Left alone, she approached the roots of the Tree and touched it with her hand. The bark of the tree barely shimmered under her palm. The Tree was dying. Its last strength was devoted to supporting the barrier covering Katoria. Since the moment Nari first touched the Tree, the barrier had diminished even further, and the camellia disease had crept even closer to Elestria. The mist occasionally appeared on the outskirts of large cities. And although it dissipated quickly, it meant the Tree had little time left.
– How can I help you? Why are you dying?..
– Because the balance of this world has been disrupted, – she heard a familiar voice from behind.
– Kae?! – the girl turned around, – why are you here?
– Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, – the Alpha approached the roots.
He didn’t come close to Nari, keeping his distance. As it turned out during the attack on the Arena, the day of Dionna's death, Kae had also been working with Sigma. However, he refused to live in the underground bunker. He chose to stay in his trailer on the outskirts of the ghetto and continue spying on the surface. Either way, since then, they had hardly seen each other. Occasionally, when he visited Toneri with a new report, they crossed paths with fleeting glances and limited themselves to restrained nods.
– What do you... mean by that? Well... about balance, – Nari finally dared to ask.
– My great-grandfather said that the world is a mechanism, – Kae said, looking at the light, – if you remove one part, even the smallest, it won’t work properly anymore. He told me that the World Tree is the deity of a thousand worlds. In each universe, it takes a different form. Somewhere it’s a luxurious wisteria or a mighty oak, a bright cherry blossom, or a tree made of pure crystals. In each of these worlds, the Tree fulfills its function. The world exists thanks to the Tree, and the Tree exists thanks to the world. When I was little, my great-grandfather told me legends about the world of humans and chimera, as well as about the world where magic coexists with modern technology. And in each of these worlds, there was its own condition for preserving balance. In one world, the Tree chose a guardian from a powerful clan of chimera, in another – the mightiest witch. In a third world, the Tree served as a repository for deities.
– And our world? Why is our Tree dying?
– Because we took the tree's strongest source of energy.
– And what is that?
– Love.
Nari looked at the Alpha with surprise. This was the last thing she expected to hear from such a brutish, scarred man.
– I’d like a bit more context, – she said quietly.
– In our world, Alphas and Omegas don’t exist by chance, – Kae simply replied, – we are created for one another. Created to be together. The merging of the roar and the call is the most powerful source of energy. This phenomenon is called resonance. Just one pair would be enough to nourish the Tree for an entire year.
– So, pairs of Alphas and Omegas were supposed to perform in the Arena?
– No, – Kae shook his head, – if Alphas and Omegas allowed themselves to love each other, the mere release of that energy into the air would nourish the Tree without the need for songs in the Arena. But the Alphas were scared. They were so terrified of how strongly the call of Omegas affected them that they forgot how wonderful it is to dissolve in the one you love with all your heart.
– It’s hard to believe.
– Allow me to show you, – Kae approached her and extended his hand, – only with your permission.
Nari nodded cautiously. He took her hand and pressed her palm against the roots.
– Now, just for a moment, let the call go.
As soon as Nari obeyed him, the entire root glimmered beneath their hands, new shoots instantly stretched towards the light, and the leaves on the withered branches around turned emerald. Nari watched in enchantment and couldn't believe her eyes.
– And now imagine what will happen when the call resonates with the roar of the one you love with all your heart, – Kae smiled softly.
– But this changes everything! – cried Nari, – we can save everyone! No one will have to be sacrificed!
– Nari, – Kae's voice suddenly became heavy, – tell me, why do you want to save even those who have caused you so much pain?
– Because violence breeds more violence, pain, and fear, – the girl replied thoughtfully, – I want them to pay for their actions. But it has to be a fair trial, not a bloody massacre that would catch even those who didn’t participate in these crimes.
– You have grown into a very good girl, – the Alpha smiled.
– Thank you, Kae! – Nari squeezed his hand, – now I know what to do! Thank you!
She quickly ran to the grate and disappeared into the dark corridor. When her footsteps faded, the Alpha also headed toward the exit. At the very grate, he met Maida.
– You won’t tell her? – she asked softly.
– I’m content just to have the opportunity to observe her and protect her from a distance. I don’t want to confuse or scare her.
– You've become sentimental, Kaede Neis. Very sentimental, – Maida whispered.
– What can I say?
– Don’t blame yourself. You’re not the worst father in the world. At least you’ve tried to be one.