A wet cloth presses against my forehead. The hum of a low conversation buzzes behind my ears. The world returns in waves: heat, pressure, the weight of my limbs like they’re filled with stones. My throat is dry. My eyes ache. I try to shift and feel my body protest.

“She’s awake,” a voice says gently. 

I forced my eyes open. My father, sitting beside me, worries etched deep into his expression. His eyes are red-rimmed, and his coat is wrinkled like he hasn’t left the room in hours. Maybe longer. My vision is hazy, but I see the way his hand shakes as he brushes hair from my damp forehead.

“Hey,” he says softly. “Don’t move too fast. Your body’s recovering.”

I swallowed and felt the heat still lingering beneath my skin. And I looked up at him—his tired eyes, his shaking hands—and for a moment, the fear fades. But that feeling from the dream still lingers. 

We are one in the same. One and the same? Is she saying we're the same person? 

Whose life was I really living? Mine or hers.The room was dim and warm, lit only by the soft amber glow of enchanted lanterns. I stirred, slowly returning to consciousness. My limbs felt heavy—my skin slick with sweat and my breath shallow. The memories from the awakening flickered behind my  eyes like flames.

My father sat beside me, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, his brows knitted in concern. At the sound of me stirring, his head snapped up.

“Rena,” he said, standing quickly, "it's great to see you’re awake.”

I tried to speak, but my voice came out as a dry rasp. Another figure approached the bedside. A tall man with rust-colored hair tied back neatly at the base of his neck. His robes were a smooth slate-gray, embroidered with shimmering green and silver sigils. A golden purple crest was pinned near his collar—my father's sigil. 

That sigil is posted damn near everywhere at this estate.

“I’m glad to see your eyes open,” the man said gently. “You gave us all a scare.”

“Gabriel,” my father said, glancing between them. “He’s the family's personal physician, as well as a highly trained healing mage. ”

Gabriel offered me a respectful nod. “I’ve served the Duke since before you were born. And I’ve never seen him look as rattled as he did an hour ago…. Well other than your mother”

I blinked slowly, my  body still heavy with exhaustion.

Gabriel held out a silver cup. “Water, laced with a light stabilizing tincture. It’ll help your mana settle.”

I took it with trembling fingers and drank. It tasted faintly of herbs and minerals, like spring water running over stone.

“You’re strong,” Gabriel said, observing me carefully. “And lucky. Most who endure what you just went through would still be unconscious—or worse. That mana surge could've ripped you to pieces”

I tried to sit up, but my father gently pressed my shoulder.

“Easy,” he said. “Let him explain.”

Gabriel folded his hands behind his back, stepping into the soft light. “Your mana,” he began, “is... extraordinary. Dense, like your father’s. But raw—untouched, unshaped. It’s been dormant your whole life, buried beneath instinct and survival. That forest kept you alive—but it also starved your magic. So when your father introduced his mana into your system, it triggered a defensive response..which usually occurs during a awakening but not as intense”

I almost died again.

He looked at me seriously.

“Your body didn’t know it was him. All it knew was: something powerful was breaking in. So your mana reacted… violently. It saw him as a threat. Understandable since it knows nothing else.”

My eyes widened slightly. “But… he’s my father.”

Gabriel gave a faint smile. “Magic doesn’t care about bloodlines. Only familiarity. And your mana has never felt another’s touch before.” he laughs sheepishly. “ You have virgin mana. Raw, unkept and strong like nature.”

My father shifted uncomfortably, guilt flickering behind his stern features.

“It was supposed to be gentle,” he muttered. “I didn’t realize how intense the response would be.”

I hope he's not feeling guilty. He has nothing to feel guilty about how he was supposed to know that was going to happen. It's not your fault so don't put yourself down.

Gabriel nodded. “You did what you thought was best. And it worked… barely. Let’s be honest if it was a regular mage or even me. Her mana would have ripped them to pieces .Your average will suffer from mana poisoning.”

My breath trembled. “So what now?”

Gabriel stepped forward, his tone calm but firm. “Now, we take it slow. You rest. For at least three days. No spells. No channeling. No runework. You’ve survived the floodgate opening—but your control is nonexistent. If you try anything right now, you could shatter yourself from the inside or someone else. Your mana is like a new born fragile yet also unstable like a sink hole ready to collapse.”

My father’s hand tightened on mine.

Gabriel continued, “After that, I’ll begin your training. Personally. It’s not safe to let someone with your mana level walk into Acreon untrained. You’d draw attention. Dangerous attention.”

I met his gaze. “Why help me?”

Gabriel smiled. “Because I work for your father. And I also know your mother, we all went to Acreon.” I exhaled softly, eyelids already growing heavy again.

The conversation faded into quiet as sleep pulled at me once more. But Gabriel’s final words lingered in my ears, even as my mind slipped into dreams: "Your magic is powerful, Rena. But power without mastery is a blade without a hilt. Let’s make sure you can hold it.” The room fell quiet as Gabriel gave a respectful bow and stepped out, the soft click of the door echoing in the silence he left behind.

Does everyone here talk in riddles?

Now it was just me and my father. He sat back down beside me, rubbing his hand over his face. I could tell he hadn’t slept—not really. Not while I was unconscious. His jaw tensed, eyes lingering somewhere distant, as if replaying something in his mind.

“When your mother mentioned your mana… ‘like father,’” he said suddenly, trying to laugh, but it didn’t land. The bitterness laced in his voice was hard to ignore. “Raw. Dense. Powerful. Destructive.  Just like me…” He shook his head.

“Did she know from the beginning? Is that why she left? Did she see this coming? The danger?” His words tumbled out, low and weary, no longer directed at me, but at the ghosts only he could see.

I wanted to say something, to try to answer his questions, to tell him I didn’t blame her or him—but my body was still too weak, and sleep was clawing at the edges of my mind. My eyes shut, but my ears stayed open just a bit longer.

But I wonder the same things as you. What was her plan? Is this all fate?

“I’ll burn this nation down before I let them use you,” he muttered, voice sharp with quiet fury. “As a tool… or worse.”

I slipped fully into sleep, his words echoing in my mind like a protective oath wrapped in fire. I see her again. Her. Rena.

Not watching from the corners or walking beside me like before. But inside, within. Her memories are layered under mine. Mine are soaked with hers. We’ve become indistinguishable. Thoughts echo twice. Feelings are mirrored. Two girls. One soul. A strange kind of unity. Terrifying and comforting at the same time.

We are one…. We are one. I know you just as you know me. It's strange because this is my first time meeting you Rena.

The stream gurgles quietly beside me. I’m alone now.I rise to my feet and follow the water downstream, letting it guide me through the trees. At first, everything is familiar. Safe. The forest is soft and green, dappled in golden light. But the deeper I walk, the darker it becomes. The trees start to shift.

Branches stretch unnaturally, leaves whisper in languages I can’t understand. The ground beneath my feet warps slightly with each step—tilting, twisting—like the dream is alive. Watching. I turn around.

In the distance, I see the cabin, warm and gentle. The stream sparkles like silver ribbon. Home. Safety. I should go back. I want to go back. But when I turn to run… I don’t move forward. I move backward. Faster. Faster. The trees whip past me, their shadows stretching long and sharp. I’m running but going nowhere—until I’m let go. I break through something unseen and stumble into a blinding light. The world is colorless and infinite. Just a wide, open white void. And in the middle of it stands a tree. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

It's mesmerizing. So inviting that it's scary.

The trunk is smooth and glowing, almost like the crystal from my father’s awakening chamber—only larger, more alive. The leaves shimmer in impossible hues: golds, deep blues, vibrant greens, glowing reds. The branches catch the light like glass, refracting color in every direction.

It is beautiful. A beautiful crystal gem tree.

My body urges me to run, but something stronger compels me forward. I walk, even as pressure builds inside me—like my bones are resonating with the tree’s presence. The closer I get, the larger the tree becomes. It expands, shifting, growing with each step—stretching into the sky, its roots twisting into the ground like veins. It feels like time bends here.

The light intensifies. My breath catches.

My mind whispers: This is the source. This is where everything begins… or ends.

I finally reached the tree. Up close, it is impossibly massive—its trunk as wide as two towering buildings pressed together, and its height… limitless. It disappears into the clouds above, like it’s trying to pierce the heavens themselves. I feel like an ant at its roots. As I circle one of the enormous roots, I notice something strange. A door.

It’s embedded into the base of the tree, carved with the same crystalline texture as the trunk, glowing softly with veins of light pulsing through it like a heartbeat. Without hesitation—maybe because this is a dream—I reach for the handle and push it open. Inside is a staircase, curling like a serpent upward into shadows. Each step is made of the same shimmering crystal, humming gently under my feet. I place one hand on the wall to balance myself and begin the climb.

The journey feels endless. Up and up I go. There’s no beginning anymore. No end. Just the quiet sound of my steps and the constant swirl of dreams behind my eyelids. Eventually, I passed a small window carved into the wall. Curious, I peek out.

I’m so high up that I can now see the outer branches—thick, twisting limbs that span across the sky like bridges. Nestled in one of them is a massive gem, almost the size of a pumpkin. Its surface shimmers with an internal light.

Inside the gem… something moves. A blurry image or video plays, though I can’t quite tell what it is. It shifts like smoke underwater. Faces. Places. Maybe memories. Maybe not.

I blink and look away, unnerved. I continue upward. Another window.

This time, the view has changed. The branches are more numerous—thicker, more entangled. A small forest in the sky. Scattered among them are more gems. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.

Each one plays something different.

Some glow brighter than others. Some are dull. Some are no larger than an apple. Others tower like lanterns. None of them are clear—every vision blurs just before I can understand it.

I poke my head out, daring to glance downward. My stomach flips. The height is dizzying, and the ground is a hazy blur far below. I pull back in and look up again. Even more gems hover above me. Countless. Infinite. Each one flickering, glowing, shifting. Each one hiding. Eventually, I took a seat on the stairs.

My legs ache, and my lungs feel full of something thick and humming—like I’ve been walking through magic itself. The crystal under me is warm, the way sunlight feels when it kisses your skin through the trees. A steady vibration pulses beneath me, as if the tree is alive... breathing... watching.

The longer I sit, the more I feel it. Energy. Living energy—radiating up through the stairs, into my bones, my veins. It soothes me and stirs something all at once. But I don’t stop for long.

I push forward, the endless staircase spiraling ever upward until another window appears. This time, I didn't look down. I look up—searching, hoping to glimpse the top of this divine thing.

I was wrong to expect one.

There is no end. Just more branches stretching infinitely above, more glowing gems, each one caught in the knots and cradles of this celestial tree. The sky doesn’t even feel like the sky anymore. It is the tree.

Then—something catches my eye. A single gem… glowing brighter than the rest. It hovers high above on a branch that extends like a bridge into open space. Its glow is mesmerizing—deep royal purple wrapped in shimmers of green and gold. It pulses. It calls. I lean out the window to get a better look, instinctively checking if I can crawl through it.

My hands freeze on the sill. I hesitate. Falling from this height… there's no telling what would happen. Even in a dream. But then I notice the branch—thick, sturdy, and wide enough to walk across if I’m careful. It stretches out and curves upward… straight toward the gem. Tempting. 

I made my choice. I climb through the window slowly, carefully—legs first, then easing my weight through until I’m crouched on the branch like a cat. The wind rushes gently past my face. Below, the world is a void of clouds and colored lights. I gulp, steadying myself.

One foot in front of the other. The branch sways subtly, as if testing me. I shift my weight forward, creeping toward the gem, keeping my balance as best I can. And there it is.

The gem hovers just overhead now—glowing, humming, spinning slightly. I reach up. Too high.I stretch, stumble, nearly slip—but catch myself. Again, I reach. My fingers graze its smooth surface. Wiggle. It moves.

I reach again, heart racing. Wiggle. Snap. The gem breaks loose from its hold.

Time slows.

I lunge, try to catch it—but instinct pulls me back. Not at the cost of falling. It slips past my fingers and disappears below. My breath catches. I brace for the sound of it shattering—imagining glass, crystal, magic exploding into pieces. But I don’t hear that.

Instead...

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water.

I'm sure you guys have already notice... maybe... but i did a few tweeks some additions.... changes. You might have to start over from the begining... if your want.... Your choice. 11/05/25 (posted date)