Chapter 24: Fire Bath

Aethon grabbed Royce's hands tightly, insisting they needed to go somewhere. "Come on," he urged.

Royce hesitated, folding his arms defensively. "Where to now? I've had enough of these adventures," he grumbled.

Aethon sighed, realizing Royce's reluctance. "You don't get it. That fruit you ate? It's more than… just a fruit," he explained, his tone serious. "Five hundred years back, a priest named Alaric planted a special tree called the Tree of Souls. It was supposed to let people talk to their dead loved ones. But things went bad. Mortals started abusing it, calling in bad spirits and causing chaos. Alaric cursed the tree to stop the madness, making its fruit taste terrible. But you, Royce, found it sweet."

Royce listened closely as Aethon went on, "The bug that got in your eye? It's called the Seti. When someone eats from the Tree of Souls, the Seti shows up, cleaning their eyes so they can see into the spirit world. That's why you saw me."

Royce's eyes widened. "That explains a lot,