The Woman Beneath the Tree

Toshi felt the burning sensation within his body slowly diminish, as if the smoldering embers of a bonfire were cooling beneath a dusk-streaked sky. Every inhalation caught in his throat while time itself seemed to pause, each fleeting moment marking the sudden disintegration of his very existence—halted in an instant as if the fabric of his being were crumbling into dust.

Then—light.

Without warning, a dazzling burst of brilliance erupted from an unseen source, enveloping him in its scorching radiance. This was no wild, destructive blaze nor the wild surge of untamed Energy; rather, it was a gentle warmth imbued with a comforting promise—a familiarity that stirred even the most long-forgotten memories in the recesses of his mind.

Compelled by instinct, Toshi clamped his eyes shut against the harsh luminescence, plunging him into a suspended moment where only silence existed—a vast, endless void of unfathomable nothingness that stretched far beyond the limits of comprehension.

Then—he sensed the solidity of the ground beneath him.

As his eyes fluttered open, the world reassembled itself into a magnificent kaleidoscope of shapes and hues that gradually sharpened into focus. No longer was he confined within the oppressive chill of a dark cave or cast adrift in a limitless, indifferent void. Now, he found himself gently leaning against the rugged trunk of a solitary tree atop an expansive hill. Before him unfolded an emerald-green field—a living tapestry where every individual blade of grass seemed to murmur softly under the tender caress of a mild, whispering breeze. The air was pristinely fresh, carrying the purity reminiscent of the very first, unspoiled breath of a burgeoning, untouched world. Overhead, a flawless, boundless expanse of blue stretched magnificently, unmarred by even the faintest wisp of a cloud.

Slowly, Toshi lowered his gaze to examine his body, a peculiar blend of eerie relief and awe mingling in his chest. His arm, once reduced to cold, lifeless ash, had been miraculously restored to its former wholeness. Yet, a disquieting anomaly persisted—his missing hand had not returned. A subtle movement of his remaining fingers betrayed his inner realization, and as he flexed the empty space where his hand once was, he encountered nothing but a haunting void—a stark absence of muscle, warmth, or familiar flesh.

A dense fog of bewilderment and growing questions enveloped him, pressing heavily upon his thoughts like storm-laden clouds. Where was he? How had he arrived in such an unfamiliar, mysterious place?

Before these questions could drown him in despair, a gentle, mellifluous voice broke through the silence.

At that moment, Toshi's body tensed as though struck by an unseen, silent force.

From far within the depths of the pristine, dreamlike landscape surrounding him, a voice called out. It pierced the haze of his confusion, clear and undeniable.

"Ru… you finally came."

Four simple words carried such immense weight that they seemed to press upon Toshi with an overwhelming intensity. The utterance swept across the field like a gust of wind, deftly unraveling his certainties and igniting a tempest of repressed memories within him. Who was Ru? How could this presence, unseen and unknown, speak with such intimate familiarity? The name echoed in his mind, and his heart raced as if chasing after the fleeting, elusive shadows of a half-remembered past. An unexplained chill clawed at his spine, and a strange mix of anticipation and unease knotted deeply in his core. More questions than answers now crowded his thoughts, but one thing was clear: the voice knew him, and it was calling him back to something long lost and forgotten.

The voice itself was soft yet resonated with an achingly familiar cadence, stirring deep emotions within him. His breath caught, and as he slowly turned his head in measured motion, his eyes searched the surroundings until they found the source.

Just a few feet away, near the gnarled, sprawling roots of the ancient tree, stood a woman. Draped in flowing white robes that billowed gracefully in the warm, captivating breeze, each fold of her garment seemed to mimic the serene undulations of a tranquil sea. Her long hair cascaded down her back in shimmering strands of silver, each filament catching the gentle light as though spun from the very essence of moonbeams. Her eyes, bright and penetrating, held secrets older than time—mysterious depths filled with wisdom and enigma that defied simple understanding.

Her gaze locked onto his with an intensity that sent a subtle shiver coursing down his spine—a complex interplay of warmth, infinite patience, and an indescribable emotion that stirred something profound within his heart.

Toshi's pulse thundered in his ears, each beat echoing a silent, unspoken recognition. It was her— the enigmatic woman whose name and alluring beckon had haunted his dreams like a distant melody in the stillness of night.

Desperate to speak, Toshi parted his lips, yet no words emerged. His mind swirled in a vortex of incredulity and wonder, aching to ask her who she was; however, before the question could take shape, she offered him an enigmatic smile—a knowing, elusive smile—as she continued speaking.

Startled, her words broke his silent reverie and caught him off guard.

Toshi blinked in confusion. "…What?" he managed to whisper, the question barely containing his perplexity.

Her smile remained serenely unfaltering as she proceeded, "You came here to learn how to control Energy, didn't you?"

A surge of tension rippled through his body as his mind grappled for comprehension. How could she possibly perceive the secret quest that lay hidden within him? The seemingly simple inquiry struck him with an intense force, as though she had already unraveled every secret truth he carried.

After a weighted moment of silence, he offered the sole answer that resonated within him. "Yes."

Her smile widened imperceptibly, though her eyes betrayed neither surprise nor curiosity. It was as if she had anticipated his response all along, the certainty of her knowledge etched deeply within her gaze.

As the gentle wind shifted and danced around them, Toshi's chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths, his thoughts drifting amidst the sudden hush. The woman's expression remained calm, her serene demeanor imbued with an ethereal certainty that seemed to make the world around them pause.

"Then you've come to the right place," she stated simply, her voice imbued with an unwavering assurance that resonated deeply within him—a quiet proclamation that affirmed his destiny.

Toshi's fingers instinctively pressed into the verdant grass beneath him, grounding him as his eyes stayed fixed upon her luminous presence. Unbidden questions swirled within his mind—Who was she truly? What ancient mysteries did she safeguard within her enigmatic soul?

Before the thought could dissipate into mere silent wonder, she inquired further.

"Tell me… how much do you know about Energy?"

He swallowed hard, gathering his scattered thoughts into structured clarity. Recalling every word that Ikaris had once imparted upon him, he began to recount the profound truths: that Energy was not merely power, but the very authority over the delicate fabric of reality; that each action taken with Energy demanded an inevitable, inescapable cost; that its essence was less about sheer force than about the intricate art of coaxing the very world to heed its soft, whispered commands.

The woman listened with deliberate, measured patience, her head tilting ever so slightly as she nodded with quiet acknowledgement as each fragment of his recollection found a place in her understanding.

And then, as his tale drew its final breath, she laughed—a soft, melodious chuckle that sent a riveting, unexpected shiver cascading down his spine. It was a sound that was gentle, neither mocking nor cruel, yet infused with a depth of knowing that transcended the ordinary.

"Then you still have much to learn," she mused, her head tilting in a gesture reminiscent of pondering an ancient, unsolvable riddle.

Toshi's eyes narrowed as a cautious determination took root. "What does that mean?" he asked, his voice edged with both curiosity and a subtle hint of frustration.

The woman paused, her enigmatic smile lingering as if it protected a timeless secret—refusing to yield all that it harbored in one fleeting moment.

That steadfast, mysterious smile unsettled him deeply, as though she had been patiently awaiting his arrival for ages, her anticipation spanning the continuum of time—knowing him long before he had taken his first tentative step into this radically transformed reality.