Chapter 49 - The Talking Tree

Meanwhile with Irene...

After hitting the cold ground, I lost my senses as the world turned black to me.

And when I opened my eyes, I was here in a place full of darkness and had an ominous area around it. And it somehow felt familiar to me.

"Ahh, right I saw this place before too when I slept for almost a half-day after hearing her majesty piano tune." I talked to myself as I tried to stand up and looked around me but there was nothing except darkness.

"Just what type of place is this?" I murmured as I walked in the right direction...I kept walking but the darkness had no end.

"I have been walking for almost an hour!!! But still, I am at the same place!" I shouted out of frustration as I sat down on the ground....well at least the ground is soft and comfortable. And unlike the other day, I am not in pain.

"Hah, even though it's dark here it's still comfortable...but I can't here for always...Right." I thought as I lied down on the ground and looked at the ceiling which had a tiny hole thing in it and only from there a little amount of line was passing.

"...By now they must have found me...and probably they are all super worried about me," I said as I chuckled. "...It would be quite a scene to watch them..." I said as I smiled thinking of everyone's faces.

"Ash must be on the verge of tears and father....he must be distressed..." I said as my heart ached a bit. And the hole above kept getting bigger and bigger. It felt weird but still, I didn't really care since nothing was normal since the start.

"Maybe I should return...But..." I murmured as I looked at the light. ".....Am I even worthy of being with them..cuz all I will do is hurt them...so If I am not there, won't it make it safer for them," I said as I closed my eyes.

"Sure it will make it easier for them....without me they will be able to live a long life..." I murmured as the pain in my heart increased and all of sudden a sudden rush of emotions ran through my body.

And before I knew it...I started to cry.

"But still I want to be with them!!!! I want to live with my family!!! Is it too much to ask for...." I shouted as I clenched my dress and suddenly a bright and blinding light surrounded me,

I slowly opened my eyes and I saw that the whole place has changed from black to white...to be more precise if heavens exist it would be just like this.

I looked around and something at the distant caught my attention, but I wasn't sure about what that thing is, so I went near that and the closer I got the more clear I was able to see that thing.

And when I finally reached that thing, it turned out to be a huge tree and it looked kinda old too.

"But what tree is this? Is this " I talked to myself as I went near the tree and touched its trunk and I felt a kind of vibration in my body.

And somehow, my whole body, soul and mind felt at ease without any weight in it, my heart rate came back to normal and the sadness I was feeling was gone like the wind.

"What the...I mean how did this happen?" I said as I quickly removed my hands from the tree's trunk.

"Hehe, You quite a scaredy-cat aren't you?" A voice said it sounded like a normal person voice, but there wasn't even a soul around...I was all alone so where did that voice come from?

"W..Who is it?" I said as I turned around.

"Well, I am Oak!" The voice said again. "oak?? What type of name is that and where are you?" I as I looked around me.

"Oak is a good name and it's the people who named me so I don't have any say in it and.....I am right behind you." That voice said.

"Right...Right behind me??" I said as I turned around but there was no one there. I am already scared and this person is making fun of me.

"Hey! Are you teasing me right now!" I said angrily.

"No, I am not!" That voice said, "Seriously then tell me for real this time!! where are you?" I asked again angrily.

"I already told you...I am right behind you just turn around." He said and so I turned around.

And the thing I saw next scared the hell out of me!

Which made me freeze right there, I wanted to scream but my voice won't come out.

I tired blinking hoping that whatever is infront of me right now is just an illusion but no it was all real.

"Well, finally you can see right!" The tree with a mouth said...THE TREE WITH A MOUTH SAID!!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! THE TREE IS SPEAKING!!!AHHHHHH" I screamed as I sat down on the ground closing both my ears with my hands.

"Please!! Don't scream!!" The tree said as it panicked. "I didn't know you would be this much scared...I was just trying to talk with you...I am so sorry.." The tree said but this time his mouth didn't move instead his voices were all inside my head.

"Can you tell me why are your voices ringing inside my head?" I asked as I calmed down myself.

"OH.. that cuz I know my mouth is scary so I am using telepathy to talk with you." The tree voice said.

"OH... I see..." I said as I looked at the tree trunk maybe my words were too sharp earlier...."But you can just talk with your mouth plus it's not scary..... it's just that I was surprised...you see talking trees aren't something I always see." I said as I scratched the back of my neck.

"Re. Really I am not scary to you!" The tree said as his mouth curved into a smile.

"Yes, in fact, you are quite fascinating," I said as I chuckled.

"Haha but I think you are more fascinating than any humans I have ever seen or meet." The tree said as one of its branches with leaves all around it patted my head gently.

"I am glad to know that but does that mean other humans can come here too?" I asked the tree.

"Umm, actually everyone can come here...." The tree said.

"Everyone can come here? But how come I never heard anyone talk about this place." I said as I looked at the tree with a confused face.

"Well, that's cuz they don't even realize when they come and go from here." The tree said as he waved his branches.

"Huh? I don't understand a thing??? How is that even possible." I said as I sat down facing the tree. I wonder how it grew so huge without any water or sunlight.

"Well, cuz this place is not your usual earth or the land where you live. This is a spiritual world and I am a spiritual being. And it's not the people who directly come here. It's their soul that comes here every time they are in excess pain doesn't matter if it's their soul, body or mind." The tree said and I sat there awestruck...I never heard of something like this before, I looked at its leaves... it's an oak tree and he said his name is oak too.

I remember reading about oak trees and the fact that they were said to have magical powers and were often related to birth and rebirth felt quite magical to me but today I managed to see one myself.

"I see...then maybe I am the only one who was able to wake here and talk to you like this. Right?" I asked as I tilted my head with a smile on my face.

"Well... it's not like that but still, I can say yes to that." The tree said as it patted my head again. Maybe he meet someone years ago but to keep my heart he told yes. Hah...So Generous.

"Then I too must have come here to revive myself," I said as I picked up a fallen leaf.

"Yes cuz you were suffering and forcing yourself quite a lot...." The tree said as the leaf in my hand turned into golden gilters like things and blew away in the wind.

"Hehe, I can't deny that fact...Can I?" I said as I laughed awkwardly. "Well you surely can't and I don't think anyone would blame you for that...Things keep happening in life....and since you have lived more than one life...I can understand, how hard it must be for you.." The tree said as the wind blew over my face.

"Heh, it's not surprising to hear that you know about my past life since you are a spiritual being but still it's kinda weird," I said jokingly, trying to avoid the topic.

"You are just like her changing topics cuz you find it hard to talk about them." The tree said.

"Her? Who her?" I asked the tree.

"It's someone similar yet different from you." The tree said as the gentle wind blew again.

Is it because he is spiritual and all, that I can't grasp what he is trying to say. I thought as I looked at him.

"Hah...Don't think much and return now everyone is worried about you." The tree said, as it somehow lifted me up in the air.

"Ahhh! I...I don't want to return...I can't return..." I said in mid air trying to balance myself.

"Huh? But why?" The tree asked as it kept me down on the ground again.

"Because....me being with them is like inviting the doom right at the doorsteps," I said as I looked downwards.

"This kid why do you think like that?" The tree asked.

"Cuz...I might be the reason....the reason..for their upcoming deaths...." I murmured.

"I don't know from where did you get this idea but all I can see right now is...if you don't return back they might really die." The tree said

"What does that mean?" I asked him surprised by his sudden words.

"Kid, Death isn't always about the death of the living body... sometimes it's your heart or soul that dies too.....and right now a person is dying with guilt whereas another is somehow keeping himself composed and someone is taking all your pain to himself. And there are lots of tears coming out in your name.....and they are all in pain and grief, broken, restless...." the tree said as its surrounding turned golden.

"And I believe you won't unsee all of them just because you are afraid of something that didn't even occur yet." The tree said as he carried me into the air again.

He is right...why am I being afraid of something that's hasn't happened yet...That was just a script of a novel and was done by Irene only cuz she wanted to help her family...cuz she wanted to save her brother...she wasn't a villainess...she was never...She was just a character who wanted to live happily...she never wanted to be the female lead nor did she ever asked for the spotlight.

She was just herself. And I need to be myself too, and the situation is quite better than before.

Our business is safe so is Ash, so all I need to do is clear the misunderstandings.

And make sure I don't end up as a villainess.

Yes, that all I need to do.

"Wow look at the light in your eyes~ Seems like you are ready to go back now. Aren't you?" The tree said.

"Yes I am!" I said as I smiled.

"Then goodbye Irene.." The tree said as a portal opened and I was back to my room.