The dust settled slowly.
Keith stood, axe lowered, breath stuck in his throat. Before him lay the broken remains of the ancient tree, splintered, cracked, and quiet for the first time in ages.
It was done.
He dropped the axe and stepped toward the trunk's base, resting a hand on the bark that had fought him for years.
The wood felt warm, almost… alive.
His legs wobbled, and he sank to the ground, leaning back against the rough surface.
A soft breeze blew.
A strange calm washed over him, one he'd never felt before.
He let out a slow breath and smiled.
"You were one tough guy," he whispered, voice quiet and rough.
His eyes drifted to the sky, where clouds floated lazily.
"But… to someone like me, who's always been alone… who had nothing and no one from the start…"
His voice shook, eyes wet but unafraid.
"You were something I could hold onto. A memory that was mine. A piece of time no one could take away."
He reached out and tapped the trunk.
"Rest now, old friend. Thanks… for staying with me."
For a long moment, silence filled the air.
Not empty silence, but full—like the world had stopped to listen.
Then… something happened.
The tree began to glow.
Not the pulsing orange from last year.
Not the dark shimmer from before.
But a soft, pure white.
Keith blinked, shielding his eyes. "What…?"
The bark didn't rot or burn. it melted into glowing bits. The whole trunk and branches faded, breaking apart into the air, like snow floating upward.
Keith scrambled to his feet.
"Am I seeing things? That was a real tree… right?"
He watched the bits swirl through the air, circling around him.
"Is this… mana?" he whispered. "The source of magic?"
But it wasn't mana.
It was something different.
Something strange.
Something that didn't belong.
The air changed again.
The ground under him pulsed. A heavy, holy pressure settled over the hill.
Suddenly, his whole body lit up.
First, gold.
Then, silver.
Then, ashen white.
The light wasn't hot or cold, but strong. Keith's skin tingled, his breath caught in wonder.
"What… what's happening…?"
Then,
DING.
[World Tree System Activated. Blessing of Gaia Initiated.]
Keith flinched, the voice ringing inside his head.
But it wasn't done.
[Error. Unknown System Interference. Recalibrating…]
Then—
silence.
A long pause.
Until…
A second voice spoke.
Unlike Gaia's flat tone, this one felt alive, curious, almost… warm. It carried thought, not just words.
{Paradox System detected. Overwriting Gaia Protocol… Integration Successful}
{Keith is now connected to: PARADOX.}
The light faded.
Keith dropped to his knees, gasping.
"What… just happened?"
----
Far Away…
In a place where time meant nothing, where stars blinked in and out like passing thoughts, a presence stirred.
Her form couldn't be seen by human eyes. She whispered softly.
"Wait…"
But the thought faded before it finished.
----
Back in the World of Gaia…
A woman sat in meditation.
She was Gaia.
The Source of Mana. The Guardian of the Cycle. The Watcher of All That Grows.
Something… had gone wrong.
Her system, perfect, divine, and complete, had been touched. For a moment, it was cut off. Something else had slipped in.
Something ancient.
Something not of her world.
Her vast mind stirred.
"This can't be…"
The thought drifted away, unfinished.
She grew still again, choosing silence.
But deep within her, a seed of worry took root.
And like all seeds in Gaia's domain…
It would grow.
----
Back in the Village…
Keith sat alone on the hill, unaware of the forces stirring in realms beyond his understanding.
The mark on his back glowed faintly, no longer just a tattoo, but a living symbol.
One that didn't belong to this world.