Under The Oak Tree Ep 1 Novels & Stories

"Do you realize that you have endangered countless generations of innocent girls tied to that forsaken prophecy?" Aria remained unfazed, taking another sip of her tea as if what I had just said meant nothing. Her calm demeanor only fueled my anger further. "That tree was our way to redemption," I continued, my voice shaking with the weight of desperation and anger. "It was a beacon of hope, a symbol of protection. Without it, we are left vulnerable. How could you be so reckless?" Aria placed her cup down gently, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "Do you know how the oak tree worked?" she asked, her voice calm yet piercing.

The oak was turning at the very tips—not dramatically, just the first indication of what was coming, the specific early signal of a tree that knew the season before the thermometer did. She looked at it for a long time. He found her there at nine. He sat beside her without asking. Of course. "September," she said. "Yes," he said. "The oak knows." He looked at the oak. The very tips of it, the first bronze. "It always does," he said. "Mr. Osei says it's the most reliable indicator in the garden. The oak knows a week before anything else." She held that. "What does it feel like?" she said. The season is turning. This year specifically."