Chapter 64: Memories Sealed in Roots

The flash of darkness slowly dissipated, leaving behind a scene that defied logic. Akihiko, Isabella, and Kael were no longer in the ruined library. They were now in an impossible place: a forest of onyx-black roots twisted around each other, forming corridors and archways that vibrated as if with a pulse.

There was no sky. Only a firmament of flickering shadows, and a dense silence broken occasionally by whispers in forgotten languages. The whole place emanated a sense of waiting... as if the forest knew they had arrived.

The roots crunched lightly beneath their feet, emitting a sound similar to breaking bones. Each step they took was followed by a soft echo, as if something were walking right behind them, never revealing itself.

"We're not in a physical place," Kael murmured, observing the surroundings closely. "This is a projection. A memory anchored in the consciousness of the Tree of Eden."

Akihiko nodded slowly. "A memory... or a judgment."

Echoes of the Fallen

As they walked along paths formed by living roots, they began to hear fragments of voices. Voices that didn't seem to come from outside, but from within their own minds:

"...the Lux Aeterna must not fall into human hands..."

"...Ezra was a mistake..."

"...the fruits should not be consumed..."

Each word came from the roots themselves. As they touched them, the visions intensified: shadows of ancient mafias fighting in forgotten wars, forbidden rituals under the black moon, betrayals sealed in blood, and at the center of it all, the Tree of Eden, growing and devouring everything around it.

Isabella stopped beside a thick root. She placed her hand on it, and her eyes clouded for a moment. She saw a younger version of Ezra, bound, kneeling before a circle of hooded figures offering him a shining fruit. His face reflected terror and denial.

"I don't want this! Don't use me!" Ezra screamed. But the figures sang an ancient chant, ignoring his cries. The fruit was forced to his lips, and a black light enveloped him.

When Isabella came to, she gasped and fell to her knees.

"Ezra wasn't chosen... he was sacrificed," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Akihiko helped her up, frowning. "So... he was a victim too."

At that moment, Akihiko felt a vibration inside him. As if something in his emptiness was reacting to the memory. He touched a nearby root and was drawn into a vision.

He saw a hooded figure watching him. It didn't speak, but its very presence was oppressive. In its hand, it held a black, throbbing seed. And when Akihiko approached, the figure spoke for the first time:

"You are the echo of what should never have germinated."

The vision ended, and Akihiko fell back, trembling. Kael ran to him, helping him to his feet.

"Akihiko! What did you see?!"

"A warning... a damn warning."

The Remembrance Center

At the end of the root trail, they found a circular chamber with a stone altar. Above it, a black seed, the size of a human heart, floated, beating gently. The air vibrated around it, distorting the space.

Kael leaned closer, mesmerized. "This isn't a seed. It's a memory... concentrated. A core of pure truth."

Akihiko stared at her. The emptiness inside him churned violently, as if it wanted to merge with her.

"This... calls me."

Reaching out, he touched the seed, and everything around him trembled.

A figure emerged from the darkness before them: Ezra. Not the current Ezra, but a spectral reflection, young, broken, his eyes filled with fear.

"I shouldn't have agreed..." he murmured. "The Tree... doesn't grant wishes. It only devours them. And if you touch its heart, Akihiko... he will awaken."

The Final Warning

The vision faded, and a voice, ancient and deep, filled the entire space. It spoke not in words, but with pure intention.

"Those who seek the origin of the Tree... must be prepared to face its end."

The roots began to shrink, closing in on them. The forest slowly collapsed, returning them to the library, where only dust remained... and the black seed, now in Akihiko's hands.

Isabella looked at him fearfully. "That thing... it's eating you up!"

Akihiko didn't say anything. He felt like a part of him had gone. That something else had taken its place.

From outside, a distant, guttural sound rose, so deep it shook the building's foundations. A dark murmur carried by the wind said:

"The fruit has been touched... the soul marked... the awakening begins."

Isabella took a step back. "We have to go NOW!"

Akihiko squeezed the seed. And for a brief moment, his eyes turned completely black.

To be continued...