I Want to Plant my Seeds Inside of You

"Daniele.... Is it really you? I.... After all these years, I never thought I would hear your voice again."

Daniele stood up from the ground and his face lit up as the leafless tree called his name. "It is me, Juliano!"

"My cherished student! Why are you here? You cannot possibly be here for I know you are as pure as the angels above, and it was from your face that I likened their image on my paintings. It must be..... Have you ended your life as well?"

Daniele shook his head. "No, signore. I died along with my..... companion from an inedible apple that we have bitten from."

"Then why are you in hell? I cannot see, for my eyes are merely wood shaped like one, and I did not know that you have a companion with you. The both of you must have traveled far from the entrance to get to here. How grave are your sins to get into the Lower Circle?"

Daniele also did not know how to answer this. "It is—"

"No longer important, signore." 'Leandro' answered for him. "God has passed his judgement on us sinners and we must travel further from here. Our story is not important, but yours. Tell us, why have you become like this? What made you reach this awful demise?"

"I..... Did not give up on life right after I ran away from Maestro." Juliano sighed heavily, but no breathe came from his wooden body.

"I was ambitious, you see. I thought I could make a name for myself without him. My father had already passed away and so I broke free before he could find another reason to keep me in the palm of his hands. I gathered what little coin I could scour, and dreamt to start a new life in Venice."

"I became a minor artist in a small studio right beside a wheatfield, and I sometimes work as a farmer there when money is scarce. One day, a kind benefactor took interest in my work, and placed it on his own gallery. I was thrilled to see well-established aficionados appreciate my art, but then....."

"Then?" Daniele prodded.

Juliano sighed heavily again. "They said, 'This is a very well made piece inspired by Francisco Iscaroti's work. You have captured his style well.'"

(Damn, that fucking sucks.) Zhe Chouhen really pitied this poor tree and wanted to give him some good water or fertilizer to make him feel better.

"I wallowed in self-pity and helplessness that I will never become a renowned artist, just a copy of someone who has an already established name yet uses MY paintings."

"MY work, MY style that I developed MYSELF. Yet nobody knows that, nobody knows me. I am Juliano Pietri, yet everyone thinks I am the next Francisco Iscaroti. Even if I told them and denied that my works are just copied or even inspired by 'Iscaroti's', no one would believe me!"

Juliano's tree bark face scrunched up like he wanted to weep, but no tears can go out of his eyes. He was sad, but his sadness had already overflowed and run out on the living world that he was stripped of his ability to be sad in the afterlife.

Like a barren tree, he was an empty shell, swaying in the breeze and quietly reflecting on the frustrations and exhausting tribulations of life.

Daniele embraced the tree, tears rolling down his cheek as felt and ache in his chest that he can't comfort his friend.

Ever since he came to this vicious underworld, he learned that he can't help anyone, that he was always rendered helpless from the monsters that they face. He was weak, and can only rely on Leandro, being a burden to those who care for him.

Was it because of the place? Or has he always been like that? Was that the kind of person he was from the start?

A burden. An ignorant. A cruel, insensitive man who never noticed other people's sufferings, could never relate to them, and could never help them.

He wanted to punish himself. He wanted to perish. He wished for himself all the worst things that the three realms: heaven, earth and hell, could give him.

Slowly, something crawled on Daniele's foot.

He looked down and realized he thought wrong. It was not that something was crawling, but it was HIM that was crawling, his skin and flesh turning into roots that spread into the ground below him.

'Leandro's' eyes widened. "Daniele, what were you thinking about!?"

"I.... I was just...." Daniele's breath hitched as his flesh and bones turn to wood starting from his feet all the way up to.... He doesn't even want to think about it.

He struggled to free his roots off the ground it buried itself in, but the transformation just went faster. "Why am I turning into a tree!?"

Juliano's wooden eyes widened. "You're turning into a tree? You must have been thinking violent thoughts about yourself. I have never believed that someone as kind-hearted and selfless as you could see yourself lesser than a creation of God.... But the seeds of doubt must have already begun to be planted in your head."

His tone became a little unhinged, like he was happy with what was Daniele turning into a tree. "That's what happened to me too. That's what happened to all of us."

(What the fuck is happening!? What does he mean!?) Zhe Chouhen asked his system as he tried to help out Daniele.

['Leandro's' words from before were aimed to make Daniele doubt his own goodness, right? Now Daniele is having self-destructive thoughts so the forest is turning him into one of them.]

(How do I stop it!?) Zhe Chouhen focused to make his powers eliminate the effects of the forest of suicides, but it doesn't work!

(Why aren't my powers working!?)

[Because you can't fight evil with evil, like you cannot fight fire with fire. You stalled too long to listen to some unimportant side character's backstory, and now Daniele is getting his punishment.]

(Then what should I do!? How will we receive an ending when the story progressed like this!?)

[The ending of the original is similar to this anyway. Daniele become an immobile doll that is under Leandro's control forever. Wouldn't the real Leandro prefer it this way too? A tree and a doll, both immovable, both a tragic and twisted fate. What's the difference? ]

Panda continued like he had no care for any of this at all. [Once Daniele turns fully into a tree, you reveal all your evil deeds to him, and since he loves you enough, he will forgive you or succumb to you. Readers will be satisfied by this kind of dark and sinister ending. After you reach 100% Satisfaction and Scum, I could then initiate the next world for you.]

(No! It can't end this way!) Zhe Chouhen felt like that this author's psychopathic tendency is showing again. It would be useless to reason with him.

The three meters showed up in front of him, two of them gradually increasing.

[Scum Meter: 71%..... 72%...73%.....]

[Satisfaction Meter: 86℅.... 87%..... 88%....]

Zhe Chouhen saw that Daniele had turned into wood from waist down, and his voice is starting to become weaker.

In a state of panic, Zhe Chouhen made his final resolve—

"I was wrong, Daniele." He hugged the blond boy with his eyes watering. "You do not belong in hell. There was a mistake. Ignorance could not be your sin. You are not ignorant, you are simply innocent."

Daniele's blue eyes widened, and he tried to speak or move his hands, but it was starting to be difficult and the blood flowing on his veins was getting stiffer.

"You had been the kindest person in hell to have existed. You not knowing my feelings or my suffering was not your fault. It's mine. I wanted to blame you so I could drag you to hell with me. I planted those seeds of doubt to keep you by my side and for you not to seek salvation that you deserve."

'Leandro' took Daniele's petrified hand and slammed into his chest. "I manipulated you, lied to you, mistreated you! I took advantage of your innocence. Don't you see? You are not evil, it was my tendrils of wickedness that was keeping you in hell because I do not want to let you go!"

Zhe Chouhen added internally: (Like, literal black magic tendrils, but let's not reveal too much or I would get 0% Satisfaction now.)

"Do not hate yourself! Hate me instead!"

Slowly, Daniele started to breath again and his blood turned back to liquid instead of gooey sap, and his flesh returned to their color before the transformation reached his neck.

His legs that joined together and twisted into roots returned to it's normal state, and he was no longer stuck to the ground. A small gasp came to his mouth, and he had never been ecstatic to hear his own voice again.

"Leandro.... I...." Daniele was filled with solace and looked like he would tear up from joy. "I have returned."

"Yes, you have." 'Leandro' hugged him, exhaling a large breath that he did not know he was holding. "Oh, Daniele! I was really scared for a second there."

"Leandro.... Did you really mean what you said? You lied to me?"

'Leandro' pulled away and bit his lip, looking guilty. "I did."

Daniele took in a deep breath and his lips became a straight line. "You made me believe my perception of myself was wrong. You're right, I should hate you for this. You almost caused me to gain a punishment I do not deserve."

"I apologize." 'Leandro' let him go. "For as many times as I lied, I will bow my head and apologize."

Daniele sized him up, his usually gentle eyes now strained. Zhe Chouhen gulped.

(Goodbye, 90% Love Meter. At least I did not turn a cute boy into a tree.)

[Scum Meter lowered to 30%]

[Satisfaction Meter lowered to 50%]

[Love Meter lowered to....]

"Still, you let go of your selfish intentions and repented before it was too late."

Daniele touched his shoulder. "You asked me to hate you instead, but I can't find it in myself to do so. I will give you another chance, but this time, be honest with me always. I don't want you to hate yourself and suffer the same horror as I did."

"Daniele...." 'Leandro' blinked several times, disbelieving that he could be forgiven. He went to place a hand over Daniele's but Daniele pulled away.

"I'm not saying I wasn't hurt or upset. My trust for you has been damaged. " Daniele said. "But my gratefulness and compassion for you as an important person in my life and as someone who selflessly protected me will never disappear. "

"Leandro, do not let me down again, because I really want to stay with you for eternity. I can't imagine it without you, therefore.... take care of me better."

[Love Meter only lowered to 70%. Good for you ( •_• ).]

Zhe Chouhen honestly felt this slight confession and vow warm his heart, and he wanted to lift Daniele up in the air and spin him around.

Which he did. He had always been an impulsive guy.

"L-Leandro, put me down!" Daniele smacked his hands, but it was so light it felt even more affectionate. "We're in a forest of suicide victims, give them some respect!"

"Sorry!" 'Leandro' put him down, smiling giddily. "I'm just so glad that you forgave me. I won't let you down!"

"....A-Anyway, let us go out of this ring now. " Daniele turned away, face flushed.

When he did, he saw Juliano who went stiff and could not speak again, and gave a small bow.

He said solemnly, "We will no longer bother you, Juliano. I know this is not the fate that you would have liked, but I still.... pray for you to at least find peace. You do not deserve this, but I'm glad to see you again one last time."

Juliano did not say anything, but his stiff wooden lip seem to stretch a bit, resembling a small smile.

The two left and traveled past the barren trees, and Zhe Chouhen touched his chest the whole time feeling relieved and assured from Daniele's reaction.

He can't believe that Daniele would love him so much to give him another chance to make things right!

If only things were different, he wouldn't mind giving that love back.

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