Finn awoke only toward the end of the morning, when the core of the great tree already floated high beneath the ceiling of the cavern. The boy looked around and saw his improvised bed on the floor, formed by the tree itself. He carefully set the still-warm lamp back onto the table and stretched, feeling an unusual lightness in his body.
For the first time in a long while, he had truly slept well. Strangely, all the wounds and scrapes that had pained him just yesterday had now healed, leaving behind only faint traces. Finn ran his hand over the places where once deep cuts had been, but he could not feel the slightest ache.
When he looked once more at the spot of his night's rest, he discovered in surprise that the foliage which had served as his bedding had vanished. In its place stood a small table, as though it had grown straight out of the tree's roots. On it rested a finely carved wooden cup filled with clear nectar. Finn drained it to the last drop, feeling the life-giving liquid flood his body with fresh strength.
Just as he reached for the door, a soft knock came from outside. On the threshold stood a tall woman with sharp ears and delicate features. Her pointed nose and slightly elongated, spring-green eyes gave her an otherworldly appearance. Snow-white hair, the color of marble, fell to her waist, while her dark battle kimono emphasized her statuesque figure. She moved without a single sound, as if even noise itself avoided her presence.
"Who…" Finn began, still struggling to find his words. "Who are you?"
"My name is Eva," she replied. "I am the leader of this clan and the guardian of the settlement created by the great tree."
With a graceful gesture she invited him to follow, and together they walked deeper into the settlement, toward an unusual fountain where water, defying the laws of nature, flowed upward. Eva's steps remained utterly silent, while Finn's own seemed to echo loudly from the cavern walls.
Even when they walked across stone slabs, her movements produced no sound, as though she floated above the ground. It lent her an air of grace and mystery.
"You must have many questions," Eva said without turning. "Adam has told me about your… arrival."
Finn gave a silent nod, his gaze fixed on the strange workings of the fountain.
"Adam…" he began uncertainly. "Is he also a leader?"
"Adam is our elder. He does not wield the same strength that I do, but his wisdom and knowledge are invaluable. He is the greatest alchemist, having gathered the learning of many centuries."
"And how long…" Finn faltered, searching for words. "How long do you live?"
"We were created not long after the earth itself," Eva replied simply.
Finn stopped in his tracks, stunned by the revelation.
"But how is that possible?" he whispered.
Eva turned to him, and in her glasslike eyes Finn saw his own reflection.
"There are many things in this world that you cannot yet comprehend," she said. "But in time, everything will take its place."
She led him to the fountain and swept her hand above the surface. The water reached toward her palm, forming intricate patterns.
"Do you see this water? It flows upward for a reason. It is the manifestation of the tree's power—the same power that healed your wounds last night."
Finn watched, entranced, as the water danced beneath her hand.
"The leaves that sheltered me in the night…" he began.
"Yes," Eva nodded. "The tree has never before shown such care for a human. This… is unusual."
She studied the boy intently.
"There is something special in you, Finn. Something that has drawn the attention not only of the tree, but of the very forces that govern this world."
A chill crept down Finn's spine.
"You mean that darkness?" he asked quietly. "The power that burst out of me?"
Eva nodded, her expression growing grave.
"Come," she said. "You must see the place where your training will begin."
"Training?!" Finn stammered. "What training?"
Eva's voice turned hard and severe.
"You barely managed to defeat that knight—yet he was weaker than even the feeblest dweller of this cavern." Exhaling, she continued, "You seek answers, but what use are answers if you remain weak? My task is to prepare you for the truths ahead."
Finn seemed almost satisfied with that answer—or rather, he understood it. He knew he was weak compared to Eva or Adam, and that knight had nearly killed him by chance. And those hunchbacked creatures? He could not rely on luck forever; sooner or later, it would fail him.
Eva led him to a vast arena encircled by towering columns of living wood. The ground was carpeted with soft moss, and the air was laced with the resinous scent of trees.
The arena lay at the farthest end of the cavern, away from the dwellings and busy streets of the settlement. As they drew nearer, Finn noticed the landscape shifting—wooden buildings giving way to natural stone formations, the light dimming to cast a more mysterious atmosphere.
The arena itself was a great circular expanse, no less than fifty meters across. Living trees grew along the perimeter, their branches intertwining high above to form a natural dome. Their trunks stood as pillars holding up this organic structure. Between the trees were stone benches, upon which sat about two dozen long-eared observers, all dressed in dark garments.
The arena floor was covered with a luminous moss that glowed faintly with each step, as though alive. At the edges Finn saw racks of weapons—ranging from simple wooden practice blades to exquisite swords radiating strange light. Some resembled his lost tulwar, yet they carried an air of something far older, far more powerful.
At the center lay a circle paved with glowing stones, pulsing in rhythm, as if to the beat of an unseen heart. Around it stood various training mannequins—not ordinary wooden dummies, but forms resembling living beings frozen in combat stances.
On one cavern wall hung a collection of unusual weapons: long staves tipped with crystals, curved blades inscribed with runes, light throwing knives that seemed nearly transparent in the dim glow. Each weapon emanated its own aura, casting strange patterns of shadow and light.
The air held not only the fragrance of resin but also a faint trace of ozone, like after a storm. The scent grew stronger toward the center, where faint sparks of electricity leapt between the glowing stones.
Set around the arena were strange crystals, like those that lit the main settlement, but these shone with softer, more subdued light. They created an atmosphere where shadows seemed deeper and light more tangible.
In the far corner stood a small dais with two thrones carved from glowing stone. Both were empty, save for the central seat, upon which sat a tall, long-eared figure—Adam. His silver hair flowed like liquid metal, and his piercing gaze fixed on Finn, as though weighing his every move.
Eva stopped at the center of the arena and turned to him. Her figure cast a long shadow that seemed alive, writhing and shifting in rhythm with the pulsing stones.
"This place," she said, her voice echoing through the arena, "is as old as the tree itself. Here we train those deemed worthy to learn the ancient arts. Here, you will learn to control the power that dwells within you."
Finn looked around, trying to take in every detail of this wondrous place. The silent watchers on the benches fixed their gazes upon him, as though seeing something he himself could not.
"When do we begin?" Finn asked, feeling a strange excitement rising within him.
Eva raised her hand, and at once one of her followers appeared at her side, carrying a wooden sword.
"There will be no training," Eva said, her tone rough yet laced with sarcasm. "Only sparring."