After David and Emma managed to defeat the demon, David's body was pierced with unbearable pain. His eyes burned, his muscles trembled, but he endured. Emma helped him to the bark of the great tree and laid him down to rest. David fell asleep almost instantly.
The night passed, and with the sunrise he was awakened by a gentle breeze. It rustled the dry bark where they had taken shelter. David slowly rose — his muscles ached, but his mind grew clearer. Beside him, Emma and Lucy were still asleep.
As soon as he stepped outside, his stomach growled. Looking up, he noticed fruits glimmering in the crowns of the giant tree.
"I'll have to climb…" he muttered.
He began to climb. The higher he went, the harder it became to breathe. At about two hundred meters, the air seemed to turn into lead.
"What the hell… I'm not even that high…" he thought with difficulty.
The pressure increased, his vision darkened. It felt like he could lose consciousness at any moment. But ahead, five crimson fruits gleamed. Summoning the last of his strength, he reached them and plucked them.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He was about to take a bite when suddenly a strange voice echoed in his head:
"Don't eat it. Don't eat this."
David froze. His fingers trembled. Inside, everything screamed that he had to taste it — the crimson fruit lured him, promising bliss. It felt like he would give anything just to savor it.
But the voice inside would not stop, tormenting his mind. Only after several agonizing minutes did it fade. David exhaled with relief and began to descend.
The first thing he did when touching the ground was to greedily inhale the fresh air.
As he returned, he saw that Emma was already awake, while Lucy was still sleeping. Approaching, he handed Emma a fruit and then woke Lucy.
"David… did you bring food?" she mumbled sleepily, holding her stomach.
"Yes. Here, take it."
Lucy immediately bit greedily into the fruit. Emma took hers but ate without enthusiasm. David stepped aside and also took a bite.
At that moment, his sword twitched, as if responding to his action. David felt a strange bliss, as if all his strength had multiplied. It seemed like he could do anything.
When he turned, he noticed that Emma had barely eaten half.
"Why aren't you eating?" he asked.
"I don't want to," she answered calmly.
David was surprised but dismissed it as fatigue from the battle the day before.
Lucy, once full, quickly fell asleep again. Night descended once more. David remained inside the bark of the tree, not even thinking about training. Whether it was exhaustion or the weight of his thoughts, he couldn't bring himself to move. Emma stayed inside as well.
He lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he saw Emma and Lucy. They stood beside him, looking down. Lucy's face was streaked with tears.
"Please, wake up… Don't eat that fruit…" her voice trembled.
She screamed again, her voice breaking into a desperate cry:
"W
ake up!"
And in that moment, David opened his eyes.