Fiore's body shook as she saw the blood on her hands, her mind going blank from shock, her father's body on the ground surrounded by others. She could hear people calling out to her but their words never reached her. She tried remembering what had occurred before this, longing for release. She felt herself retract into her mind and tried to remember waking up.

     After visiting the desolate kingdom, her strange conversation, and goodbye with Louie, she felt the wind had changed directions. She continued to neglect her health and more problems arose with Renata's gravesight. Instances arose of people not just amicably getting healed or fed, but now trying to cut down her mother's tree. Fiore endured many sleepless nights trying to stand guard on her own, attempting to deter poachers,  but her catching and releasing method failed to alleviate the act. Fiore could feel these three years creeping up on her until she finally collapsed. 

     She awoke in her tent as her father changed the rag on her forehead. She looked around her eyes trying to adjust to the little light coming in, she hoisted herself up, but Nyssa pushed her back down. "Fiore, you've done enough, you're gonna hurt yourself even more, child", his voice was shaking as he spoke. Fiore sighed as she settled back into the bed, not wanting to worry her father.

     When did she last sleep soundly without her body materializing somewhere else? She managed to close her eyes, retreating into herself, wanting to escape into better times. She thought about moving her village closer to the tree, but at her current level, that was still impossible. She remembered back in her mother's extensive notes, that there was a spell for a golem, but she needed to control it manually and it required an extensive amount of mana and concentration to operate. She told the village chief about the golem but even she was against the idea since it was seen as a risk for Fiore and the villagers if Fiore lost focus. Fiore placed it all in the back of her mind and attempted to fall asleep, her eyes closed, and finally, darkness.

     Nothing, nothing, and then her eyes fluttered open, these grassy planes so familiar to her naked eye. She could feel rumbling through the ground and finally, she recognized the scene, she was close to her mother's grave. She looked around and slowly crept along to where the tree was, her legs felt heavy due to being attached to the ground. She finally found her way to the tree and she saw two men take shelter underneath it, one with a braid and grey eyes and the other blonde with eyes darker than the night. Fiore kept her distance, feeling she was on the brink of overreacting towards the two strangers, but her eyes widened. The grey-eyed man lifted his hand, wind engulfing it and a serrated-like shape began to form. He swung down, hitting the tree. Fiore gasped trying to reach out, but her body couldn't take anymore. She tried to wake herself up, but she was too deep in her sleep. She tried to think of something, but to her delight one of the village's strongest came to defend the tree. She swung her sword with such grace and power, it could be confused for dancing. Thrust, parry, she evaded everything they swung at her, but why was the grey-eyed man not using his wind talent? 

     Her sword, long and thin, seemed to stretch forever, making one lose their footing and manage to cut the blonde one's ankles. Quickly as they were fazed, she tied their hands and feet. She worked fast to create incisions on their limbs so it would be a painful struggle. Fiore heard them curse at her, but the warrior paid them no mind and asked two more women to drag them back, but she felt something was wrong, these two were planning something. Fiore again panicked as she tried to wake herself up until she realized the only way was to destroy this form.  She could be conscious in two places at once, so she picked up a stick, sharpened it, and pointed it at her neck. She was scared, she did like pain, and she'd rather overreact when it came to her own body than place others in danger. She put the sharp stick on a tree, positioned herself, she could feel her heart pounding in her head, and threw herself to her death. Her neck was violently torn open, blood spewed without end, her eyes watering from the pain she was enduring, keeping her screams in. Her eyes became clouded. Darkness again.

     Fiore woke up in a cold sweat, her breathing was heavy and her mind in a bundle, yet she snapped back to reality when she felt the ground rumble. She ran, tears still in her eyes.

      

     Nyssa walked to the outskirts of the town, he saw three of the warrior women dragging two men closer and a bit of blood trailing behind. He had already connected what happened and he sighed. He thought of Fiore, "I hope she doesn't find out about this". He oversaw the two men who were tied up on the ground. Nyssa then felt the air whistling, but the direction was unclear. he then felf a rumbling from behind, as he turned he saw something coming at a sonic speed. He squinted and saw his daughter, he sighed in disbelief, "We must've woken her up", he thought. He waved at her but saw her expression twist, looking behind him. 

      The grey-eyed man saw they were all distracted and took advantage of it, he swiftly managed to free one of his hands, his eyes bitter. Ignoring the pain, he thrust the wind blade forward and stabbed Nyssa through the back.

     Fiore felt so far away, her heart sinking as she reached out to her father in vain. Horrified as she saw the man pounce on her father, and an aching in her center began to bubble. Her vines burst through the ground under them, but instead of apprehending the man, she stabbed him through. She felt every layer of skin, meat, and bone as if her hand had reached his body. The softness of each layer as the vines retracted back to her still warm on her skin. Blood seeped through her hands, but her eyes quickly darted to the second man freeing himself amidst her frenzy. He saw his partner's lifeless body at his side, but his attention quickly fixated on Fiore. 

     That tired look turned to a pleasant expression, the blood on her hands turned to roses, and her dirty clothes became a satin gown. A beautiful girl walked toward him, her sweet scent luring him in, breaking down his barriers as her hands clutched his throat. It was painful to feel her nails piercing through his skin, but it was also euphoric to sense her touch. His eyes rolled back, a smile plastered on his face as his thoughts were filled only with her image. 

     Fiore could hear her heart beating in her ears, her frustration and exhaustion at its peak. Her grip became tighter as her disgust multiplied with his expression. His face was something out of nightmares, nothing like Louie described. He almost looked like he was thanking Fiore for even touching him. Fiore's mind went blank, tears running down her face, she couldn't control her strength as she felt something slimy on her hands, but she just kept squeezing. She just wanted everything to disappear.

     Then, on her shoulder, she felt a warm touch bring her back, "Fiore, stop!", it was her father's voice that finally reached her. Asphodel flowers were blooming all around her, her hands stained red, and her feet pierced through with thorns. She quickly backed away from the body under her, finally processing the carnage. She was horrified. Fiore saw her father beside her, his side was bloody, but he looked fine. She began to reach out, trying to find some type of solace, but he flinched.  "Am I scaring you", she thought, but then saw the full view of her hands.

     She felt herself comprehending her situation, and a singular word came to mind, 'Monster'. The word felt right at that moment and it stung. Fiore closed her eyes for a moment then stood, her meltdown seeming like a farce to those watching, but not to her father. She waved her hand toward the bodies, the soil, grass, and roots slowly dragging them down until the scene was clean except for Fiore. She looked at the women in front of her, addressing them. "I will be away for some time, please follow the plans I left in my tent if you have further questions rely on the village chief. Also, please attend to my father's wound". The women smiled and bowed, however, Nyssa kept staring. The worry grew on his face as he tried to follow his daughter, but he was held back by everyone adhering to the Celestial's order. He made a mistake, and he didn't know how to fix it. 

     A month passed and Nyssa awoke at the crack of dawn, doing his routine. He prepared a loaf of bread, jam, and a container of milk he packed it in a basket and made his way to Renata's grave site. The journey felt smoother than before as if the village and his house had somehow gotten closer. He reached the the resting place and standing guard were bundles of thorns circling the tree. At a certain point, the thorns turned to Nyssa, but they did not attack. Instead, he was pointed to a cacoon on the other side of the tree entangled in the truck and branches. Twisting a knotted thorns moved aside as Nyssa sat beside it. He sighed, trying to find the words, "Dearest I know these days have not been the best and I already know what you've been trying to do. Please, you have to stop, you're going to hurt yourself even more".

      Fiore stayed silent. "Fiore... I'm sorry I may not be what you need but know I will always be there for you, don't doubt that my child". Silence. " Fiore please talk to me. I already lost my wife, I don't want to lose you too", Nyssa pleaded as he placed his hand on the cacoon, cutting his hand. He flinched, but the pain instantly soothed as two hands came out to grab his. Fiore slowly unraveled herself, she looked worn out, her eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in her father's hands.

      She sat next to her father, eating the bread he brought, her eyes looked hollow, yet there was a little gleam behind those rainbow eyes. Nyssa began, trying to fill the silence "When I first met your mother, I will admit I was afraid. Even when we would walk side by side, everyone would stare and see things I couldn't. Then, as I was going to our usual meeting place, I saw that she was being attacked. Around three or four men followed her, and she allowed them to stab her. I was scared, but I still ran to help her, but one of them managed to cut through my arm. Your mother became upset and before I knew it, they all became a cloud of red mist", Nyssa looked up at the tree fondly as he remembered, but as he turned to Fiore, a confused look was plastered on her face. 

     He coughed, "What I am saying is that you are not completely human my child, and I feel you are trying to forsake an important part of yourself because you lost control. So I came to give you this", he handed her an envelope with a royal seal made out of wax. "When I was looking for a way to save your mother, I went to the empire of time. The Orignal Celestial there was the first to pass but the current ruler has been active in trying to help other celestial children for the past couple of years. They host get-togethers for the celestial children and I think you can find something in common with them". 

     Fiore looked at the colors and the diamond on the invitation and she remembered the little boy she met long ago, "Wait, how did this get here". Nyssa snickered. "Dearest, you decimated a kingdom with sentient plants. The empire of Time caught wind of it apparently, but didn't interfere. Something about divine intervention". 

Fiore grew pensive, "Well, I feel it was only a matter of time until someone caught wind of us. I think I'll go, but... mother's grave".

     "The women have been working night and day on the matter, dearest. I think they found a solution for you". Fiore looked at her father with wide eyes, a hopeful expression in her eyes. She leaned on her father's shoulder, her body relaxing after such a long time. The thorns slowly retreated into the ground and Fiore let out a sigh of relief. Nyssa felt this and smiled, it almost felt like they were all together again.