman's words. Something that can play with souls is only the gods. If so, how could the woman who was the embodiment of the giant tree be able to resist the power of the Gods.

"Actually who are you? why do you look sad when you see me."

The woman smiled at my question. He seemed to want to hug me and spend time with me in this place. It was all visible from the look in his eyes that was filled with longing.

"A long time ago when Gaia created this world, I was the first life she created, Gaia gave me the name ."

The last word the woman said I never heard. The language may have been long lost and it certainly made me curious.

"I'm sorry, but I can't hear the name you say."

The woman smiled. He remembered something and touched his neck.

"Lignum or Tree of Life. That's the name the people of this world gave me. But you can call it Lignum"

I heard the name of the tree of life. That name was written in the book I read before I ended up in this place.

I nodded with Lignum's words. To me the tree of life was a place I wanted to see and the ancient book told me about the Elves who lived there. But the words of Lignum seemed to say that Elves had long since disappeared from the tree of life.

"Why with that confused expression? you must be asking why there are no Elves in this place right?"

I nodded at Lignum's question. It all seems to be a complicated puzzle to me. The reason Lignum took me to him also haunted my mind.

"After I was revived, my soul was still very unstable. Gaia took over my body and she asked for the most precious thing of the three race leaders back then."

"Three leaders of the race?"

I've only heard of the great wars on the land. But I did not expect that the war would even make the tree of life disappear.

"Yes, the three supreme leaders representing the world. Queen Luthien gave her immortality, Gabriel gave her wings and-"

Lignum fell silent, something as if attracting his attention.

"I don't think I have much time left. My purpose in taking you to this place is to warn you."

Lignum's words confused me. He hasn't even given me an explanation and now he seems to be in a hurry.

"Warnings? warning about what?"

"Away from the dark soul, that soul is the highest contract holder and Gaia is very dislikeful of dissidents."

Lignum's words make my brain think hard. How could I possibly know who the owner of that soul was and what it looked like.

"There is no time left, that soul has a much older lifespan than its original body, the contract he holds is contract-agh!"

"Iignum!"

I tried to get closer but Lignum seemed to forbid me. He was seen enduring intense pain and one of his branches was broken. The giant branch fell down and made a huge bang. The vibration made me have a hard time withstanding my body's balance.

"Sway that soul! that soul started a war with Gaia again and I hope you don't get involved in it. If he revives the storm, then-agh!"

Another giant branch was broken. Every secret that Lignum revealed seemed to make his body tormented. I could only sit back and try to catch all of his words.

"Then the army of death will again walk this land! stay away from that soul! if you're already with him, tell him that resurrecting two black stars will only bring himself to drown in ta-"

Lignum can no longer speak. His body turned to wood and with the rest of his strength, Lignum released his Mana. It made me feel like I was being pulled by something really strong and knocked on the floor.

I try to catch my breath moving very fast. My body trembled violently and Lignum's words filled my mind. Shortly before I left the place and returned to my original body, I heard a terrible voice and called my name.

The voice still rings in my ear. A tone filled with anger and sounded terrible. The owner of the voice sounded so upset with Lignum and to hold him in, Lignum had to sacrifice two giant branches of his. I am determined to solve the mystery and will not waste Lignum's sacrifice.

A dark soul is what I have to look for. Abhlesh might be able to help me, but I hear the problems in Theocracy are still in his hands. While Madam, I think madam might be able to help me, hopefully.

*******

waw Aurora started to be brought2 ni wah peril2 🙄

Thanks for reading, do not forget the rate 5, votes, likes and comments are a lot yes 😌 support is a way to make this story continue 😌

The name Lignum is taken from the Latin Lignum vitae, which means tree of life.

See you in Next Chapter! Until Bye2 👋🤩