The power of the tree and the sea surged within Ryn, sometimes merging into one, sometimes clashing in fierce opposition. His consciousness continued to sink... He saw an immense, towering tree, so vast that he could only glimpse a fraction of its true form, yet also seemed to perceive its entirety.
The tree's branches and leaves were lush and vibrant, with new shoots constantly emerging and many branches converging into a massive trunk. Within that trunk, Ryn saw a train traversing the stars... Perhaps this was the "Age of Stars" the Stigmata spoke of, where countless worlds intertwined after the Honkai's collapse.
Where there is renewal, there must also be decay... As leaves fell from the tree, his consciousness drifted downward with them. The leaves transformed into shimmering motes of light, ethereal and fleeting as they descended from the sky. Each flower, each tree, each world; each leaf, each tree, each Bodhi. In every falling leaf, Ryn glimpsed the passage of time... In some worlds, people struggled desperately for survival, seeking a glimmer of hope amidst the apocalypse... In others, they remained oblivious until the final moment, desperately trying to turn the tide, but to no avail.
Leaf Fall to the Void, and with it, all traces vanished. In a world of vibrant colors, the sea remained utterly still, not even a ripple disturbing its surface. Born in silence, it faded into oblivion just as quietly. The sea was serene, untouched by the cycles of life and death that governed the trees. It simply existed, motionless and devoid of thought or desire.
Ryn sensed the presence of the tree and the sea, but he didn't linger... Before them, he left nothing but a single "Holy shit!"
The tree and the sea watched him, guiding him towards a destination...
At some point, Ryn saw a little girl in the Quantum Gap, weeping helplessly. He didn't know how to comfort her, so he simply watched.
Another figure appeared in the Quantum Gap: a silver-haired girl with spiral twin tails. The two girls cried and talked, then laughed and cried again as they made a solemn promise.
He learned their names: Seele and Bronya. He also learned their story: quantum ghosts born from the x10 Experiment. Bronya left, leaving Seele alone.
The girl who remained, Seele, was the reason Sea and the Imaginary Tree had brought Ryn here, and the subject of their trade: the Stigmata.
According to the information Sea had relayed, Ryn was utterly bewildered. Sea had said... Seele was Sea's daughter, and Ryn, the child of the Imaginary Tree, was to help her reconstruct her body and care for her.
Wait... are you telling me a fairy tale? How can she be Sea's daughter and I be the child of the Imaginary Tree?
The Sea of Quanta was responsible for reconstructing Seele's body, while the Imaginary Tree was to reconstruct Ryn's. Thus, one was the daughter of the sea, and the other the child of the tree—it made perfect sense.
This arrangement was the result of a battle between the Imaginary Tree and Sea. Though they had always been rivals, they were also symbiotic. They had coexisted peacefully until one day, Sea discovered Seele and went to the Imaginary Tree to provoke it, declaring that she was going to have a child. The Imaginary Tree was deeply displeased, feeling it too needed a child.
So, not long ago, Ryn had ventured into the Sea of Quanta, attempting to sneak across to become a Herrscher on the Quantum Side. The Imaginary Tree discovered him and immediately engaged Sea in battle, declaring, "He's mine!" Sea refused to back down, knowing it could take an eternity before another Authority-wielding being emerged on their side, while every Herrscher on the Imaginary Side was born with Authority. Now, someone with Authority was offering to join them, and Sea could gain an Authority-wielding representative for a negligible price. There was no way they'd let the Imaginary Tree snatch him away.
Thus, the two supreme beings fought over Ryn's allegiance, eventually reverting to their true forms for a battle that ended in a draw but yielded a solution. They would become joint parents: one daughter of Sea would become the Imaginary Tree's daughter-in-law, while the Imaginary Tree's child would become Sea's son-in-law.
Ryn remained unaware that the Imaginary Tree and Sea were trying to match him with Seele. However, he knew Sea intended to reconstruct Seele's physical body, while the Imaginary Tree sought to elevate his life form to a higher level of evolution.
Ryn drifted over to Seele and extended his hand, teasing, "The long night stretches endlessly, filled with loneliness and boredom. Why not join me for some joyful companionship? How about it, Seele?"
Seele was startled by the sudden appearance of the man. Instinctively, she reached out to touch him, but Black Seele—who would henceforth be referred to as Black Seele—immediately took over and slapped Ryn's hand away.
"Who are you? What do you want with Seele? Why are you here!" Black Seele raised her scythe, which was larger than herself, and glared at Ryn menacingly.
Ryn chuckled and raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "My name is Ryn. I saw what happened between you and Bronya just now. By the way, you don't seem to be the same girl from earlier, are you? Multiple personalities? Have you heard of the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree?"
"Stop asking so many questions. I am Seele. I've never heard of any Sea of Quanta or Imaginary Tree."
"Alright then, Seele... It's fine if you don't know. You'll see them soon enough. You are the daughter of the Sea, and the Sea wants to reshape your body. My situation is similar to yours, so come with me for now." Ryn had initially planned to explain the Tree and the Sea, but then he realized she would see them soon anyway. Beings like them could understand everything with just a glance, so there was no need for lengthy explanations.
"Heh, do you think I'm easily fooled? I'm not that crybaby," Black Seele said, pleased that Ryn had called her Seele, but she wasn't an idiot. There was no way she would believe his words.
"So... Sea pulled Bronya back into the Quantum Gap. She's in danger, and she needs you right now. Come with me quickly to save her!" Ryn thought for a moment, recalling Seele and Bronya's close relationship. He decided to try tricking her.
"You're such a liar! How could I possibly believe such..." Black Seele hadn't finished speaking when her red eyes were instantly replaced by blue.
White Seele, the dominant personality, grabbed Ryn's hand with a worried expression. "What happened to Bronya? What's wrong? Let's go quickly!"
"Hey, are you an idiot? It's obviously fake!" Black Seele stomped her foot in frustration inside White Seele's mind. "How could you fall for something like that, you idiot Seele?"
Hearing Black Seele's thoughts, White Seele turned to her and said earnestly, "But... what if it's true? Then Bronya would definitely be in danger..."
Watching Seele cling to his hand, her face pale with worry over Bronya's supposed peril, Ryn smiled. This girl looked so easy to manipulate, and she had proven to be even more gullible than he'd expected. With someone as pure and innocent as Seele, he could easily trick her into bearing him ten children.