World Tree

As Elara found herself enveloped in the darksphere, the voice echoed with urgency and reassurance. "DO NOT RESIST, ELARA," it commanded, followed by a calming assurance, "Do not worry, everything is okay."

"I am a true Demon Lord in your eyes, but in reality, I am much more," the voice continued, its tone cryptic yet strangely comforting. "I am not of this world. I am only here to help. So please, do not resist, or you will vanish forever, little valkyrie."

Elara's mind raced with uncertainty. She felt the sphere's grip around her, its darkness pressing against her senses. Yet, the voice's words carried an undeniable sincerity.

As she wrestled with her thoughts, Elara's instincts guided her to a decision. Trusting the voice, she relaxed her resistance and allowed herself to be enveloped by the sphere, surrendering to its mysterious embrace....

...

Jakinn looked down at Lilith lying on the floor and Ella desperately trying to heal her wounds. With a calm demeanor, he walked up and spoke out, "Don't worry, little one. She will be okay." Then, under his breath, he murmured, "High Heal." A ball of darkness rushed from his finger toward Lilith and enveloped her.

Ella looked at Lilith in shock as she witnessed her wounds slowly but surely healing. Her eyes darted back to Jakinn, filled with confusion and disbelief. "Why? Why would you heal her, when you... when you killed Elara?" she managed to ask, her voice trembling with emotion.

Jakinn looked at Ella and chuckled softly at her question. "Little one, who said I killed Elara?" he replied cryptically. "Yes, she vanished, but she is not dead." With a snap of his fingers, Jakinn performed a gesture of magic, and to Ella's astonishment, Elara walked out from seemingly nowhere, as if she had been there all along.

Ella rushed to Elara's side, unable to contain her relief and joy. "Elara, you're... you're alive!" she exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Elara nodded, smiling weakly. "Yes, thanks to Jakinn," she said, her voice filled with gratitude. She turned to Jakinn, her expression conflicted yet curious. "Why... why did you help us?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jakinn regarded them both with a mixture of amusement and solemnity. "I have my reasons," he replied enigmatically. "Not everything is as it seems, and not every ally appears as such."

As the tension in the throne room began to ease, Jakinn's presence remained a mystery, his motives obscured by layers of intrigue. Lilith, now stabilized and unconscious, lay peacefully on the floor, the glow around her continuing to pulse gently. Ella and Elara exchanged glances, silently contemplating the events that had unfolded and the unexpected turn of fate that had spared their lives.

Three days passed before Lilith finally woke up. Jakinn, somewhat surprised by the length of her recovery, had expected her to regain consciousness sooner. As she opened her eyes, he approached her cautiously, his expression a mix of curiosity and guarded anticipation.

"Lilith," Jakinn began, his voice steady yet tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

Lilith blinked, her mind still groggy from the ordeal she had endured. She looked around, noticing the familiar faces of Elara, Ella, and Jakinn. The events leading up to her collapse flooded back to her, and she instinctively touched the dragon soul around her neck, feeling Aurora's presence reassuringly strong.

"I... I feel better," Lilith managed to say, her voice raspy. "What happened? How long have I been out?"

Elara, relieved to see Lilith awake, stepped forward. "You've been unconscious for three days," she explained gently. "Jakinn said you needed time to recover."

Lilith nodded slowly, absorbing the information. She glanced at Jakinn, curiosity and suspicion flickering in her eyes. "Jakinn, what happened after... after I collapsed?" she asked, her tone searching.

Jakinn hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly. "I healed you," he admitted, his gaze meeting hers with sincerity. "I used my abilities to help you recover. And... I brought Elara back."

Elara nodded in confirmation, her expression grateful yet cautious. "He did, Lilith," she affirmed. "Jakinn saved us both."

Lilith's brows furrowed as she processed this revelation. She had been prepared to face Jakinn as an adversary, yet his actions had defied her expectations. "Why?" she asked finally, her voice a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Why help us, after everything?"

Jakinn regarded her thoughtfully, his gaze unwavering. "I have my reasons," he replied cryptically, echoing his earlier words. "so tell me what do you guys know about gods and world trees?"

Jakinn regarded Lilith thoughtfully, his gaze unwavering as she admitted she knew nothing about gods and world trees. He then turned his attention to Elara, who smiled softly at Lilith before beginning to recount her ancient tale.

"Well, around 700 years ago," Elara began, her voice carrying the weight of distant memories, "I was summoned by a goddess named Oria. It was during a time of great conflict against Thalrax, the Tyrant. Oria called upon me to aid in this battle."

Elara paused, her eyes drifting as she recalled the events of her past life. "As for world trees," she continued, "I never sensed one in Eldoria. But where I'm originally from, I knew of a world tree called Yggdrasil. It spans across many realms—nine known realms, but I always sensed there were more beyond those."

"In my world," Elara explained further, "I was known as a valkyrie, tasked with duties that often spanned different realms connected by Yggdrasil. However, my journey took an unexpected turn when I found myself trapped. The next thing I knew, I awoke in Eldoria with the goddess informing me of my new role as a hero of this world."

Elara's voice softened with a mixture of acceptance and lingering uncertainty. "She assured me that she would take over my previous task and even bound me with a worldly binding oath to ensure I couldn't refuse."

Listening intently, Jakinn absorbed the information with a calm demeanor. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he spoke again, his voice measured. "Yggdrasil... a world tree spanning multiple realms," he remarked thoughtfully. "And Oria, summoning you to aid against Thalrax. This adds more layers to our understanding."

Lilith, still recovering but alert, listened intently. "What does this have to do with us now?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. "Are we connected to these gods and world trees somehow?"

Jakinn considered Lilith's question carefully before responding with cryptic words that hinted at deeper truths. "Perhaps," he replied, his gaze thoughtful and measured.

Elara listened attentively as Jakinn continued, explaining his reason for being in their realm. "Well, I came here because I could sense the unbalance of this world, or realm, as Elara might call it," he began, his voice carrying a weight of experience and knowledge.

"When I first arrived in this realm," Jakinn continued, "I could see the roots of the old world tree of Eldoria. Corrupted and rotten. My guess is that it happened when the last dragon disappeared."

"The last dragon disappeared?" Lilith questioned, her brow furrowing in concern. "Are you talking about Aurora?"

Jakinn's smile was enigmatic as he confirmed, "Yes, I am talking about Aurora. When she died, so did the world tree, and the balance of the world was destroyed." He pointed at the dragon soul necklace around Lilith's neck. "But because of that necklace, Aurora's spirit was trapped in it. And with luck, the world tree had a chance to create a sapling."

Elara's eyes widened in realization, grasping the significance of Jakinn's words. "And what does this mean for Lilith?" she asked, her voice filled with both curiosity and concern.

Jakinn's expression turned serious as he looked directly at Lilith. "Lilith, because you are the Demon Lord of this world, you have a crucial role to play," he explained. "You need to find that sapling of the world tree and bring the necklace containing Aurora's spirit to it. This will allow the sapling and Aurora to be reunited, restoring balance to the world. And perhaps," he added, his tone hopeful yet cautious, "you may even be able to grant Aurora a physical form for her spirit."

Lilith absorbed Jakinn's words, feeling the weight of responsibility settle upon her shoulders. The fate of Eldoria, and possibly Aurora herself, depended on her actions. "But where do we find this sapling?" she asked, her voice steady despite the growing uncertainty.

Jakinn nodded thoughtfully as he weighed the gravity of their quest. "That," he replied solemnly, "is a journey the three of you must undertake."

"Aurora should be able to sense the direction you need to travel," Jakinn continued, his voice carrying the weight of ages. "And the closer you get, the easier it will be to pinpoint the sapling. Well, calling it a sapling might be a misnomer. It should be as big as a normal tree by now, maybe a little smaller. I can only guess at this point."

He turned to Lilith, his gaze serious yet filled with a hint of reassurance. "Since you have passed my test, Lilith, it is up to you now," Jakinn said, his voice tinged with finality. "I cannot interfere further, or the delicate balance you are meant to restore may falter."

"Rest for now and return to your camp," Jakinn advised. "When you finish the quest I have set before you, we may meet again. Perhaps even the goddess herself will appear." His tone held a note of skepticism towards the divine beings. "Gods and goddesses are nothing but lazy beings. They have one job, and look at how badly this world is—or was."

With those words, Jakinn vanished as if he had never been there, leaving behind a lingering sense of mystery and urgency. Lilith, Elara, and Ella stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the weight of their mission. They knew they had to find the tree and help aurora's spirit, restore balance to Eldoria, and unravel the mysteries that had been set before them.

As they made their way back to the mining camp, determination filled their hearts. The journey ahead was daunting, but they were prepared to face it together. With Aurora's guidance and Jakinn's cryptic advice echoing in their minds, they set their sights on the task that would shape the destiny of their world.