My world-tree system-Chapter 99 - 98: Learning to merge

Under the silvery glow of the moon, silence continued to hover around the sleeping lake. The Vollua forest seemed to be holding its breath, as if it knew what was going to happen here tonight.

Foster, still seated at the water’s edge, was cross-legged, palms open in his lap. Opposite him, Xor’venhaal had folded his wings, lowered his massive head until their eyes were level.

Their eyes met, intense, determined.

- I’m ready," Foster said in a calm voice, despite the turmoil in his chest.

- No," replied Xor’venhaal, his voice echoing in the elf’s mind.

- But we’ll try.

Foster closed his eyes.

And with a shared breath...

They released their minds.

The world shifted.

Everything became light, then lightlessness. The limits of flesh faded, sensations stretched like sails in a burning wind.

Foster blinked.

He stood... on nothing.

A white, infinite void, with no ground, no sky. And yet, he felt like he was walking. To breathe.

He looked down at his hands. They were still there. But sharper. More... real.

It was him, and it wasn’t him. His spiritual avatar, a projection of his innermost self.

- Xor...?

A huge silhouette formed a few meters away. Xor’venhaal appeared slowly, sculpted by the light itself. His draconic body less tangible, more vaporous, but his golden eyes still shone with that ancient intensity.

- Welcome to the inner threshold. Here, there are no more lies. Just... who we are.

Foster breathed in, looking around.

- It’s empty.

- No. It’s pure. And to merge, you have to purify yourself.

They faced each other. Xor’venhaal slowly raised a foreleg. Foster did the same.

Their goal was simple: to touch.

But it wasn’t just touching.

It meant accepting the total presence of the other. Accepting that another will touches yours. Let another spirit penetrate your spirit.

And that, the body, the soul... didn’t accept so easily.

Foster took a step. So did Xor’venhaal.

- Shall we?

- Together.

They took one step forward. Then another.

A few centimeters apart, Foster held out his hand. Xor’venhaal brought his clawed paw closer.

But just as their limbs were about to brush against each other... something exploded.

A rejection. Brutal. Instinctive.

Foster flew backwards, thrown like a disjointed puppet.

He fell violently to the non-existent ground, breathless.

- By the roots... What was that?!

- Your spirit has rejected you. Mine too.

- You saw me as an intruder. I saw you as a threat.

Foster sat up slowly, trembling.

- It wasn’t... intentional.

- It’s always like that.

The dragon approached slowly.

- Accepting another consciousness is like opening a door in which you’ve always been alone. Suddenly, someone huge wants to get in. It’s normal for everything to scream "no".

- Let’s do it again," says Foster, getting to his feet.

And they did it again.

Second attempt.

Foster breathed deeply, calming his heartbeat.

They moved on. More slowly this time. Their fingers, their minds... ready to touch.

And at the moment of contact...

An excruciating pain rose in his skull. Memories he didn’t recognize. Screams. Fire. Dying dragons. Children’s eyes crying in the ruins. The chaos of a war he’d never experienced.

- This... this isn’t mine...!" Foster moaned, stepping back with his head in his hands.

- These are my memories," murmured Xor’venhaal, calmly.

- The next test is to accept what is not yours. To carry a story that isn’t yours.

Foster fell to his knees, panting.

- You... carry all this? Have you always?

- Since the inheritance, yes.

Third attempt.

Foster had prepared himself. He’d meditated. He had visualized. He had accepted.

They moved toward each other, slowly.

Foster opened his mind, willingly this time. He let fear in. The pain. Xor’venhaal’s rage. The centuries of loneliness. The losses. The searing memories of past battles.

But he didn’t waver.

And Xor’venhaal, in return, welcomed Foster’s guilt. His fear of failure. His regrets. His mistakes. His shame. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Their fingers - palm against claw - brushed against each other.

And contact was made.

A flash.

Both their bodies were pierced by a wave of light. They saw themselves, projected into each other, in a series of mental echoes. Two hearts beating in a single rhythm. Two breaths mingling.

Merging... no, attuning.

Then, just before their union was complete... Xor’venhaal interrupted the link.

- Stop. We can’t go through with this. Not right now.

Foster withdrew his hand, trembling.

- Why?!

- Because once we’re done, there’s no turning back. And you’re not ready to say goodbye to your individuality yet.

Foster took a deep breath. His heart was pounding.

- No... not yet. But the day I have to... I want it to be our choice. Not fear.

Xor’venhaal bowed his head.

- And when that day comes, you’ll know exactly what to do. You’re ready, Foster. Now you know the way.

They opened their eyes.

Back by the lake, under the stars, trembling but alive.

The sun was just breaking through the morning mist when Foster, still scarred by the intensity of the previous day, enjoyed a rare moment of calm at the top of a natural balcony carved into the very trunk of the Mother Tree. The light wind glided over his skin, carrying with it the scents of moss, fresh sap and life. He had spent the night meditating, assimilating his training with Xor’venhaal, and pondering all that lay ahead.

The fragile peace of Vollua was but a heartbeat before the storm.

And then... he felt it. Even before he heard her coming.

Lïanna.

Her presence was gentle, yet imbued with an ancient vegetal force, a wisdom rooted deep in the world. She climbed the last steps with a rustle of leaves and dress, coming to a halt behind him.

- Foster," she said softly.

He turned and smiled at her.

She wore a long, pale emerald-green dress, sewn with golden threads that seemed to catch the light and redistribute it around her like a living aura. Her face, usually serene, was crossed by a gentle but palpable tension. Not worry, no. Just calm concentration. A certainty.

- Can you feel anything?" he asked immediately.

Lïanna smiled, but it was a tender, soothing smile.

- Nothing dangerous. Nothing hostile. But yes... I do. The baby... it’s ready. It’s mature. It’s time to give birth.

Foster froze, then felt his heart beat faster in his chest.

- Already? But it’s only been...

- A few moons, yes," she interrupted. But time doesn’t pass in the ordinary way for the children of the World Tree. She’s ready, Foster. She wants to come out. She’s growing inside me like an overripe bud, and magic is sustaining her.

Foster straightened up, mechanically wiping his hands against his tunic.

- Then let’s not keep a lady waiting. I’ll fetch Orëlas.

A few minutes later, all three were gathered in the great Hall of Life, a sacred sanctuary nestled in the very trunk of the Mother Tree. Long, translucent roots snaked along the walls, pulsing with soft, almost breathing light.

Wide-eyed Orëlas stood beside Foster, looking both excited and nervous.

- Is it now?" he asked breathlessly.

- Yes," replied Foster, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. You’re about to witness the birth of your little sister.

Lïanna lay down in the center of the sacred circle, her eyes closed, her arms resting on her chest. A green, almost liquid light began to emanate from her belly, intensifying in regular pulses.

Foster slowly activated his avatar state, his golden tattoos gradually appearing on his skin, shimmering like ancient runes. He closed his eyes and deployed his life magic, channeling the seed buried within Lïanna, nourishing her, guiding her.

An ancient chant rose from his lips, low, deep, almost inaudible. The air around them grew denser, charged with intention, with creation.

Orëlas remained silent, fascinated, his hand clutching his pendant.

And then... she was born.

In a silent explosion of green light, Lïanna’s belly lit up, then calmed. A soft, warm root sprang up slowly, like an outstretched hand, and gently deposited a small form on the moss carpet of the sanctuary.

A child.

She appeared to be barely a few months old, although she had just been born. Her skin was a velvety light beige, her fine silver hair already long for her age. But it was her eyes that captured the moment.

Large violet eyes, with an almost unreal sparkle, opened.

And she stared at him.

Foster.

He immediately felt a strange discharge, like an electric shiver running down his spine. He froze, his breathing suspended.

- It’s... strange," he murmured.

Then the little girl slowly raised her arms.

And the unthinkable happened.

Before he had time to react, Foster felt an invisible force lift him abruptly from the ground.

- Wh... what?!

He floated for a moment, suspended like a leaf in the wind... before being thrown backwards with considerable force. His back hit a wall of foam, his breath caught, his legs in the air, his arms flailing.

A crystalline laugh arose.

Not an adult laugh.

A little laugh. Light, joyful, impertinent.

The child was laughing.

And now she was stretching out her arms towards Orëlas.

The young elf, still in a daze, approached cautiously, arms outstretched.

- Hey, you... you’re quite a little rascal already, aren’t you?

The little girl chirped, and when he took her in his arms, she immediately snuggled up to him, all smiles.

- Well, little sister, you’ve got a grip, haven’t you!" said Orëlas, laughing softly. A mischievous one, I tell you!

Foster, still lying on his back, coughed as he straightened up, his hair a mess and his clothes covered in pollen.

- Well... for a surprise, this is one... he said, rubbing his ribs. I think she likes me already.

Lïanna, still lying down, slowly opened her eyes, her gaze serene.

- She reacted to your magic. That’s rare.

Foster shook his head, an amused smile on his lips despite the pain in his back.

- Rare, yes. But with that kind of temperament, I have a feeling she’s going to do great things.

He approached Orëlas, gently stroking the child’s hair, who stretched out her little hands towards him again... but this time with an almost knowing look.

- Welcome, little girl..." he murmured.

- She’s already found her place," Lïanna said softly, her voice full of emotion.