ROOT OF STILLNESS

The morning felt heavy.

Not with fog or light, but with a weight like the Hollow itself was keeping an eye on us, biding its time.

I trailed behind Tsarra as we navigated a narrow path that twisted between thick trunks and swaying bridges woven from bark. We didn't exchange a word. She didn't engage in small talk or offer any comforting words. Just her usual silence sharp and unwelcoming.

But today felt different.

She moved more slowly. Her eyes flitted between the branches. Her fingers lingered near some sort of blade at her hip.

There was something about this "Root of Stillness" that even made her uneasy.

When we finally reached our destination, it all became clear.

The place was carved out like a giant bowl an immense dip in the earth that seemed to stretch endlessly downward. From the rim, twisting roots spiraled inward like a swirling whirlpool, and right in the middle sat a platform a flat stone encircled by shallow water, with a twisted tree sprouting from its core.

It throbbed.

Not like a heartbeat.

More like… breathing.

Varun stood at the edge, his hands clasped behind him.

"This is the Hollow's Eye," he said. " If you go back further you can see the mighty spirit tree that gives us life here in the Hollow.

I look at both the eye and tree with wide eyes just from the scenery alone it was beautiful.

Tsarra folded her arms. Master Varun are you going to let him sit at center?"

Varun's smile was devoid of warmth. "Why yes it is under Miss. Liora's orders by the way."

I swallowed hard and took a step forward.

"I'm ready."

"Are you?"

The moment my foot touched the winding path, everything shifted. The cheerful chirping of birds faded away. The tree, usually bustling with life, fell silent. Even Tsarra's presence felt like it had slipped away behind me.

With each step down the spiral, it felt as if I was not just descending in height, but diving deeper into something unknown.

By the time I reached the center, my mind was a cacophony of thoughts. Too many thoughts.

I took a seat.

Silence enveloped me.

Stillness surrounded me.

And then chaos erupted.

FLASH — Flames engulfing everything. The sound of screams. A blade glinting dangerously close to my throat. Iehiro's smug grin. The final breath of my mother.

FLASH — A village consumed by fire. My name spat out in anger. Blood staining my hands. Not my blood. Not entirely mine.

I tightened my fists, feeling the tension rise.

"No," I murmured. "Not now."

But the Hollow was indifferent.

Memories I thought I had buried came rushing back. Words I had never dared to say echoed around me, like a chorus of a thousand voices trying to reshape who I was.

"Failure."
"Traitor."
"Murderer."
"You should have died."

And through it all… a heartbeat.

Not mine.

The tree's.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It matched the rhythm of my breath. The voices began to twist and warp. A new one broke through.

"You do not break easy."

It wasn't Tsarra. It wasn't Varun. It came from deep below me.

"Who are you?" I called out.

Silence answered. Just a warm sensation on my skin.

I glanced down green light seeped from the stone beneath me. My arms glowed softly, veins illuminated like the roots of a tree.

From her perch on the ledge, Tsarra observed in silence, her arms tense with anticipation.

"What's happening to him?" she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper.

Varun's lips pressed into a thin line. "He's not meditating. He's remembering. And the mighty tree is remembering alongside him."

Down below, I collapsed onto my hands, gasping for breath.

The visions faded. The voices vanished.

But something had shifted.

A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes. A wave of pressure built up.

And then I saw them. Patterns.

Rootlines sprawling across the Hollow. Faint auras enveloping every surface. Invisible threads of power weaving through the air.

I rose, unsteady on my feet.

The Hollow hadn't broken me. But it had unlocked something deep within. Back at the top, Varun nodded slowly.

"He is one of them."

Tsarra's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean by that?"

"That does not need your concern."

"What why won't you tell me?"

"Because it does not involve you just forget I said that."

Night descended unexpectedly in the Hollow. The sky was devoid of stars. No moonlight graced the darkness. Only the rhythmic glow of the tree illuminated the night, while the wind howled as if it were carrying the whispers of the departed.

I found myself sitting on the cold stone, my breath shallow and my muscles twitching.

The pain had been humming behind my eyes ever since I stood up.

It wasn't exactly painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. It felt like trying to hold back a scream I didn't know how to let out.

"You're awake," a voice called from behind me.

It was Tsarra.

She tossed a bundle of cloth at my feet.

"Put this on."

It was an odd robe crafted from a thick, rough material that smelled of tree sap and cold metal. The sleeves were heavy, weighted down by stones sewn into the lining.

I shot her a glance.

"You expect me to wear this while training?"

"No, I want you to be naked with it." she replied, striding ahead.

Even if it was a joke it was a little cold for someone her age.

We made our way to a shallow basin surrounded by jagged stones. Steam billowed from cracks in the ground, and pools of glowing water bubbled softly.

Tsarra stood before me, holding a staff that looked like it was carved from bone, yet pulsed as if it were alive.

"First lesson," she said. "Stillness is a lie."

I frowned. "Didn't I just pass the 'Root of Stillness'?"

"That wasn't stillness," she countered. "That was exposure. Now we'll see what you can do when your mind is under siege."

She tossed a wooden sword to me.

I barely managed to catch it. The moment my fingers wrapped around the shaft, heat surged through my palm. Visions flooded my mind. Screams echoed. I saw flashes of beasts with hollow faces, teeth like knives, and blood staining the snow.

I dropped the sword, gasping.

Tsarra didn't even blink.

"That's what your enemies feel like when they touch you," she said. "You're branded. The Hollow won't let you rest."

She shifted into a stance I'd never seen before. It wasn't rigid; it flowed like the wind.

"You want to survive outside the Hollow?"

I nodded.

Then she vanished.

A blur of motion, and suddenly the staff cracked against my jaw.

Pain exploded in my skull.

"Question?"

"What is it?"

"How old are you?"

Tsarra looked at me with confusion with the question that I have displayed.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Just asking, looking on how you treat me its like your older than me but when I look at your body we are the same age."

Tsarra got flustered when I stated that.

"How stupid can you be?"

"Just tell me pls."

"Five I'm five.

As I thought she might have been born here but whoever made her like this is truly a evil person. Might even be that old man Varun.

That night turned into a haze.

Training wasn't just about mastering techniques or memorizing steps. It was about letting go. Stripping everything away.

React. Flow. Adapt.

The Hollow didn't reward brute strength. It consumed it.

It only honored those who could bend without breaking.

By the fifth fall, I lost all sensation in my ribs.

By the tenth, my thoughts faded away.

By the fifteenth, I could sense her presence before she even moved.
At dawn, I finally collapsed.

Tsarra approached, crouched down next to me, and for the first time—I noticed something in her eyes. Not warmth.

But respect.

"You'll survive," she said. "Maybe."

Then she stood up.

"One more thing."

I blinked at her, barely able to move.

"What now?"

She tossed a small, jagged stone at my chest. It felt like ice.

"Take this to the Whispering Pool. Place it in the mouth of the dead thing beneath it. If it accepts you, your next lesson begins."

I closed my eyes.

And for the first time… I smiled.