POV Narrator:

Beyond the world below, past the clouds and away from the mortal eye, a mysterious place rests. There, in a room brimming with divine lustre, Natine stands seemingly alone. Her eyes harbour a subtle reverence. On her face, a confused expression rests.

From the light, a voice flows down, “Natine, my little sister, what brings you here? Your next report isn’t due for a hundred years, this is out of character.”. Natine’s face flashes with slight hesitation, but she steels her resolve. In a slightly quivering but demanding voice, she says, “Sir, there’s something I must desperately report, but please reign your anger until I’m done.”.

A low grunt echoes from the light, agreeing with her request. Natine takes a deep breath and begins her recount, “In the previous cycle, when I was completing my assignment with Erath, I encountered something strange. Back then, something managed to destroy my storm in its entirety. I know I should have reported this, but I couldn’t bear the insult.”.

Natine clenches her teeth, anger boiling from her very soul. With her head lowered, she continues, “Unfortunately, the story gets worse. I was unable to find the culprit and I vowed to never stop searching until I did. Earlier today, I managed to detect the same energy, like the one that had destroyed my storm. When I arrived at the source, I found something strange; An island that I couldn’t detect and an impossible being guarding it. He managed to fight me off with ease…”.

Natine looks up, her face harbouring uncertainty. In a confused tone, she asks, “Sir, just what is going on? The designs give us direction, guiding our duty… but, this island… it doesn’t align with them. The strength he has and the strange elemental essence he controls, none of it makes sense!”. From the light, a deep sigh flows forth.

The voice says, “From our birth, the designs have guided us. They are finally nearing completion and soon our lifelong effort will come to fruition. You know how important this final cycle is to us; With its completion, unity will form, and the balance will reign eternally. What you’ve reported is deeply troubling, but none can stand in our way.”.

A wide smile forms on Natine’s face. From the light, the voice commands, “Go prepare Natine, gather your power, in a year we will attack. If it can withstand the power of a god, then let’s see how it will content will all the gods’ power.”. Natine quickly leaves, her eye brimming with excitement. In the light, a low whisper sounds, “We’re so close; the truth is at our fingertips, then we’ll finally know what the system is and the designs that it holds within.”.

On the island, with an excited Aia in the lead, Zohn walks past the countless trees covering every inch of the ground. With a slight smile beneath his long, white beard, he reminisces, “They’ve grown up so well. I can remember planting each and every one of them; from small saplings to tall trees, I saw them grow, but now they’ve truly taken on a life of their own.”.

Zohn stops and places his hand on one of the trees, in a soft voice, he mumbles, “There’s truly a young spirit in each tree. I can feel my connection to them; they are as much a part of Col as I am. Their birth has something to do with Col, but I can’t help but feel that there’s a greater purpose connected to them… Well, the answer will arrive when Col awakens.”.

A small distance away, Aia shouts at Zohn, “Hey, don’t fall behind! You’re going to love the Ancient, I bet he’s so excited to see you.”. Zohn gently takes his hand off the tree and looks towards Aia’s distant figure, in a voice only he can hear, he says, “Sometimes I miss the peace and quiet around here.”. Aia shouts again, “Come, he’s just around the corner!”. In an unhurried manner, Zohn stands up and follows her.

Within a minute, they reach the Ancient. In front of the towering tree, Zohn stands. In proportion, he’s no different than an ant compared to the Ancient, but his gaze is as calm as a lake. Zohn suddenly freezes as he studies the Ancient, his mouth hanging open slightly in realisation.

Zohn says to himself, “I remember this tree, it’s the first tree that I planted… No wonder it grew so tall, but that can’t be the only reason.”. From the sky, the Ancient’s voice rumbles down, “Greetings champion Zohn, I’m honoured to finally meet you. The island, in its slumber, has told us so much about you.”.

In shock, Zohn asks, “Wait, you can talk to Col?!”. The Ancient replies calmly, “Unfortunately, we can’t talk with the island, but we can share its dreams. We’ve seen so much about the world, even in our seclusion. All that you’ve done for us will never be forgotten. So, from all the spirits inhabiting the island, thank you!”.

On his way back from the Ancient, Zohn’s thoughts wander, “What a strange tree, I can feel the gentleness and care in his words, but he gives me an odd feeling. He’s like the other forest spirits, but there’s something more about him that I can’t understand. I’ve lived for so many years, but the world still manages to amaze me.”.

Zohn arrives at the garden, his gaze wandering through its bright flowers and beautiful design. With a resolute expression, he decides, “There’s still one person whom I must properly thank, I’m sure he’ll be happy with my proposal.”.

At a corner of the garden, attending to some newly planted flowers, Achous works diligently. Next to him, Zohn arrives like a phantom, seemingly appearing from thin air. In a calm voice, Zohn asks, “Achous, I’ve heard your story from Aia and I can see the care you show towards this island and the spirits on it. As a reward and as personal thanks from me for planting this garden, would you like to go home?”.