Chapter 15

Citrus, that was the first thing Ryder smelled as he came to his senses, a strong yet delicate citrus scent.

As he opened his eyes the familiar grassy plains of the great hollow stretched out before him. It was this dream again, though it felt a bit different, more… vibrant, more vivid.

In his right hand was an object, a light blue fruit shaped like an odd mixture of an apple and lemon, it had an ever so slight glow to it as well.

He could tell it held some sort of strange power, but not exactly what it was.

The sound of rustling grass attracted his attention, causing him to look to the left where he saw the child picking up more of the fruit, fallen from the branches on high.

Vincent was happily carrying the fruit in a near comically large pile for his size, somehow not dropping a single one as he walked to the hollow.

He only stops for a moment upon seeing Ryder awake, smiles at him, then keeps moving into the tree with the fruit.

Curious Ryder follows him inside, seeing the inside of the hollow for the first time.

Despite the darkness inside of it the tree felt comforting, yet also felt mythic at the same time, as Ryder gazes up into the darkness above with no end in sight he finds himself questioning its existence once more.

How did it even grow this large, why did it exist? Who created it?

Why, why the hell did it feel so important?!

What was this place and why did he keep dreaming about it?!

With a slight tug on his arm Ryder looked down to see Vincent standing next to him, pointing at the fruit in his hand with a slight pleading look.

Ryder looks around, noticing the fruit the kid was carrying earlier is gone now, much to his confusion. Cautiously he holds out the fruit while asking "Is this what you want?"

Excitedly the child nods and takes it carefully, holding it as if it'd break if he dropped it.

Quickly he darts off to a darker area of the tree, and starts digging with his hands, easily startling the champion who's just watching in surprise.

"What are you doing? Don't you need that to eat?" Ryder can't hide the confusion and concern in his voice as he walks over and inspects what the child is doing.

After shaking his head no in response, Vincent carefully takes the loose dirt and gingerly covers the fruit with it, patting it down to make sure it's secure.

Happily he looks back up to Ryder and places a figure to his lips before taking his hand and guiding him back to the entrance, where they stand, just gazing into the dark of the hollow.

Ryder looks down at Vincent for a moment, wanting to say something, but stopping as the child looks excitedly into the dark… waiting for something to happen.

Soon enough Ryder does feel something, the ground seems to shake the smallest bit, only moving enough to be noticeable… then the energy begins to swell in the area.

It feels like when he entered the False Zone and met Omen for the first time, no, it was greater than that.

This was an energy spike that he couldn't calculate… it felt threatening, dangerous, destructive… and then it calmed.

The violent nature vanished without a trace, the energy now turning into a slow, rhythmic pulsing as Vincent happily pointed at something in the dark.

There was a light blue glow in the darkness, several blue spots, was it where he'd buried the fruit? It looked like stars.

The lights dimmed and lit up to the tune of the pulse, it was almost human-like in a way, like a beating heart.

As if on cue the effect began to change, spread out through tiny little roots stretching out, connecting each and every one of them until the light got brighter, more vivid.

It became louder and clearer, the roots began to stretch out to the edge, reaching the tree itself and began ascending the darkness.

Streaks of pulsing light climbing up the darkened wood, bathing it in a beautiful blue glow.

As they climbed higher it became clearer, more pronounced, the pulsing was in tune with the glow… that's when it became clear to him.

The champion slowly placed his hand on a root, feeling the warmth of the flowing energy and closing his eyes; this was some kind of aid to this tree, and it was alive.

"Vincent, what were those fruits? How is it helping the tree?" Ryder asked, his calm voice filled with awe as he watched the lines ascend into the heavens.

The child seems surprised that Ryder could figure out what was going on, though his smile seemed to brighten as well.

He couldn't sense any threat to the tree on his odd armored companion, only pure curiosity and awe.

Lightly he tugs on Ryder's cape to get his attention and begins signing.

[The fruit is magic! It's filled with pure mana!] The excitement in his eyes never left, seeming overjoyed to be sharing this with someone for the first time.

"That explains the lights… but how is it helping the tree? And what does the tree need with magic?" Ryder asks to himself aloud, trying to piece the puzzle together.

Without wasting a moment the child runs off, stopping a few feet outside the hollow to grab his journal, before coming back and flipping open to a diagram of the tree.

'The Great Hollow' was marked at the top of the page, along with quickly scribbled notes about souls, magic and rebirth?

"What, does this tree help people come back from the dead?" Ryder now takes a seat on the ground to look at the book easier.

Vincent mimics him, sitting the book on the ground between them and begins explaining.

[This tree is what lets people be reborn! I read about something similar from one of dad's books, I think it was called… re-] he stumbles for a moment, seeming to have trouble remembering the word.

"Re… Reincarnation?" Ryder speaks but also signs the word out for him so he knows how it's spelt.

Happily the child nods and continues. [That! When someone dies their soul comes here and waits to be reborn, the tree takes their magic and memories before they can come back.]

"It takes their magic and memories… that means… the fruit! The fruit is made up of all that old magic?!" his eyes widen as he looks at the hollow once more, seeing the magic flowing back into the tree. "Then it's being used to heal the tree… but wait, how do you know this?"

A sorrowful look shows in his eyes for a moment, his hand slightly dropping as he pauses, he reluctantly turns the pages to a new drawing towards the back of the book.

Though calling it a drawing wasn't exactly fair, it was so well done that it nearly looked like a photo.

How had a kid made this?

The illustration was that of a woman with long green hair, though it was clearly dyed as the darker colored roots were drawn as well.

She wore a tired and melancholic but kind smile, one that could entrance anyone with a single glance, ensnaring them with the need to know more.

Her eyes held uncountable secrets within those deep cerulean pools, so captivating and mysterious, yet calm and welcoming.

She seemed to be wearing a black hoodie and white t-shirt as well, along with a chain necklace holding some sort of ring on it.

Everything about this woman just made Ryder want to know more, to have the chance to talk to her, to hear her story, hear her voice.

He felt the need to learn her story, as if she'd hold all the answers.

"Vincent, who is this? Where is she?" Ryder asks, a slight desperation in his tone as he looks to the child, shocked to see the mournful look in his eyes.

[Her name was Cera, she said that she was the creator and made the tree to help everyone.] he pauses, more sorrow building in his eyes before continuing. [She had to leave, she went into the tree and never came out.]

Ryder's eyes dropped a bit, shocked to hear that answer, feeling immense regret for asking that without thinking.

Of course she'd be gone, there was really nowhere to hide in this place.

Though it does raise concern for him, what does it mean for this world then? Its creator has vanished… wouldn't that create a power vacuum?

[It's alright, it was a while ago, I'm not as sad now.] Vincent replies, clearly trying to cheer up his armored companion who is still looking torn on the matter.

"Well you won't have to be lonely for much longer, i promise i'll get you out of this place soon, wherever this place is…" he forces a smile while trying to cheer up the kid in front of him. "Then you won't be so lonely, I can even let you hang out with my friends."

[I'm not lonely though, I have you and Annalise!] Vincent happily proclaims, a smile forming on his face, though the statement greatly confused Ryder who looked at him curiously.

"Annalise? Who's that?"

[She's my best friend, and is always there to help me out!] Vincent thinks for a moment, tilting his head as though hearing something curious. [She's a little shy around others, so don't be mean.]

"I promise you I won't, don't worry."

With a slightly worried look the child begins to hold his hands out, cupping them together and closing his eyes.

Then the smell of smoke began to fill the air, yet no fires were to be found, until Ryder noticed it.

In Vincent's hands were tiny, pitch black embers, slowly forming into a tiny orb of fire in his hands, the same pitch black fire Ryder had been gifted.

The tiny orb flickers for a moment before two small yellow lights appear in it, gazing up at Ryder with curiosity.

"So this is Annalise? I didn't know the flame was actually alive…" Ryder comments before holding his hand out, creating a small fireball as well.

Vincent's eyes widen in awe as his little flame seems to flicker in excitement at this and lean a bit closer, trying to examine it.

However they both seem confused by the flame, or rather, lack of sentience that his seems to show.

Carefully he removes one hand from Annalise and begins to ask [Why is yours asleep?]

"Well, I only recently got this power from a big one, their name was Omen… so maybe they're still waking up?" he asks, slightly confused as well, unsure of what to think of the flame now.

Annalise begins to sway a bit, crackling and sparking, causing Vincent to look at her, his expression acting as if he's hearing someone speak… then he looks back up to Ryder once more.

[She says that your partner is still forming, they could be asleep for a lot longer.]

"I see… I don't really understand it but I'll take your word for it, especially since your friend appears to be just like my magic." The champion smiles, before closing his palm to dispel the flame, but as he does his vision begins to blur and a wave of exhaustion washes over him. "Woah, what was that?"

[Your time here is up, Cera said normal people can only stay here temporarily.] Vincent looks a bit saddened but forces his smile to remain. [I'll wait for you to come back some day!]

Ryder sighs, annoyed at this, while it was just a dream he didn't want it to end so soon, not when he was just getting new information.

He wanted to say something but his body began growing heavier, and heavier, eventually making him collapse to the ground, the world around him becoming a collage of colors.

He fought desperately to stay in the dream, but the exhaustion began overtaking his body. The last thing he saw was a figure, one that was obviously Vincent, walk up and set something blue in his hand.

Darkness overtook him once more, the calming and soothing nothingness washing over him, giving him time to relax.

His mind clears before realizing what's just happened and forcing himself back awake.

Though as his eyes shoot open he's back in the fort, no Great Hollow and No Vincent anywhere to be seen.

A sigh of frustration escapes his lips as he tries to understand just what those dreams were.

Was his mind just showing some random scene to help him calm down? What was with how vivid it was?

He laughed to himself, realizing how crazy this would sound if he told anyone, especially considering how the kid was just like how he'd been as a kid.

He shook his head, tired of even trying to understand this world at all.

It was just nonsense and vague terminology left and right… add weird vivid dreams likely caused by stress and confusion.

It's too much.

Not only that but this time the dream left him with a massive headache afterwards, the problems of sleeping in full dive VR…

That's when he noticed something, as he was reaching up to rub his temples he noticed, in his right hand was a very familiar object.

His eyes widened and his mind raced, wondering how the hell he got this.

No, more importantly it confirmed that he wasn't just making the dream up.

Whatever that place was, it was real, it was connected to this world.

In his hand lay a single, azure blue fruit in the shape of a lemon and apple hybrid, its citrus scent filling the air.

The gift Vincent had given him had returned with him.

With a smile Ryder placed it in his bag, knowing it'd be useful to have.

Then he noticed his journal was still out, right he'd been checking his skills before falling asleep.

Slowly he picked it back up as he stood up, eyeing the new skills as he marched to meet up with the group.

[Time Dilation.]

[A passive skill inherited by those blessed by the Black Flame.]

[In moments of extreme tension skill will activate, pushing the user's senses to their limit, seeming to slow the flow of time for them and push their instincts beyond their limits.]

[Flamelurker.]

[Skill bestowed by the Black Flame.]

[Raises defense against all attacks by coating oneself in the flames, should an attack connect the flames will eat away at the attacker.]

These would indeed be useful Ryder thought to himself as he walked forward, ready to begin his mission with the group.

With a smile he marches on, ready to face anything that may come.