Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2592

Sunny saw a vast wasteland resting under a blue sky. At its heart, a young sapling struggled as it fought against the crushing pressure of soil, dreaming of light. Soon, it broke free of its dark, nurturing cradle and bathed in the radiance, absorbing the warmth of the sun and being caressed by the winds.

Eventually, the young sapling grew into a mighty tree, towering above the surrounding desert. Its roots spread far and wide, reaching deep into the earth; its branches stretched toward the clouds, swaying as they wished to touch them.

The tree bore wondrous fruit, and, attracted by their scent, creatures came from far away to taste them — gods and spirits, beasts and titans... and humans, too, dressed in furs and carrying tools made of flint, to satiate their hunger, and fill the emptiness in their hearts.

Time passed, and the wasteland was no more. Instead, a great forest covered its desolate expanse, full of vibrancy and life. Countless beings populated its verdant depths, living at peace with each other. There was no hunger and no strife, no discord or violence among those who dwelled in the Garden of Bliss — only harmony.

The tree had grown tremendously tall. Its roots dug deep into the earth, reaching the soothing darkness of the Shadow Realm; its branches stretched high into the sky, basking in the light of Heaven. The entire forest was born of it, and was part of it — the roots of all trees there were intertwined, forming a single, great being. And all was fine.

..Until the cold winds came.

Slowly, gradually, an eerie coldness encroached upon the forest from the west. First came the cold, then came the snow — and once the snow began falling, it never stopped. Soon, great mounds of it obscured everything in sight, the sky became hidden, and a relentless blizzard raged across the world, encasing everything in ice.

The leaves of the verdant trees froze and shattered, their bark blackened and cracked, and golden fruits did not grow on their branches anymore. The dwellers of the forest endured for as long as they could, but eventually, pursued by the relentless cold and hunger, they fled their homes and burrows, hoping to find salvation from the cold in distant lands, abandoning the blissful garden.

Eventually, the forest became frozen and empty.

The great tree at its heart was still alive, encased in ice, but powerless to break it. All it could do was dream of light, of warmth... of being young and strong once more.

That was when a beautiful daemon appeared, her eyes as blue as the warm summer sky.

The vicious cold was banished by her will. The icy carapace that encased the world melted. The long age of snow and hunger the eerie cold had caused came to an end, and soon, new saplings rose from the nurturing soil, brimming with green leaves, dreams of sunlight... and life.

Having been given the gift of repose by the beautiful daemon, the forest was restored and reborn. The great tree was rejuvenated. Since then, winter came every year — but it was followed by spring every year, as well. Life continued.

That was the vision Sunny saw... but he saw a different vision at the same time, as well. At first, it was largely the same. But then, its essence subtly changed.

The great forest still sprawled under the warm sky. Countless beings still dwelled in its verdant depths, and they still knew no hunger or strife — only peace. But there was no harmony in that peace. Instead, there was only stagnation and horror.

The stunning daemon then climbed its branches... and spoke to it.

After a while, the snow melted, and the ice melted as well. New saplings sprouted from the ground, and verdant life returned to the rejuvenated land. The forest grew anew. But ever since then, winter would always come, putting an end to summer.

And thus, the world would get a chance to rest from its hunger... from the boundless hunger of life to grow and expand.

Sunny swayed, failing to digest the jumbled mess of images that had assaulted his mind. He let out a pained groan, raising one hand to grasp his aching head.

Then, he moved his fingers further along the threat of golden light.

When he did, a new vision revealed itself to him...

The vision of the great tree suffering from a dreadful curse.