Eternal Tree Novels & Stories

I sighed thinking of how we would work our way out of all of these messes. We approached my tree and I stared in wonder at the thousands of candles lit and placed all around. At the foot of my tree were a glorious archway and an altar. Standing there waiting for me was an old she-wolf and Garreth. Surrounding them stood every member of Forest's Edge Pack, all looking on with vaguely confused expressions.

The Tree Beyond the Sky stretched its luminous branches deep into the opening, as though welcoming those who had finally found the strength to seek it. A gentle breeze drifted through the battlefield and crossed the threshold. It carried the scent of wild spring flowers, fresh rain, and ancient forests untouched by the scars of war. The air alone seemed to heal the physical wounds of everyone standing nearby; even the constant, burning ache in Nyxar’s scarred soul eased for the first time in a thousand years. No one spoke. They simply stared. The Eternal Sanctuary had existed only in forgotten myths and whispered legends. Yet now, it stood open before them.

Driven by pure instinct as a doctor, I rushed over and immediately began performing CPR on him, but he suddenly grabbed my hand. I shouted in panic, “Let go! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” His eyes were unfocused, as if covered by a thin layer of fog, a sign that his consciousness was slipping away. “Summer.” He murmured my name softly, then pulled open his coat. Inside, carefully protected against his chest, was a perfectly preserved Skyspire snow lotus. “The lotus repairs damaged heart channels. You’ll get better. You won’t have to suffer anymore.” John’s obsession stunned all the people that were present on that moment.

Still growing. “This is the Elder Tree. It has stood here for three hundred years. It survived fires. Floods. Droughts. Storms. Disease. Damage from animals. Damage from people. Damage from time itself.” I placed my hand on the rough bark. “It should be dead. Should have fallen years ago. But it chose to keep growing. Choose to keep existing. Chose to endure despite everything.” Hope studied the tree. “Why? Why endure? Why not fall? Why not give up and return to earth? Why suffer for three hundred years?”