"Morgana! What happened?!"

Realizing the extent of her outburst, Morgana quickly stepped away from Emery and abruptly turned around to leave.

But he did not let her go that easily. Emery immediately grabbed at her wrist, holding her in place, before demanding for an explanation.

Morgana simply turned around and stared at him with glassy eyes, not saying anything. It appeared she had many things to say, but not a single word left her lips.

It was at this moment that Chief Brennus walked out of the entrance of the shrine. Upon seeing the scene that was laid out in front of him, he sighed. "Let her go, the high priestess will see you now."

Emery could hear what the chief had just said, but he refused to loosen his grip on her wrist. There were still words left to say.

"Wait!" He shouted desperately. "Wait… Don't go, okay… I will see you after…"

Morgana twisted around, struggling to free herself from Emery's hold. She used her free hand to pry off his tight grasp.

"No…!" She sputtered out. "No. You won't."

With this, she snatched her hand away and turned around, walking away from Emery with an air of finality.

As her figure grew smaller in the distance, Emery silently wondered whether or not he would chase after her if the chief had not called after him.

Emery took a deep breath and turned towards the entrance of the shrine.

Once again, Emery entered the magical place with a feeling of slight trepidation in his heart.

Although it was a bright, cloudless day outside, the interior of the shrine was always dark as night, with the entirety of its ceiling fully covered by the lush branches of Gaia Trees. Twisting leaves of various shapes and glowing plants provided an added aura of magic to the already mystical place.

Emery walked forward, passing through the bridge that was made up of thick, intertwining vines. But when he reached the edge of the bridge, he realized there was no one standing in front of him.

Confused, he frantically scanned his surroundings in search of the High Priestess, when suddenly, he heard a voice begin to whisper in the depths of his mind.

"Emery… I am here…"

He could hear the voice very clearly, but it didn't seem to come from any physical source. Suddenly, he felt a kind of presence standing behind him, but as soon as he turned around, the only thing he saw were hundreds of shimmering dew droplets dissipating into the cool air around him.

This, along with the disappearance of the High Priestess, only began to fill him with worry. With his heart beating faster, he began to whisper.

"Priestess… Where are you?... What's going on...?"

"Here…" There was an ethereal quality to the voice, almost like a breeze that slowly glided through him. "Over here..."

With that, Emery immediately turned around again, only to see a single droplet of glowing dew floating gently over a small, luminescent lake.

From the center of the lake, a small whirlpool began to emerge and gradually pillars of water rose upwards. They twisted around one another in a hypnotizing dance, slowly accumulating into a figure of a woman. With the way the light shone delicately through her skin, she seemed to be completely made of water.

"I am here…" The figure's lips appeared to move, but no sound actually exited from her mouth. Instead, her voice seemed to transfer directly into his mind.

Emery only began to grow more and more anxious as the voice seemed to be able to read his thoughts.

"Do not be alarmed," the voice reassured him soothingly. "I am here."

Emery stepped closer to the lake and saw that a woman's body was lying in the depths of the pool, completely unmoving. Her long hair was swept over unblinking eyes, brushing against her face by the lake's gentle current. With his spirit reading abilities, he could immediately tell that the body was lifeless.

Emery quickly stepped back, utterly dismayed at the sight that lay before him.

"What… Happened?" He managed to stutter out.

The High Priestess smiled softly at him, a calm expression washing over her face. "I have relieved my physical form and have now transcended, Emery, it was all thanks to you."

With the words she had just said, along with the 6 months the High Priestess had shut herself in the shrine, Emery put two and two together and realized this was true.

"Is… Is this because of the seed… What is it that you gave me...?

Once more, the voice gently said, "Don't be concerned, Emery... I am now one with Gaia..."

Emery couldn't accept such an explanation. He couldn't stop staring at the lifeless body resting at the bottom of the lake.

"Please tell me, Priestess, I need to know."

For a while, no voice entered his mind and Emery couldn't stand the wait.

"Gaia needed a spirit core to create that seed and I was more than willing to give mine…" She responded after a while, filling the eerie silence that had descended between them.

Hearing this surely gave him a shock. Emery had learned this from the academy - giving away one's spirit core was like giving away life itself.

He came here 6 months ago to ask about his cultivation problem and now it ended with the High Priestess losing her spirit core... Her life. The news shattered him with guilt.

Emery was at a loss for words. He was now left with this dilemma. He really did not want this.

"I didn't ask for this…" He muttered. "I don't want this..."

"Emery… There is no way of giving it back… the seed is now part of you.. And you must know it wasn't just me who had to make this sacrifice… It was Gaia as well."

"Why... Priestess, tell me, why?"

"You know why… Gaia chose you… She has plans for you…"

Emery understood this, but it didn't justify killing oneself just for a seed.

"But why does it have to be this way?"

A lump had now formed in Emery's throat and speaking felt so difficult it felt like he was choking out his words.

The water figure form of the high priestess moved closer to him and the same whisper once more said in a serious tone.

"Emery, it was necessary… Gaia is fully aware of that black wisp's influence over you. She will not let you lose your connection with Gaia."

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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l,