Buzzz! Buzzz!
A gigantic mosquito, nearly the size of a pigeon, hovered in mid-air, his thin, segmented arms gripping a wooden bowl. Inside, a thick green liquid stirred gently, rippling from the wind's force.
The air was sharp and cold, carrying the crisp scent of damp earth. The ancient trees surrounding him stood tall, their thick branches swaying slightly, whispering secrets to the wind.
Splash!
A shadow flickered atop a nearby branch. Dark Shadow, a petite yet agile figure, watched the scene unfold with deep concern. Her body tensed as she eyed the eerie green mixture with suspicion.
"Thief, are you sure it's safe…?"
Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her unease.
It was a reasonable concern. The green liquid looked menacing—thick, viscous, and oddly luminescent, like the bile of some monstrous creature. It carried an eerie resemblance to corrosive acid, the kind that could eat through flesh in an instant.
"Just trust me," Ricky replied, his antennae twitching slightly. "Why would I want to harm the fruits?"
Dark Shadow didn't seem convinced. She clutched the glowing fruits against her chest as if they might vanish at any moment.
Ricky suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. This tiny shadowy creature had been eyeing him with suspicion since the moment he started working on fertilisers, as if expecting him to turn into some nefarious villain at any second.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Ricky poured the liquid over the roots of the Spiritual Tree.
Dark Shadow's grip tightened. Her small form stiffened as she watched with bated breath, waiting for some catastrophic reaction.
The green liquid seeped into the soil, vanishing without a trace.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A shudder ran through the Spiritual Tree. Its massive trunk trembled slightly, its bark quivering as though something inside was shifting, awakening. The leaves, once a dull shade of green, pulsed with light. A low, almost musical hum resonated through the air.
Dark Shadow gasped.
"W-What's happening?"
Her sharp voice cut through the stillness as she leaped from one branch to another, inspecting the glowing fruits with wide, frantic eyes.
"Thief, look what you've done!" she cried.
Ricky, unbothered, crossed his arms. "Calm down, Dark Shadow."
"Calm down?" she spat, her small face contorting with frustration. "The tree is shaking, you—!"
She stopped.
The air shifted. A scent unlike anything Ricky had ever experienced filled the atmosphere—a fragrance so rich, so intoxicating, that it felt like the essence of life itself.
The tree's leaves shimmered, radiating an intense green glow.
Dark Shadow's breath stagnated.
Ricky raised an eyebrow. What's with her reaction?
Unbeknownst to him, Dark Shadow shared a bond with the Spiritual Tree—an inseparable connection. A fragment of her very soul had intertwined with its roots long ago.
And now… she could feel its joy.
The tree was euphoric.
Every fiber of its being pulsed with newfound vitality, the once-waning energy within it now surging like a raging river.
Dark Shadow trembled, her small hands gripping the bark of a nearby branch.
"This… this is impossible…" she whispered, her voice laced with awe.
For centuries, the tree had poured every drop of its accumulated mana into bearing Spiritual Fruits—an exhausting process that drained it to the brink of collapse. The usual recovery process took decades, if not longer.
But now?
Now, the tree was thriving.
It was as if someone had reversed time, bringing it back to its prime.
The wind howled through the forest, rustling the rejuvenated leaves.
Dark Shadow's expression darkened.
She turned her gaze toward Ricky, her fiery amber eyes filled with an intensity that made the mosquito freeze.
"Tell me," she said, her voice hushed but unwavering.
"Tell me how you made this… fertilizer."
A shiver ran down Ricky's spine.
---
Harrier Village was known for its tranquility.
But today, an eerie silence blanketed the land.
The usual laughter and chatter of villagers had been replaced by muffled whispers and fearful murmurs.
A crowd had gathered before a small wooden hut—the home of Healer Kurtas, the most respected figure in the village.
Men and women clutched their children, desperation etched into their faces.
"Kind Healer Kurtas, please!" a woman sobbed, her voice raw with panic. "My son—his skin—it turned blue overnight!"
Another man stepped forward, his hands shaking. "My daughter too! She—she won't wake up properly!"
Every single villager had been afflicted.
Their once-healthy skin had taken on a sickly, bluish hue, as if their very blood had been replaced with something… unnatural.
And it had happened overnight.
Desperation turned into anger.
"Tch! That damn healer! How can he ignore us like this?"
"He was supposed to protect us!"
The villagers had been standing outside for hours, but the doors of the healer's hut remained shut.
And now, fear was slowly turning into resentment.
"Where is Old Man Jung?" someone suddenly asked.
The name rippled through the crowd.
Old Man Jung was the voice of the village, the one man even Healer Kurtas respected.
If anyone could force the healer to act, it was him.
"Old Man Jung!" a few villagers called out.
"Old Man, where are you?"
But no answer came.
No one had seen Old Man Jung since last night.
---
Inside the Hut
A single candle flickered, its dim glow casting long shadows along the wooden walls.
A hoarse voice, dripping with malice, echoed through the room.
"Old Man Jung, now that we are friends… let me share a secret with you."
Silence.
Old Man Jung sat in a wooden chair, his eyes vacant, his skin as pale as death.
A corpse that still breathed.
The voice hummed in amusement.
"Old Man Jung, why are you so quiet?"
The shadows shifted.
A black-robed figure emerged from the darkness, his gaze colder than ice.
If any villager saw him, they would have immediately recognized him.
Healer Kurtas.
But this was no longer the kind healer they once knew.
This was someone… else.
"You always used to say," Kurtas whispered mockingly, 'A man's destiny cannot be changed.'
"Hah. What a joke."
His lips curled into a chilling smile.
"My destiny is in my hands."
"And today… I rewrite fate itself."
The candlelight flickered once more.
Then—
Darkness.