I walked slowly toward the door.
As I approached, I could appreciate the intricate patterns engraved upon its surface in greater detail.
They were not simple decorations; they represented the universe itself.
Galaxies, stars, and constellations seemed intertwined in an eternal dance carved into the stone.
I took a deep breath and extended my hands.
I pushed the door gently.
To my surprise, despite its colossal size, it moved without any resistance, as if it weighed absolutely nothing.
The moment my hands touched its surface, a strange sensation ran through my arms.
Cold.
And heat.
Both at the same time.
It was an impossible sensation to describe, yet I continued pushing.
As the door opened, a new world appeared before my eyes.
It was a place full of life.
Giant trees rose toward the sky, flowers of impossible colors covered the ground, and small insects fluttered among the vegetation.
Everything seemed to vibrate with a serene and profound energy.
At the center of that place stood something that made my breathing stop for an instant.
A tree.
But not just any tree.
It was gigantic.
Majestic.
It surpassed anything I had seen in both of my lives.
I stepped inside slowly.
The opening was already wide enough to pass through.
Without taking my eyes off that colossal presence, I advanced toward it.
The tree had to be well over five hundred meters tall.
The guardian had told me to go to the great tree, where the trial would begin.
I suppose this was the one she meant.
As I walked, I carefully observed everything around me.
The scene was almost surreal.
I didn’t know whether it was real or some kind of projection created by the Force.
But one thing was undeniable.
I could feel the life in that place.
A profound peace permeated the surroundings.
The insects, resembling small bees, buzzed around my head as if observing an unexpected visitor.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were nearly twice the size of a normal bee and had black-and-white stripes.
I continued forward.
Then I noticed something strange high up in some of the trees.
A group of squirrels was nibbling on a fruit similar to a walnut.
But that wasn’t the strange part.
The strange part was that they were wearing clothes.
Small vests.
Short pants decorated with patterns of seeds and nuts.
I blinked.
One of them caught my attention in particular.
It wore a strange hat adorned with a small branch bearing leaves very similar to those of the great tree.
And on top of that…
It had two tails.
I frowned.
Since when did squirrels wear clothes?
I decided not to think too much about it and continued walking.
Then I heard it.
Crunch, crunch.
“What do we have here? A new challenger.”
I stopped abruptly.
Crunch, crunch.
“It’s been over two hundred years since I last saw one.”
I looked around.
Crunch, crunch.
“This one looks more interesting than the previous one.”
“Who said that?” I asked out loud as I spun around.
Crunch, crunch.
“Up here, little human.”
I looked up.
The squirrel with the hat was watching me from a branch while casually chewing on a nut.
Crunch, crunch.
“My name is Ratatosk.”
Crunch, crunch.
“You must be here to take the trial.”
It grinned mischievously.
Crunch, crunch.
“Maybe I’ll join the fun.”
I sighed.
This was becoming more absurd by the minute.
First, a strange dimension.
Now, a talking squirrel.
Wasn’t I supposed to be in the Star Wars universe?
Where in the galaxy had they sent me?
Even so, I tried to remain calm.
“Hello, Ratatosk,” I replied.
“My name is Azmar Fen’ruus. And yes… I’m here for the trial.”
The squirrel tilted its head.
Crunch, crunch. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Interesting… I see something special in you. Maybe you have a chance of passing that old grump’s trial.”
Its eyes sparkled.
“And with any luck, he’ll leave us alone.”
“Old grump.”
That caught my attention.
“Perhaps you could accompany me,” I suggested.
“As far as I can tell, there’s still a long way to the great tree. We can talk while we walk.”
Ratatosk immediately jumped from the branch.
Crunch, crunch.
“Good idea. There isn’t much entertainment in this forest.”
With surprising agility, he landed directly on my shoulder.
He was a little heavy, but I said nothing.
He had information that might be useful.
I resumed walking.
“Can you tell me about this place?”
Ratatosk puffed out his chest proudly.
“This is the Forest of Origin. My family has lived here for generations. And even though it may not seem like it…”
He pointed at himself.
“I am the current leader of my tribe.”
Then he pointed ahead.
“That tree we’re heading toward is the Yggdrasil Tree. It’s guarded by an old grumpy wolf. He never lets me or my friends play there.”
He snorted.
“He’s always lying beneath its shade.”
He licked his lips.
“If only I could get my paws on those delicious fruits…”
I coughed lightly.
“Wait a moment… you said the last person who came to take the trial was more than two hundred years ago.”
I glanced at him.
“How old are you?”
“I’m very young,” he replied naturally.
“I’m two hundred and fifty-one years old.”
I blinked.
“My species lives up to a thousand years.”
He shrugged.
“Well… that was how old my grandfather was when he got crushed by a tree.”
He said it so casually that it left me speechless.
I suppose this squirrel wasn’t particularly bright.
But at least now I knew his species had an extremely long lifespan.
“Do you know anything about the trial?”
Ratatosk shook his head.
“Not much. No one has ever completed it. That grumpy wolf never wanted to explain anything to me. The last time I asked him, he grabbed me with his teeth and threw me through the air.”
He snorted indignantly.
“But my ancestors say that whoever completes the trial will become the ruler and protector of this forest.”
His eyes shone with excitement.
“And we’ll get to see new worlds.”
He gave me a small kick on the back.
“So I hope you complete it.”
He smiled.
“I want to get out of this boring place and explore everything unknown.”
Finally, we arrived at the foot of Yggdrasil.
We had been walking for nearly an hour.
In the distance, I could make out an enormous silhouette.
I assumed it was the grumpy wolf Ratatosk kept complaining about.
At first, I thought it was the size of a lion, similar to my mother’s wolf.
But as I drew closer, I realized I was completely mistaken.
It was much larger.
Much more imposing.
When I finally stood before it…
My breath caught in my throat.
The wolf stood over twenty meters tall.
Its presence dominated the entire forest.
Then it spoke.
—Welcome, heir of Fen’ruus.
Its voice was deep and ancient.
—I have been watching you since the moment you arrived.
Then it sniffed the air.
—And you as well, little rat.
Ratatosk froze behind my back.
—The last time you were here, you escaped with a few fruits from the great tree.
The wolf’s eyes gleamed.
—This time, I will let it pass.
It paused.
—But next time…
you will become fertilizer for this forest.
Ratatosk immediately began to sweat.
—T-thank you…
venerable Fenrir.
Fenrir.
The legendary wolf of my ancestor.
And he was still alive.
—I am Fenrir, guardian of the Yggdrasil Tree and of this entire forest.
Perhaps I would finally find answers.
—Great Fenrir, I have a question —I said respectfully—.
I once heard an ancient story about a universe where gods and different realms existed.
In that story, there was a wolf who was half giant and half god, destined to bring chaos and slay the king god of that universe.
Fenrir remained silent for a moment.
—I do not know where you heard that story, nor do I wish to know —he finally replied—.
But there is some truth in it.
His eyes shone with an ancient light.
—My purpose was to bring chaos, destruction, and fulfill the destiny imposed upon me.
Then he sighed.
—But everything changed when I met your ancestor, Droll.
His voice became calmer.
—We lived through many adventures across the universe.
We encountered countless cultures, saved lives…
and for the first time, I had something worth protecting.
He looked toward the great tree.
—We learned the secrets of the Force and gathered immeasurable knowledge.
—Those were happy times.
He paused for a long moment.
—But every beginning has its end.
—Although the Force allowed him to live far longer than most, after two hundred years, his life finally came to an end.
My heart tightened at those words.
—He knew his time was approaching.
So we decided to create this place…
the Forest of Origin.
—A world separated from the universe.
—Here, he would spend his final days in peace and store all the knowledge we had gathered throughout our travels.
—Athena would become the guardian of that knowledge.
—And I would remain here, protecting the Yggdrasil Tree, the pillar of this world.
Fenrir stared directly at me.
—This world is real.
It exists apart from the rules of the universe to which you belong.
—Time flows differently here.
—For every year that passes in your universe…
two years pass here.
My eyes widened slightly.
—If two thousand years have passed in your world…
then four thousand have passed here.
I did not know what to say.
The scale of it all was overwhelming.
But one thing was clear.
This was my new path.
—Thank you for answering my questions, Great Fenrir.
The wolf nodded.
—Now comes the most important part.
—The trial.
His gaze became solemn.
—It was created by my friend, your ancestor.
He wished to leave an opportunity for his descendants.
—I have waited here for millennia for someone worthy.
He lowered his head slightly.
—But until now…
no one has ever succeeded.
His eyes locked onto mine.
—I do not know what the challenge is.
—I cannot help you.
—I can only wish you courage and determination.
He stepped slightly away from the tree.
—Place your hand upon Yggdrasil.
—And face your destiny.
Ratatosk peeked out from behind my shoulder.
—Munching sounds— I’ll be waiting for you.
Fenrir growled.
—Little rodent…
you stole Yggdrasil fruits again.
—Lies!
I brought these from my house!
—Ratatosk replied while chewing.
I sighed.
Those two would never stop arguing.
I slowly walked toward the tree.
I took a deep breath.
And placed my hand upon the trunk of Yggdrasil.
The instant I touched it…
I felt my consciousness leave my body.
My mind was drawn toward the very top of the tree.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing atop Yggdrasil in an ethereal form.
From there, I could see the entire forest.
It was an absolutely breathtaking sight.
One I would never forget.