Arthur stumbled slightly as he stepped through the tree, his boots landing on what felt like solid ground, though the air around him was far from normal. The space inside the tree was vast—far larger than its exterior suggested. It was dimly lit, bathed in an eerie green glow that seed to pulse rhythmically, like a heartbeat.
Thin, twisting branches covered the walls and ceiling, their bark glowing faintly as they intertwined in complex patterns. The air was thick, almost alive, humming faintly with an unnatural energy.
Arthur's sharp eyes scanned the space, narrowing as they landed on the figure at the center of it all.
It's him.
The knight from his vision.
The man was suspended in the air, surrounded by countless glowing branches that wrapped around his body like chains. They twisted around his arms, legs, and torso, holding him in place, while faint green light emanated from within the wood. His once-shining armor was cracked and dulled, his body pale and gaunt.
Arthur's eyes widened in shock. His voice was almost a whisper. "It's you. You're alive."
The knight stirred, his head lifting slowly. His movents were weak, almost labored, but when his gaze t Arthur's, there was a faint smile on his lips.
"Hello, future protector." His voice was low and raspy, but it carried a warmth that cut through the oppressive atmosphere. "Congratulations on passing the trial… and fulfilling the conditions my original self placed long ago."
Arthur blinked, his sharp mind imdiately latching onto the odd phrasing. "Original self?" he thought, frowning slightly, but he chose not to interrupt. He crossed his arms and waited, letting the knight speak.
The knight's smile faltered, his head lowering slightly as though the effort of speaking was taking a toll.
"I don't have much ti left." His voice was quieter now, each word slow and deliberate. "I've been waiting here… for a very, very long ti." He paused, his eyes closing briefly as he seed to gather his strength.
Arthur stood motionless, his sharp gaze fixed on the knight.
"No one strong enough had co before you," the knight continued, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. "For years, I watched… hoping soone worthy would step forward. But one by one, they all failed. And with every failure, my hope faded. I began to wonder if that was it."
The green light from the branches pulsed faintly, casting shifting shadows across the knight's face. He let out a weak chuckle, though it sounded hollow, tired.
"But it seems hope isn't lost after all."
Arthur's expression didn't shift, but inside, his mind was racing. The knight's words were cryptic, loaded with aning he didn't fully grasp yet.
Finally, Arthur spoke, his tone sharp but asured. "What do you an? Why are you here? What is this place?"
The knight raised his head again, his glowing eyes locking onto Arthur's. His lips curled into a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"This place is… my prison. My legacy. My purpose." His voice cracked slightly, his breaths growing more labored. "And now, it is yours."
Arthur frowned, his arms dropping to his sides as he stepped closer. His boots echoed softly against the floor, the green glow reflecting faintly in his sharp eyes.
"Mine?" Arthur repeated, his tone laced with suspicion. "You're not exactly making things clear, old man."
The knight chuckled again, though it was weak, almost inaudible. "You'll understand soon enough," he rasped. "But first, there is sothing I must give you. Sothing I entrusted to this place long ago."
Arthur stopped a few feet away from the knight, his gaze flicking to the glowing branches that held him in place. The air here felt heavier, charged with energy that made his skin prickle.
"And what would that be?" Arthur asked, his voice steady, though his eyes never left the knight's glowing ones.
The knight's faint smile returned, and for a brief mont, there was sothing almost… proud in his expression.
"You will see. But first, there's sothing you must know. The chaos you witnessed in your vision… the demon I sealed… it's only the beginning."
Arthur's jaw tightened. "What do you an, the beginning?"
The knight's gaze darkened, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent a chill down Arthur's spine. "The chaos will return. Stronger. So much stronger than anything you've faced. You must be ready, protector. The world depends on you guys."
Arthur took a step back, his frown deepening. His sharp eyes studied the knight, searching for answers that weren't coming fast enough.
"And if I fail?" Arthur asked, his voice low.
The knight's smile faded entirely, replaced by a deep look. "Then everything ends."
The knight's smile vanished completely, his weary expression hardening as his glowing eyes locked on Arthur. "Then everything ends."
Arthur's brow furrowed deeply, the weight of those words sinking in like stones. Nothing was making sense.
The demons, their purpose, this world ending—it was like being handed a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
His mind raced. The worlds are rging, he thought grimly. And if this world ends…
"Earth," he muttered under his breath, the realization hitting him like a thunderclap. "Charlotte…"
Her face flashed in his mind—his sister lying in that hospital bed, frail but still fighting. A sense of urgency gripped him, tightening his chest like a vice. If this world was tied to Earth, if it fell, she—
"I know you have a lot of questions," the knight's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. Arthur's sharp gaze snapped back to the man.
"But there isn't much ti left."
The knight's voice grew softer, almost pleading. "I just want you to know sothing." He paused, his battered body trembling faintly as the glowing branches tightened their hold on him. "Demons… they are never your allies."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, his arms crossing as he listened.
"No matter what they say, no matter how they act, even if so appear different—" the knight's voice cracked, his words heavy with emotion. "Never trust them."
Arthur caught the flicker in the knight's eyes. Sadness. No—sothing deeper than sadness.
Regret.
The knight's voice dropped to a near whisper, as if speaking more to himself than to Arthur. "Never…"
In the knight's mind, a figure surfaced—a demoness with piercing eyes and a mocking smile. Lilith.
The na echoed faintly in his thoughts, carrying with it the sting of betrayal.
Arthur tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze narrowing further.
He could feel there was more the knight wasn't saying, but he didn't press.
Instead, he asked, his voice low but direct, "What do you an, 'the world depends on you guys'? Do you an there are other protectors? Other villages?"
The knight nodded weakly, his head tilting forward as if even that small motion drained him. "So you call them villages, huh?" he muttered, almost amused. "But yes… there are others. Many others."
Arthur's lips pressed into a thin line, the pieces of the puzzle shifting in his mind.
The knight continued, his tone growing heavier. "Not all villages have failed to protect their people. So of the old protectors still live. But… they paid a steep price." He paused, his glowing eyes dimming faintly.
"Incredible injuries. Unimaginable sacrifice. I don't know what happened to them after…"
The knight's voice trailed off, his gaze distant, as if lost in mories too painful to relive.
Arthur's jaw tightened.
"And the demons? What are they after?"
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