David was confused. His memory kept dissolving into nothingness, as if he couldn't remember anything at all. It was driving him insane. And every time he tried to think about it, the anxiety suddenly vanished, and along with it, so did the memories.
A week had passed since the night they sat in a circle and David sang. Those memories came back only as fragments—tiny shards of a picture that never formed into a whole.
Every time David ate that fruit, his sword would twitch, as if warning him: "Don't eat this…" But he ignored the warning.
And in his dreams, Lucy appeared. She reached out to him through the mist and whispered: "Please… save us… don't eat it…"
Each time he woke, cold sweat trickled down his face. Yet the moment he stepped outside the hollow tree, it was all erased. That night was no different.
He stood up and looked around—Lucy was still peacefully asleep. But Emma was gone. David slipped outside to look for her.
At the edge of a cliff in the distance, he saw her. She sat with her knees drawn to her chest, staring into the void as if something precious had been taken away from her.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked.
Emma flinched. The cold wind lifted her tangled hair, brushing her skin with icy breath. She turned to him, and in her eyes burned nothing but emptiness.
"I don't want to," she said. Her voice was so cold that David felt a shiver run down his spine.
He knew Emma had always been distant and cold, but he had never seen her like this before. It surprised him, even worried him.
He straightened, looked at her and said, "I know what might cheer you up."
Turning away, he headed back toward the tree. Emma followed him with her eyes for a moment, then turned back to the dark horizon.
David began to climb. At two hundred meters, the air grew thin and heavy, every breath burning in his lungs. Each step was an ordeal, every meter felt like a thousand.
If I slip… it's over, he thought, yet he kept climbing.
At last, exhausted, he reached a massive branch where the fruits hung.
I need to find the biggest one for Emma, David gritted his teeth.
Suddenly, he heard voices—demons. He hid among the crimson leaves and held his breath.
Looking up, he spotted a flock of flying beasts. At least ten of them circled the tree, but none dared to come closer.
What are they doing here? he thought, gripping his sword tightly.
But the creatures never approached. They were afraid. Soon they scattered and vanished into the night.
Even they… are afraid of this tree. But why?
David picked a fruit. Suddenly, Lucy's voice echoed in his head: "Don't eat it…"
His face twisted with pain.
"Damn it… I need to get rid of this!" he muttered.
He threw the fruit away, and at that instant, searing pain ripped through his body, as if invisible chains were breaking apart. He collapsed to one knee, gasping for air.
"It's… over…" he whispered.
But then another wave of agony tore through his mind. Flashes of memory struck like lightning.
David clenched his teeth, saliva dripping from his mouth. He wiped it away and groaned,
"We… a month… we've been on this tree for a month already… Damn it!"
He spun around and started his descent. The thin air no longer mattered. Determination now drove his every step.
Reaching the ground, he strode quickly to Emma.
"Emma! What should I do?! We're trapped on this island, and it's devouring us. If this keeps up, we'll die!"
Emma said nothing. No word, no movement.
A bitter smile touched David's lips. He was about to turn and figure things out himself…
But then her voice stopped him.
"David. You need to build a boat."
She looked at him, and for the first time in a long while, a spark of life lit her eyes.
"And what if you don't want to leave?" he asked, a trace of hope in his voice.
"Leave that to me," Emma replied coldly. "Tell them we're going to explore the ocean. It's hard for me to resist… but if we sail away, the tree's influence will weaken."
David nodded.
"Alright. You can rest now."
For a brief moment, Emma smiled—faintly, almost invisibly. But her eyes soon dimmed again: the tree had reclaimed its hold over her.
She turned away and stared southward once more.
David, staring at the grim tree, whispered through clenched teeth,
"You bastard… you'll burn alive."