"Drip, Drip"
Kyle's feet was wet.
His eyes remained shut.
Drops of liquid seeped into his feet and got absorbed into his body.
This was a strange feeling and it completely overwhelmed the terrible shock of being murdered. a couple of minutes ago.
"Drip"
'What is that?'
The feeling of the unknown liquid contacting against his skin were strange but soothing.
Every time a drop was absorbed a faint stream of life would flow through his body.
It felt...magical.
Overwhelmed by curiosity he slowly opened his eyes.
What appeared in his view was a circular, medium-sized, high-roof hall with a stone floor.
Squarish small windows allowed the outside sunlight to illuminate its confines.
The Wooden building's architecture was unlike anything he had seen, and the atmosphere inside it resembled a religious place.
He stood on a small circular mound, surrounded by a greyish stone altar.
Strange flowers, burning incense sticks, A bleeding wolf corpse was placed on it.
The blood from the wolf flowed into his roots and was absorbed.
'...Wait, Roots?'
Realization hit him like a speeding car. With panic driven heart he looked down again.
It felt like the world turned upside down when he saw his full appearance.
'I am....a T-Tree?'
Kyle's body has turned into a dark, withered, small tree bark. His arms had multiplied and turned into a dozen branches that spread toward the heaven. His feel has splited and turned into a complex system of small roots.
'What-What the fuck is this?'
In his panic, he tried to move, but the wooden expanse of his body was immovable.
Nevertheless he tried again, again and again.
***
After a couple of minutes, he gave up.
'What the heck is even happening? Where the fuck am I?'
He checked every corner of the hall, but none of the things that met his eyes could explain this nightmare.
'Fu-'
He was about to curse again when something alerted his senses.
Even though it was strange, Kyle could sense the vibrations of a small circular area through his roots.
It was indescribable at first, but the vibrations got closer and clearer.
'Steps, dozens of them'
A considerably large group of humans were running toward the hall with hurried steps.
Kyle didn't know why this happened but he quickly turned still.
"Bang"
The wooden door was kicked open as a group of people dressed in ragged light green clothes rushed inside.
The group consisted of youths, the elderly and children.
Some of them have dried blood stains on their body.
Some had bite wounds on their necks and arms.
Some were carrying disabled people on a makeshift crutch while making sure to not let them fall.
Their appearances varied deeply, but there was one thing that they all had in common.
They were terrified.
All of them were sweating like melting ice, and their irises hid the reflections of horrors they had faced.
An older man stopped in front of Kyle and turned around toward the gate.
"Close the door, don't let any of them get in."
As soon as he said, two big, bulky men pushed the two partitions and closed the door with a thud.
Then numerous fists started banging on the large gate from outside.
It felt like they were trying to push open the door, but their collective strength wasn't enough to even budge the thick wooden gate.
This banging went for a dozen seconds before stopping completely.
Only then did the people withdraw their gazes from the gate and let the exhaustion take over.
All of them slumped to the ground tired and wounded.
***
After half an hour, the group was busy with actions again.
Men used wooden logs to temporarily barricade the gate while women tended to the injured.
The elder from before(The one who screamed) stepped toward Kyle with a strange blue colored rabbit in his hands.
He stopped in front of the altar and raised a blade against the rabbit's neck.
Under Kyle's curious gaze he tried to slit the rabbit's throat but was stopped by a young man.
The young man had same facial features as the elderly man.
The raven black hair, thick eyebrows, muscular but lean body, black irises was some of their many similarities.
Kyle immediately identified them as father and son.
The young man took the blade from his father and gave him an annoyed look.
"Father, what are you doing with our last remaining food."
While saying that, he tried to take the rabbit, but his father shrugged his hand.
"I am making an offering to the Tree, give me the blade Xiong li."
Elder tried to grab the blade but his son refused to let go.
Instead Xiong li stared deep into his father's eyes and said.
"Father, we have talked about this before. The sacred tree is dead...It hasn't replied to the Godroot village in centuries."
Elder's face turned crimson with anger. He took the dagger forcefully and screamed at his son.
"Watch your mouth, Xiong li. If you don't watch your mouth and continue disrespecting the sacred tree, I will kill you-even though you are my son."
When Xiong li heard that, he wasn't hurt or shocked but he turned silent.
Arguing with him at this state will only anger him more and he had too much respect for his father to disobey him.
The elder threw a hateful glance at his son and walked in front of Kyle.
Then he slit the rabbit's throat and place the body bloodless wolf corpse while reciting something in a strange language.
When the blood seeped into his roots a strange sensation spread through out Kyle's body and an overwhelming sleepiness assaulted him.
'What the-'
Not being able to resist it Kyle quickly fell a sleep.
***
Kyle opened his eyes in a small squarish grass field.
The ground was even without any depression or protrusions and this grass field was surrounded by a huge wall of black mist.
Kyle turned around to see a wooden stall near the black wall hosting an extremely beautiful young girl.
When their eyes met, she smiled like a full moon and said.
"Mr. Kyle, welcome."