Chapter 4. Barrier - Part 1

I stepped out of the house, the weight of the journey ahead pressing down on me as I set out into the dense, tangled forest. I wandered for what felt like hours—four, maybe more—but the tree, the one Master Lilia had spoken of so often, remained elusive. It was strange to think about that story, the one she gave me as a present on my eighth birthday, the day she told me she had found me—June 11th. The story had seemed simple then, but now, I wondered if it had been more than just a tale. Did she know this moment would come? She always had an air of mystery about her, as if she saw farther than the rest of us, knew things we couldn’t.

In the story, Lilia had told me about a great tree, hidden deep within this very forest. From that tree, you could see the world, and the endless blue sky stretching beyond the horizon. At the time, I thought it was just a story, but now I believe she meant for me to find it. If I could reach that tree, perhaps I would know how to leave this forest—or at least find a clue.

For the past two days, I had scoured the woods, searching for that tree. My food supplies were dwindling, and I had no choice but to hunt. I was fortunate to have caught enough to feast that evening. It was a strange feeling, knowing that such a small victory might mean something larger—perhaps a sign that something significant was about to happen. I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

The next day arrived swiftly—it was August 18th. Time felt like it was slipping through my fingers, and the urgency gnawed at me. I knew I had to move quickly. My first task was to create a map of the forest, charting the paths I had already walked in hopes of uncovering some pattern, some path that would lead me to the tree.

On August 19th, something unusual happened. I’m not sure if it was good or bad, but it was certainly strange: the pain, the relentless pain that had plagued me for so long, had vanished. I only realized it when I accidentally cut myself while preparing some meat. I felt nothing—not even the sting of the blade. At first, I thought it was a small blessing, a reprieve from the constant torment. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if this was really a good thing. Had the curse progressed further?

August 20th arrived with a sense of quiet dread hanging over me. I had scoured the woods for days, and just as my hope had begun to fade, I found it—the big tree. It stood taller than anything else in the forest, its branches stretching towards the sky like the hands of a giant. The bark was ancient, gnarled with age, and its roots twisted deep into the earth like the bones of the world itself.

I stared up at it, feeling something stir within me, something I couldn’t name. This was the tree from Master’s story. Now that I had found it, the next step was unclear. Did she leave me more hints? Or was it up to me to figure out what came next?