Chapter 40 - 38

After the young man left, Xiu Ying and her brother talked about their mother's state. Their mother lived in the Cold Palace as it could help hide her identity -that she was their mother and a true love of the king. King Xiuwei wouldn't like anyone to know about it so he hide her at the Cold Palace and called it as a forbidden place. But the third princess let the young man met their mother as she knew that Zero doesn't know anything about their very complicated family history which Xiu Ying believed.

Unbeknownst to their belief, at this moment. The young man was on the library, searching for informations about the ice princess, he set aside his search for the Circus as he was curious if the second princess truly spoke the truth.

'Did she told me the truth or it was just the half truth or a lie?'

He looked for books regarding about the messenger of the deities at this ancient library. The printed books dated back at the old era, new era, silver age, golden age until today, the millennium age. The young was on the old era section as to try his luck about his search, the old era section was the furthermost location being secluded by its antiquity.

"The Story of the World Tree," Zero read the book's title. Not knowing why he grabbed the book, the shelves suddenly vibrated.

An opening appeared from the shelves of the old era section. The young man curiously peeked his head to see its inside but the darkness enveloped the place, Zero could only see the place where the light coming from the outside shone.

'What's in here?'

The young man with nothing to risk went inside the mysterious tunnel. The entrance where he came from instantly closed as Zero started to explore the tunnel, it was dimmed inside the place, only darkness was clear on his vision.

He stepped on something that was like a trigger to the lamp lights around the place. Zero took a lamp from its holding as he used it to light his way. The tunnel smelled antiquated as the young man proceeded to examine the inscribled signs and letters on the wall.

Drawings of people, fire, water, air and earth and another sign that Zero felt was the mysterious element he saw in the black space - a glinting diamond shaped drawing. He followed the signs as it told a story - a story when it started with the smallest dot until another one appeared, it kept appearing until it formed a shape of a tree.

"World Tree?"

Zero traced the tree drawing with his hands and suddenly the drawing shone. It illuminated his vision until he closed his eyes due to the brightness.

A woman appeared from it, she observed her environment as she slowly stepped her feet. She stumbled at first as she was not used to it, after practicing for the mean time, she got the hang of it.

The woman turned around to see her surroundings, the place was a garden as it was full of vibrant flowers, trees and the lively World Tree. She wandered away from it and went to find large leaves to cover her nȧkėdness.

As the garden was provided by the World Tree, the woman live abundantly there with no worries until a companion came. A man came out from the fruit and he was the same as the woman, he wasn't able to get used to his environment but was able to cope up with it.

They both got along together and they liked each other. As they lived peacefully with the World Tree, a hunter came. He was a human hunter that accidentally crossed the border between time and space which was the barrier of the garden between the forest that the hunter would usually hunted on.

At that time, the man wasn't present as he looked for a gift for the woman as he was planning to propose to her. He already confided with the World Tree about his feelings for the woman and the tree advised him to make effort for it.

The woman was alone at that time on the meadow as she bathed in the flowing river. She was humming a tune that made the animals around gathered by the stream in order to hear her lovely voice - her voice was enchanting as she could affect the weather to be pleasant, enabling the heat of the sun to be warm and cool as it refreshed the skin.

Meanwhile in the midst of tall trees, a man who was sleeping on a thick branch as he cradled his bow heard a soft tune. He was awaken by it as he got down from his sleeping spot, the hunter followed the sound until he saw a beauty with long raven black hair bathing in the river.

"A river spirit?" The hunter whispered as he slowly crept near the woman.

Creeek!

"Who's there?" The woman stated as she covered her body. As the woman turned around, the hunter was enthralled by her beauty, she got red ruby eyes that was glaring at him with anger which the hunter found entertaining.

"Miss, Are you a river spirit?"

"River s-spirit? W-what's that?" The woman was adjusting her tongue to the language of the human as she was surprised to be able to understand this unfamiliar language.

"You know, spirit nymphs are beautiful as enchanting like you," the hunter praised as his dark cerulean eyes observed the blushing woman.

Even though the woman wasn't able to perceived that the hunter was praising her - her reaction was by instincts.

"What are you doing here? Do you need help?" The hunter offered his hands to the woman, as the woman reluctantly took it and the hunter pulled her up towards him.

This started their short-lived story, they would usually meet by the stream as it was the only place that the hunter could crossed. They would spend their time together, happily, but all of the good things were temporary. The man who was sad by the rejection of the woman found out that the woman that he loved was seeing a human.

Due to his jealousy, he planned to kill the human hunter when they see each other again by the stream. The hunter at that time was waiting for his lover when unexpectedly he was stabbed by 'her' on the back.

He died while in mixed emotions as he stared with lost, betrayal, anger and sadness to the woman that he loved. After the human hunter died, the smirking woman turned back into the man as he washed his hands on the river and hide the dagger behind his back pocket. Then he walked away, leaving the dead human hunter.

"Cian? Where are you? Stop hiding again. It won't work on me!" As the woman's cheery voice was heard, the silence of the forest greeted her.

Until she saw her dead lover was bathing on his own blood.

"Cian! What h-happened?" As she cried with grief while hugging the dead body. The man 'coincidentally' came out from the trees he was hiding in as he comforted the woman.

Days went on but in the garden that the World Tree's haven, the time stood still. But the feeling of pain and sadness did not stayed still. The woman went back to her usual-self yet her eyes was saying the opposite.

Finally, the man was able to obtained the mutual affection from the woman until the World Tree birthed a child for them. A child that created Xanxia.

Then deities after deities was born from the World Tree until they were all ten of them to manage the ten continents. The man and woman was still living in the garden in which the World Tree created, while their child - the Creator travelled diverse realms.

Zero finally snapped out from the vision as he massaged his forehead. He was baffled about the story of the World Tree as it has something more deeper to it… did they truly live peacefully?

He shook his head as to erased his thoughts, he was not here for the World Tree but the hidden truth about this Royal Family. Even though it wasn't his business on how complicated the royal family's history, there's something telling him to find out the truth which could pin-point to something bigger.

"La la la la."

"La la la la."

He frowned his brows as he didn't see the usual red colors that represented the heat energies. The tunnel was all-black on his qi perception, his instincts told him that someone dangerous was in here.

Alarming bells was heard on his mind as he felt a breathing on his nape.