Ice Cocoon

"Arghhhh!"

"Ummm... Are you sure she is alright?" Zorda asked, his voice filled with suspicion as he looked at the scene before him.

"She is fine... I think," Elysia responded, though her voice held no confidence.

Zorda's mouth twitched when he heard Elysia's hesitant answer and glanced at her with a speechless expression.

"Arghh!" Valery's pained scream pierced the air once more, and although Zorda could no longer feel pain after becoming a shadow undead, the sight of her suffering made him shudder.

"Just what is happening to her?" Zorda asked, his voice betraying his unease.

"Her core is evolving," Elysia answered with a frown on her face as she observed Valery, who was wrapped tightly in the dense vines of the Tree of Life. "Normally, this shouldn't be a problem, but there is something wrong with her core."