Nine-Naked tree

As Ryuu raised his shimmering dragon sword, the ethereal glow illuminated the twisted branches and dense foliage of the enchanted forest. With Ren injured, time was of the essence, and Ryuu knew that they must navigate out of the forest quickly and carefully.

"We need to get out of here!Follow me" Ryuu called to his crew , gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

"The naked tree" he continued, recalling the escape route. "First, we need to reach the naked tree—it's a landmark. Once we find it, we'll head to the dry river. After the river, we must…"

He trailed off,doubt enveloping his mind. The forest was always filled with trickery and although he had followed that same path every time he had entered the forest, there was no definite path out of the forest.He had been alone and it was possible that the forest had produced the same path according to his mind map. The only thing he considered real was the naked tree. It always stood on the same path, never changing, even if the forest morphed into another scenario.The tree was known for granting wishes but he had never relied on wishes, never in his life . But with his crew, he couldn't solemnly rely on his instincts.

With Ren leaning on Jiro for support and Miko keeping a lookout for any dangers, Ryuu, Hana, and Masaya pushed forward. "Keep your wits about you! We can't afford to get lost," Ryuu reminded everyone, as they stepped into the unknown, the enchanted forest morphing around them. Miko unable to shake the sight of Ren, stood still for a moment. She had never cared much for him,but seeing him hurt in her place made something stir within her. He had always been so cold and she, so hot headed. His sacrifice - why had he chosen to protect her from all the people?.

Ren met her gaze, his expression like Ryuu unreadable, even though he was probably in severe pain. She quickly averted her gaze, avoiding him.

As they pressed forward,Ryuu led his crew on the emerald moss path toward the first checkpoint: the naked tree. Ethereal in appearance, it stood white, tall and proud, its bark shimmering with a soft luminescence that was captivating . Ryuu pointed to its direcrion, and the group moved swiftly towards it, each step resonating with urgency.

Upon reaching the naked tree, its skeletal branches with transparent white leaves seemed to whisper secrets, and Ryuu placed a hand on the trunk, feeling its ancient power. He scanned the area, his heart racing.

As Ryuu stood before the majestic white tree in the heart of the enchanted forest, he felt a surge of ancient energy radiating from its bark, where his hands layed . The weight of the situation hung heavily on his shoulders, as he knew that Ren's life hinged on them getting out of the forest quickly.However, first, the trials awaited him—an unforgiving gauntlet of memories and regrets.

He was enveloped by a dark mist that further darkened and the first trial began as Ryuu was confronted by the specter of a young child, one of the earliest victims during a battle with demons .The scent of blood filled the air,Ryuu stood amidst the bodies. The battlefield stretched endlessly in all directions,and at his feet was small, fragile and lifeless body. The boy's vacant eyes stared up to him, a casuallty of his first battle. The mist shifted and a boy emerged from the black clouds.

"You could have saved me" the child whispered, voice echoing through the void.

Ryuu didn't flinch though, he had seen this before, many a time.

"l know" he said "but l can't undo it"

The child's eyes were wide with fear and sadness, a plea for understanding and his lips quivered as if searching for another accusations but the scene was already fading.

Smoke coiled through the air and a burning village appeared around him. Homes had been reduced to embers and cries of the dying emerged from the crackling fire. The, the mist swirled and he encountered an older man, a village elder whose life had been taken during a brutal skirmish.

And there stood before him, was the village elder, who had begged Ryuu to surrender, to spare them all.

"You doomed us" the elder rasped, his face hollow and betrayal written all over his wrinkled face.

"We could have lived"

Ryuu met his gaze, unshaken,

"And if l had surrendered, we would have died on our knees"

Flames flickered, consuming the elder's form, leaving behind nothing but ash.

It was a test of his resolve and morality—did he stood as a protector or a harbinger of destruction

The last trial, a familiar figure emerged from the darkness, he was confronted by his own past self—a reflection of the boy he once was, filled with dreams of heroism and peace. This younger version, wrapped in innocence unscarred by time, full of recklessness ambition , now looked at Ryuu with disappointment and disbelief.

"You've became heartless" his younger self sneered at him. "Do you feel nothing "

Ryuu exhaled, his expression unreadable.

" l feel it all" he murmured "but l no longer let it control me"

He closed his eyes, remembering that this was just an illusion . The forest kept repeating the same illusions. The first time, he had been shaken to the core and the illusions had weighed heavily in his heart. However to move forward, he had managed to accept that his journey had shaped him, but did not define him entirely.

After traversing the depths of his memory and confronting the specters of his past, Ryuu emerged from the mist , his hand was still on the cool, smooth bark, feeling its energy coursing through him. As the illusion shattered, dissolving into the night , he approached the white tree once more, stronger in spirit and clarity. "I've faced my past," he declared , his voice steady. "I wish to be shown the way"

The tree shimmered softly, its leaves glowing like stars against the twilight. A gentle, ethereal voice whispered through the air, like the rustling of leaves " every action has its consequence. Choose wisely moving forward.The way is through the stone"

Suddenly, a warm light enveloped the area, swirling around them. They felt the energy washing over them and the forest morphing into another different scenario, the shadows peeled back and revealed a path that had not been there before.

As the light faded, Ryuu lowered his hand and looked around at his companions. They were looking at the stone archway.The arch had a life of its own, it's jagged edges molding and reforming as they approached. "It's changing!" Ren exclaimed , gritting his teeth against the pain. Ryuu solidified his resolve. "Stay together! Follow my lead!"

Pushing through the archway, the forest began to play tricks on their minds—images of their fears materializing in the swirling shadows. Visions of past failures flickered through thier mind, leading them momentarily astray.Ryuu stumbled but caught himself and shook the illusions off like water. "Focus!" he commanded, his voice strong. "Think of our mission !"

Navigating past the archway, they soon reached the foggy bridge. The dense fog enveloped them, obscuring their view and distorting their senses.

As they neared the middle of the bridge, Ryuu saw the shadows rising , whispering doubts.Jiro, his face pale suddenly stopped, his breath catching in his throat. Before him, a vision began to take form-his parents standing just beyond the bridge, thier smile kind but sad. He knew that it was trickery yet he couldn't stop his heart from clenching and the guilt that he had buried inside so deep from resurfacing again. They hadn't deserved to die but he had failed them. 'It should've been me,' he thought. He wanted to reach out to them and apologise.

Miko ran back to hold onto Ren as Jiro who had been assisting him had been trapped in an illusion.She skidded to a halt besides Ren, her breath ragged. His body was trembling,the wound staining his clothes a deep crimson. She knelt, wrapping her arms around him, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest.