Journey to the Tree (2)

During our journey to the Sacred Tree, we made a stop near one of the larger patches of coral and set up camp. 

We had been traveling for only two days, and everything was going smoothly—though the one thing I lacked was the knowledge of how to wield a sword. 

Luckily for me, we happened to have a sword fanatic in our cohort, so as we were making camp, I approached Nephis. 

"Hey, Neph, mind teaching Sunny swordsmanship? We'd be happy to pay you with our soul shards." 

(What are you doing?) 

[Well, you need to learn how to wield that sword of yours, and we just so happen to have the perfect teacher.]

"No" Nephis answered promptly, then went back to setting up camp. 

'Huh? Why would she... Oh, she thinks I'm the assassin.'

I had known this from the start, so it wasn't much of a surprise, but she was sharing half of her soul shards with cassie, so she should could use extra. 

"And why's that? I'm more than willing to pay" I pushed a little more. Nephis stopped and looked at me calmly. 

"I don't need the soul shards" she said flatly, before finishing what she was doing and heading over to help Cassie get comfortable. 

(So, what now?) 

[Mmm, I'll just sleep on it for a while. I'm sure she'll agree eventually.]

(And why will she agree?) Sunny seemed even more confused, but I couldn't exactly tell him that Cassie would reveal his True Name to Nephis. 

[I'm sure she'll understand the benefits. I mean, wouldn't you want to earn soul shards just for teaching some random street rat swordsmanship?]

(You're infuriating... but yes, I would.) 

[That flaw of yours comes in handy sometimes.]

Sunny stopped responding after that, so I sat down, only to hear my stomach grumble. 

"Now that I think about it, we've only been eating scavenger meat for a while. I could use something different." 

Then, an idea popped into my head, and a smile crept up on my face. 

After the camp was fully set up, the cohort sat in a circle, and I knew it was my time to strike—not physically, but mentally. 

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty hungry" I said. 

Nephis glanced in my direction before looking down. "We don't have food. It's just one day." 

Smiling, I turned to Cassie. "Hey, Cas, are you hungry?" 

Cassie looked at me, appearing confused. She seemed to think for a moment before replying with slight caution. 

"I am, but I'll be fine for today. So why are you asking, Pleiades?" 

"Ah, well you se—" I stopped mid-sentence, suddenly confused. 

"Wait, how do you know I'm in control?" 

Cassie looked equally confused for a moment before giggling softly. "Didn't you know you have an accent?" 

I was completely baffled. I had actually thought I was indistinguishable from Sunny.

"Ahaha, I never knew. I'll note that down," I said awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. Then continued, "Anyway, we didn't run into any scavengers today, so we don't have anything to eat. What a predicament." 

Nephis immediately shot me a suspicious look, while Cassie grimaced. 

"What are you trying to say with this?" Cassie asked, wary. 

Without responding, I summoned the [Sublime Banquet]. It wove itself into existence, manifesting as a beautiful warhorn adorned with intricate etchings. Even in the dead of night, Nephis could see the memory materialize fully before us. 

As the warhorn completed its manifestation, I reached into it, and the memory of a delicious hamburger came to mind. Almost immediately, the rich, savory smell wafted out. 

Cassie perked up and sniffed the air, while Nephis widened her eyes at the sight of the scrumptious hamburger. 

The patty was perfectly grilled, with two slices of melted cheese on top and bottom, a few pieces of crisp lettuce nestled inside, and a slice of tomato beneath the patty. The buns were a light, golden brown, looking just as delectable as the rest of the burger. 

With satisfaction, I took a big bite. The juices of the patty burst onto my taste buds, and I munched on it loudly, causing both Cassie and Nephis to look at me. 

Cassie had a look of pure excitement, while Nephis remained cautious and composed. 

"What is that smell?!" Cassie asked eagerly, crawling a little closer to me. Immediately, I knew I had caught my first target. 

"But of course, dear Cassie, I would do anything for my precious friends. And you don't have to pay anything either" I said with a smile. 

As I finished speaking, I turned my attention to Nephis. To my disappointment, she remained calm and composed, completely unfazed. 

I wasn't disheartened, though. If anything, I felt more encouraged. 

Reaching into the warhorn again, I pulled out another hamburger, identical to mine, and handed it to Cassie. She accepted it gratefully, took a bite, and smiled widely. 

Turning back to Nephis, I smirked as I reached into the warhorn once more and pulled out yet another hamburger.

(I see what you're doing.) 

Nodding at his remark, I handed the hamburger to Nephis with a cheerful tone. 

"Here you go, my precious friend, a delicacy." 

The plan was simple—show that I would do anything for my cohort and see how Nephis would react. If she refused the hamburger, I'd get all mopey, and if she accepted it, I wouldn't say a thing. 

'Come on, let's see just how prideful you are.' 

She looked down, gazing at the hamburger, then looked at me, and then in the direction of the memory. 

"That's quite the memory. Where did you get it?" 

The question was simple, but it caused me to pause for a second—just a second. 

"It's neat, right? It allows me to conjure any food I've ever tasted, even liquids like beer, juice, and other beverages." I sweetly smiled at Nephis, still holding the burger out to her. 

(WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET SUCH A MEMORY?) 

Sunny's scream echoed in my mind, and I felt a wave of confusion. He was 'this' surprised over a memory? He hadn't even been this shocked when I put a slash through the world itself. 

But I had to answer him, to maintain my carefully crafted persona. 

[It's simple, really. I just went to a banquet, and soon enough, all the people there turned into Nightmare Creatures after eating a meal that had been cursed by a Great Beast. Being the good man I am, I killed all of them and then fought the monsterized queen.

She managed to escape, so I killed her attendant. Then I used the corpses of the guests to create a prison and sealed the Great Beast away. The queen got away, though, and ran rampant, destroying a couple of kingdoms before I finally shooed her off into a cursed temple built by that damned daemon.] 

Poor Sunny was so confused that all I got from him was gibberish. 

[Now, please be quiet. I'm trying to get a good deal here.] 

"That... that's quite a memory" Nephis remarked, her facade quivering slightly, which only made my smile widen. Meanwhile, Cassie nearly dropped her burger, staring at me in awe. 

"That's exceptional!" she exclaimed. Nephis shot her a look as if telling her to stop talking. 

With a sigh, Nephis glanced down at the hamburger with a hint of hesitation, then let out an exasperated breath and took it, muttering a barely audible "thanks." 

'Bahahah! I own this so easily. It's to be expected with the assets at my disposal.'

Satisfied, I returned to my spot, continued eating my hamburger, and soon finished. My appetite now sated, I wished the girls a good night and hit the hay, dismissing the memory. 

(Hey, hey, hey! You can't just fall asleep so casually—not after telling me that whole story!) 

[What? I answered your question, didn't I? You heard what you wanted to hear. Now, let me sleep. You'll find out everything in due time.] 

Sunny wasn't satisfied and began peppering me with more questions, but I handed him back control and drifted off into my soul sea. 

"Ahhh, finally some peace and quiet," I sighed, looking around. My soul sea hadn't changed in the least—the stars in the sky representing my abilities, the tranquil glassy waters, and, of course, the soul core resting above the water. 

This time, though, the soul core looked a little depleted. My guess was that it had shone brightly before because it was newly formed.

Now, since I hadn't ingested a single Soul Shard, that radiance was fading without the constant intake. 

"Not like it's gonna harm me. It'll be fine." 

Lying down on the ground, I stared up at the starry sky as my mind wandered. 

'Wonder how Mom and Dad are doing... and how that stupid brother of mine is holding up...'

The stars above, symbols of my abilities, flickered slightly, but I paid them no mind.

The pristine waters of my soul sea rippled softly where my fist had struck, but that too didn't matter. What mattered was the crushing sense of isolation that now overwhelmed me.

"Save me…" I whispered through clenched teeth, my voice breaking under the strain of my emotions. "Someone... I want to go back home, damn it!"

I slammed my fist into the glassy surface again, harder this time.

The water beneath me trembled, but I didn't care. It wasn't fair. None of this was.

"Why? Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Is this what life is supposed to be? A nightmare I can't wake up from?"

My voice cracked as more tears spilled over, and I let out a sob that echoed through the empty space around me. "I miss everyone..."

My heart felt like it was tearing apart. The memories of home—the warmth of my mother's voice, the comforting presence of my father, even the annoying antics of my brother—seemed so distant now, like a dream I couldn't quite reach anymore.

"Damn this place! Damn this hell!" I shouted, feeling my throat burn from the strain.

My fists pounded the water, sending waves across my soul sea, each one growing weaker with the growing sense of helplessness.

"Damn me... Damn my circumstances..."

I gasped for air, hiccups breaking my words as I tried to compose myself, but it was useless. The more I fought the tears, the harder they came.

"I was about to turn eighteen... I was going to help Dad at work. I was supposed to have a life! A wife! A future!"

I slammed my fist down again, though this time, the strength had drained from me. My hand hovered above the water, trembling before collapsing into the sea with a faint splash.

"I don't want to do this anymore…" I whispered, my voice almost too quiet to hear.

The overwhelming sadness washed over me, and for a moment, I just lay there, letting the tears fall.

 It felt like the universe itself was indifferent to my suffering, the stars above me cold and distant. My soul sea, once a place of serenity, now felt like a prison.

But even as the weight of despair bore down on me, I knew... I had to keep going.

There was no other choice.