Chapter 323 323. Vasiliy - The tree 2

Chapter 323 323. Vasiliy - The tree 2
The tree before my eyes has to be one of the strangest and, at the same time, most impressive trees I have ever seen.
The branches with crimson leaves, instead of reaching up toward the sky, point toward the ground, circling the thick trunk and giving the impression that they are trying hard to contain something within.
Artemiy tries to grab my attention with the arm he has around Olena’s shoulders, but try as I might, I can’t take my eyes off the tree. Something about it calls to me—something that tells me that it has been waiting for me for a long time.
My legs move of their own accord, carrying me toward the tree, the long branches rustling at my approach.
“Vasiliy,” I hear my cousin calling out from behind me, his tone letting me know that he wants to know what I’m doing. But I have no answer for him because I don’t know myself. What I do know, however, is that whatever is trapped within the tree feels both like a friend and a foe.
“At last, you return, Slayer,” the man standing next to the tree says as I reach him.
My brows draw together. “Return?” I ask, not understanding what he means, since this is the first time I’ve ever been here. “And my name is Vasiliy, not Slayer.” Although I don’t think he refers to me like that because he believes that’s my name. Something else is going on here.
The man nods, but not in understanding, because his gaze is now fixed on those present, barely paying any attention to me.
“Every year we gather here to celebrate the end of a generous harvest and to give praise to the deity living in the tree, the one responsible for all luck and plenty since the town was founded,” he starts saying, his voice loud enough to be heard by all those present. “But I am sure no one here knows how the tree came to be.”
A small pause follows before he continues. “A long time ago, a demon fell in love with a beautiful maiden. The men in her village grew angry when she agreed to marry the demon, for they had asked for her hand in marriage many times, and each time she refused. One day, when the demon was away, the men went to where the maiden lived, and after they had their way with her, they killed her and set her hut on fire.”
Anger and indignation rise inside me on behalf of that demon and his beloved. At what she endured in her final moments. How scared she must have been.
“When the demon returned and learned what had happened, his heart hardened, turning into that of a creature of vengeance, his body taking the shape of a beast as he sought revenge. But the men who had killed the woman he loved had fled, fearing for their lives. The demon hunted them, but it wasn’t only them who died—it was anyone who had the misfortune to cross paths with him. Many innocent people died at his hands, complete madness overtaking him. Wherever the beast went, only destruction remained behind him. Until, one day, a warrior rose to put an end to it. The demon, sensing his end was near, ran.”
“The warrior chased the demon across countries and continents until he finally caught up with him.
“Human and beast clashed in a terrifying battle, their blood soaking the ground beneath their feet. For three days and nights, they fought without pause, and the beast almost killed the human warrior. But right at the last moment, he drove his spear through the creature’s heart, defeating it. And as the demon lay dying, the rage lifted, and he wept as he realized all the suffering he had brought to mankind, for he loved humans.
“And then, he told the warrior about his beloved and what had happened to her. The sad story touched the warrior’s heart, and he promised the demon that he wouldn’t stop until he found the woman in Hell, Heaven, or another life and reunited her with the one she loved.
“After the warrior left, the demon leaned against an old tree, not realizing it was the oldest living being on Earth. The tree, feeling the pain, desperation, longing, and love inside the demon’s heart, decided to seal him inside it, prolonging his life until the warrior returned with Ariadne, the woman who meant everything to the demon.”
The story leaves me puzzled because some parts sound oddly familiar. Like I’ve lived them in some past life.
As I try to figure out why, an ancient, melancholic voice comes from the tree, vibrating through me. “You have returned. And you have brought my beloved with you,” it says, and somehow, I know the words are meant for me.
People around me pull out their phones to record, thinking this is probably part of some show, but they have no idea how real this is. As someone who has been around Lords for many years, hearing a tree talk doesn’t even faze me.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say, my tone soft.
The voice talks as if it hasn’t heard me. “She is just as lovely as ever, her heart just as pure and full of love as ever. But why do I sense great sorrow and fear coming from her?”
The tone of the voice changes, turning angry.
“What have you done to her, warrior?”
Oh, God.
He’s talking about Olena. I’m sure of it.
Swallowing the knot forming in my throat, I reply, “All I did was love and protect her.” Or at least, I tried to.
The ground shakes beneath my feet, and several people gasp. Someone even lets out a small scream of fear. I try to keep my composure while I think of a way to calm him because fighting a tree—a demon tree?—is not what I had on the agenda for today.
“Protect her?” he retorts sarcastically. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t feel the pain in her body, the bruises forming on her skin.”
That makes me whip my head in Olena’s direction. Her face is ghostly pale as she clings to Artemiy so she won’t fall. Her coat is open, and I see the bruise on her neck, making anger surge through me. I need to know what happened while she wasn’t with us.
My attention returns to the tree as the voice continues speaking. “But did you say that you love her?” he asks, his tone alarmingly frightening.
“Because I was born to protect her, to love her. And I do, with all my heart.”
The ground stops trembling. The people keep recording, but some are starting to realize that this is as real as it gets.
“It’s impossible not to fall for her, for her beauty, for her pure soul. I can’t say I blame you, for I fell for her from the moment I saw her. Does she… does she love you as well?”
I want to say yes, but Olena has never revealed how she feels about me. “That is something you will have to ask her yourself.”
The tree shakes violently before stopping just as quickly as it started.
“Ariadne?” the voice softly asks.
“Olena,” I correct him.
“What?”
“In this life, her name is Olena,” I explain.
A moment of silence follows before he speaks again.
“I think I understand now. She was never meant for me. Not truly. I clung to life until now, but knowing that you found her, that she is well—as well as she can be, given that even now, men harm her—and that she is loved by a great warrior is enough to bring me peace. I think I can finally go. But first, promise me that you will protect her with your life.”
I open my mouth to say that taking care of her is my life’s mission, but press my lips together and think as I glance at my cousin, who looks back at me with a frightened expression. I’m not sure why he’s scared of a demon. After all, he has one inside him.
An idea occurs to me, and before I can chicken out of it, I say, “Use me as a vessel.”
It sounds like pure madness, but it feels right. 
“Vasiliy! No!” my cousin shouts, but I have already made up my mind.
“To use a human as a vessel… It is something I haven’t thought about, but… if I agree, then…”
“You won’t have to give up on the woman you’ve loved for countless lives,” I point out.
Branches shoot out, preventing anyone from getting close to me.
“Vasiliy!” Artemiy insists. “Don’t be stupid. Think about this. If you want a demon, we can go to the Blood Lodge.”
I shake my head. “I was always meant to be his vessel.”
“Let’s do this,” the voice agrees.
The man next to the tree, who has been quietly observing the exchange until now, instructs me, “Come here and place your hand right here.”

I am already working on the next update