Retro-cognition

Chapter 23 - The circle of Gods

Please read the Authors Note at the end.

Chapter 23 – The circle of Gods.

Unique didn’t know what she’d find, but regret filled her as she made her way up the tree because she had no gloves. The bark of the tree tore into her palms, and for every branch she gripped, her skin only turned rawer.

Four of her nails were broken, and she could see twigs and leaves sticking out from her hair. She didn’t think it would help anything if she stopped up and removed them. But gosh, they were annoying.

It wasn’t because she could explain why she needed to get up there—she just had to look.

When her head finally break through the close leaves, she supported her body on the trunk of the largest tree. Yikes. She was up high. Below her, she could see all the smaller trees and how they spread out.

Her eyes found the black spot where her former house had been, and she twisted around to see the rest.

Wow. It wasn’t clear, but there was something; she looked up and saw a strong branch sticking out. Her fingertips could reach them, barely, and Unique gnawed on her lip as she thought.

She’d have a clearer view from up there, but could she transport up there. Her landings had always been somewhat clumsy, and she didn’t particularly want to fall from here. She looked down and gulped. It would hurt a lot if she fell.

It was worth a try, nonetheless. Focusing, she concentrated on the branch. Not long after she clung to the trunk of the tree struggling to gain momentum. Phew. She opened her eyes and let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Wow,” she muttered. The view was breathtaking. The trees where ordered in intricate designs, making up the symbols of Haims. She was standing in the middle of a large circle, the field below working as the inside. To the right, two more circles in smaller formations spread. It was both magnificent and beautiful.

She recognized the formation—it was the symbol, which decorated the golden gates leading into Haims.

The smaller circles had to belong to the Origins. Turning around, she counted six of them.

“There,” she said, even though no one was listening. She spotted the smaller circle of Retro and almost jumped from joy. Unique thought better of it because of her location. She had to get over there. Pronto. She climbed down, and with her renewed joy, it was much easier to grab carelessly on the branches. It wasn’t until she was on the ground that she remembered how dangerous her actions actually were. Yet, she didn’t care. She was convinced that she’d see something over at Retro’s cabin. So she ran with all her might.

She wondered if she’d be able to recognize something. Was there any answers to her questions? Or was it all from Retro? Perhaps she could find out something about Envy, after all, she’d been fooling around with Unique’s father. The thought made her shiver.

The smaller circles were overgrown with bushes, and Unique scrambled to pass through them. The twigs and thorns scratched at her bare arms, but she didn’t mind. There had to be something over there.

When she finally stopped in the middle of the smallest circle, she could see the cabin. It wasn’t hidden in any way, something that puzzled her.

Slowing down, she walked over and looked up. The tree had been mangled with, so instead of a ladder, there was a circle staircase of wooden planks. With caution, she tried the first step and carefully leaned on it. The plank was hammered into the trunk of the tree, and except for a small complaint, it seemed to be able to hold her weight.