A Few Days After the Sacred Land Was Chosen — The Whisper of the Young Tree
A few days had passed since Akio and Sylvia had identified the "sacred land that should become the village’s center" and shared their awe with the others. Now, Akio returned to that spot with Sylvia once more. As he began drafting the plans for the village, he wanted to physically reconnect with the energy of that place—its very heart.
But there, Akio noticed something strange.
“… That’s odd. Sylvia, it’s here, right? This is where we felt the heartbeat of the earth.”
Despite the surrounding area being lush with greenery, the very center point—marked precisely by Sylvia—was a bare, circular patch a few meters in diameter. It looked as if it had been deliberately cleared. Not a single blade of grass grew there. The same spot where they had once felt an overwhelming vitality was now... empty.
“Yes, this is definitely the place,” Sylvia said with a furrowed brow, gazing curiously at the bare ground. She then lay down on her stomach once more, urging Akio to do the same. Together, they pressed their ears to the earth, listening.
The powerful pulse of the land was still there, just as before. But Sylvia sensed something else—something new.
“Akio…” she said, raising her head, her expression suddenly serious. “It’s not coming from here… It’s deeper. From far within the forest—something is calling to me. To us. And it feels like it’s pleading… pleading with us to use it.”
Following the sensation Sylvia described, the two of them began to trace the faint presence leading them away from the “empty sacred ground” and into the depths of the forest. The path they followed wasn’t an animal trail—it was more like a sacred passage, as if spirits themselves had carved it.
Eventually, the trees opened slightly, allowing gentle sunlight to spill down upon a small, serene clearing. At the very center of that light, they found it.
A “tiny sapling,” thinner than a finger, stood proudly. It had only a few fresh green leaves, and at its tip, a newly sprouted bud shimmered delicately. At a glance, it might seem like an ordinary young tree—but Sylvia could feel it: the pure and immense life force radiating from it, and, without a doubt, the presence of a will.
“… It’s this one,” Sylvia whispered. “This young tree wants to grow at that sacred place. That place was prepared as its throne.”
Akio was breathless, overwhelmed by the mysterious aura the sapling emitted. Sylvia’s words settled in his chest with perfect clarity. That emptiness in the sacred site—was meant for this tree.
Together, they carefully dug up the sapling, as gently as Sylvia would handle medicinal herbs and with the practiced hands of Akio’s craftsmanship. The sapling, as if aware of its destiny, yielded calmly to their touch.
Back at the sacred site, they planted the sapling in the very center of the circular clearing. Sylvia poured purified water at its base, and Akio pressed the soil gently around its roots.
The moment they did—
Zuuuun...
A deep, resonant wave—different from a tremor yet unmistakably powerful—rippled out from the young tree. Akio and Sylvia felt it wash over them. The earth beneath their feet, the surrounding trees, even the air itself began to brim with life energy—mana—swelling rapidly in density and strength.
The sapling began to quiver its tiny leaves, releasing a soft, radiant glow—as if rejoicing.
“Incredible… The land’s power is multiplying…” Akio murmured in astonishment.
Sylvia gazed upon the scene in rapture. “This is no ordinary tree. It’s a forest spirit… or perhaps, an incarnation of the earth itself. It will become the Tree of Life that protects and nurtures our village. And…”
She continued, her eyes distant as if glimpsing the far-off future.
“… This Tree of Life will shine like a beacon. People in need will be drawn here by its light, saying they heard the whispers of the spirits. They will gather here. And this vibrant life force… it may even summon the sacred beasts of the forest.”
This tiny sapling had now become the undeniable, living heart of Akio and Sylvia’s future village. The power flowing from its roots would, in time, transform the land into an unparalleled sacred sanctuary. That sanctuary, in turn, seemed destined to become a final haven—a beacon of hope—for countless weary souls worn down by war and suffering.
Akio grasped Sylvia’s hand tightly as she smiled beside him, renewing his vow to live together with this miracle.
What do you think about this chapter?
