"Huh? Where am I?"

Tyla blinked as consciousness returned. Her voice echoed strangely— lower, deeper. She froze. "Hmm... my body feels different... and my voice feels masculine."

Her hands moved instinctively, brushing over her chest, arms, and waist. Her fingers stopped when they found something... unfamiliar. Her eyes widened. "Wait... I can feel another part in my body..."

For a moment, silence. Then realization hit.

"Oh no..."

Tyla’s reflection rippled on the water’s surface before her —yet the image staring back was not hers. The face was sharper, jawline firmer, eyes a deeper shade of gray than before. Her long silver hair had shortened slightly, fluttering like threads of moonlight in the ocean breeze.

Tyla had turned back into her original form.

She was no longer Tyla. She was Tyler.

"So this is the real me again, huh?" he murmured, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity. "I wonder if Mina would still like me if I changed genders..."

Then he shook his head quickly, cheeks reddening. "That’s not important right now."

His surroundings came into focus.

He was floating in the middle of a vast, endless sea. The air was serene, untouched by chaos, and the water shimmered with a faint golden hue as if reflecting a dream rather than reality. Above him towered something colossal— a tree so immense that its roots vanished beneath the ocean while its branches reached into the heavens, piercing through shimmering cracks in the sky itself. Each branch connected to strange portals that rippled like shattered mirrors —windows to other worlds.

"This is..." Tyler whispered, breath caught in awe, "the World Tree."

He could barely comprehend the scale. The trunk stretched thousands of kilometers wide, its bark glowing softly like a jewel in the night. Three moons—one red, one white, one purple—hung over it like guardians, bathing the sea and tree in layers of surreal light.

"The Youngest World Tree...?" His voice trembled. "So it did really exists or existed once..."

All around, countless Elves stood upon the vast branches— men and women adorned in radiant robes, their eyes glowing faintly with life energy. They looked solemn, waiting for something— or someone.

Tyler’s body relaxed as a wave of peace washed over him. The suffocating mix of Aura and Prana that normally filled the air was gone. The chaotic hum of energy that plagued every world he had been in was completely absent here. The air was pure, calm... alive.

"I feel calm..." he whispered.

It reminded him of the moment near the World Tree stump— when everything was calm.

Then—

Fwoom.

A sound echoed behind him. The sea rippled violently. Tyler turned.

Spatial distortions twisted the air. Dozens—no, hundreds— of floating islands emerged from shimmering rifts in space, descending like fragments of forgotten worlds. The nearest one hurtled toward him with terrifying speed.

"Oh sh—!"

The island slammed straight into him— yet he felt nothing. His body phased through it like mist.

"This isn’t real..." he muttered, floating upward for a better view. "A memory, maybe? Or a vision."

From above, he saw everything.

The first island was an expanse of bronze and iron. Gigantic cannons lined its edges, and enormous mechanical puppets stood in ranks, their eyes dimly glowing blue. Tiny figures clambered over them, adjusting gears and loading energy crystals into their chests.

"Those are... Ancient Dwarves," Tyler said softly. Their craftsmanship was unlike anything he had ever seen— far beyond even modern engineering.

The next island was cloaked in clouds. Gentle music echoed— harps, choirs, the sound of wind through crystal towers. A massive, serpentine creature drifted through the mist: a snake-like being with multiple swan wings and a golden orb-like eye gleaming at its front. Around it, graceful figures with golden hair and white-feathered wings glided through the air, their presence radiant and almost divine.

"Angels," Tyler murmured.

He turned to the other islands —each a world of its own.

A realm of Giants, their towering cities built on mountain peaks. A jungle of Orcs, their drums beating like thunder. Marshlands filled with Trolls and Goblins, their eyes gleaming with cunning light. Faes danced across crystalline lakes. Hags brewed storms above their cauldrons. Imps, Minotaurs, Ghouls, and Kobolds—every ancient race gathered, each island floating in orbit around the radiant World Tree.

And then—

Darkness fell.

From the deepest void of space came an island so massive that it swallowed light itself. It drifted slowly toward the others, its aura suffocating. Even though Tyler was only a phantom within this scene, a chill ran through him.

"What the hell..." he whispered, as the shadow passed over him.

Shapes emerged —humanoid, but not quite human. Wings of shadow, eyes like molten coals, and veins that pulsed with corrupted crimson light. Elves, dwarves, beasts —all warped and tainted by Demonic Qi.

"Demons," Tyler said grimly.

The angels above tensed, glaring down. "Tsk. Filthy creatures," one spat, voice sharp with divine disdain.

A murmur rippled through all the races. The air grew heavy. The World Tree trembled faintly, its branches humming like strings on an invisible instrument.

Then—

"Everyone," a serene voice spoke.

A young-looking elf descended slowly from the crown of the World Tree. His skin was pale as snow, his hair silvery white, his eyes calm yet ancient. A golden crown rested upon his brow, and light radiated faintly from his every movement. He was otherworldly —like a being untouched by sin or age.

Beside him floated a small elf girl. Her face was soft, innocent —but something about her presence made Tyler’s chest tighten with familiarity. He couldn’t place it, yet he knew he had seen her before.

As the crowned elf raised his hand, all sound stopped. The crashing waves went still. The wind ceased. Even the distant hum of the moons silenced.

The Elf King began to speak.

---

"After the Gods disappeared," he said, voice resonant and clear, "the world was left unbalanced. Spiritual Energy spread unchecked, yet Mana —the essence of Magic— faded from existence overnight."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle across the gathered races.

"But soon we discovered something even stranger. The air began to change. Two new forces emerged— energies unknown to the ancient ways. The humans of the south call them Aura and Prana. Though they appear harmless, they devour the remaining Spiritual Energy in the atmosphere... and twist the world into chaos."

A ripple of murmurs passed through the islands.

"Maybe the world’s balance will shift forever," the Elf King continued. "We, the First Races, cannot rely on Eternity on the North. The heavens are collapsing, the rivers of time are fragmenting, and the Abyss whispers once again. That is why we— the highest races—have gathered here today."

His eyes glowed faintly. "To form a new alliance... not to defend this world, but to conquer new ones."

A murmur turned to uproar.

The Dwarves slammed their metal gauntlets. "Aye! Expansion, finally!"

The Angels frowned. "You speak of domination?"

The Elf King smiled faintly. "Call it what you wish. We have already reached the upper realms. But beyond that lies the unknown—realms untouched by divine or demonic law."

He raised his hand again. "Our mission is difficult... but not impossible."

An Angel with six radiant wings floated forward, voice proud. "Difficult—but not impossible indeed."

The Elf King nodded. "There are only a few forces capable of connecting entire realities. Only a handful of bridges between worlds remain."

He spread his fingers, and five orbs of light appeared before him.

"One—The Time Traveling Cultivator. Two—The Endless Void. Three—The River of Time. Four—The Abyss. And Five—The World Tree."

Each orb expanded, showing glimpses:

A lone figure walking through collapsing stars, there is a pixie on it’s shoulder.

A black emptiness beyond creation.

A glowing river where moments flowed like water.

A mouth of infinite darkness that looked like a Bee Hive. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

And finally— the Tree, its roots and branches weaving across universes.

"The Time Traveling Cultivator is a myth!" an Angel shouted. "Even if such a being exists, we do not want him here. He can erase us all by simply altering history."

"The Endless Void..." grumbled a Dwarf. "We’ve tried to pierce it. Even with warp gates and light-speed vessels, it’s endless. We’d die before we ever reached another universe."

"The River of Time," a Goblin croaked, "even Saints couldn’t find it. The Saints vanished with the Gods, remember?"

"The Abyss," a Demon purred, licking its lips. "Ahh, home. But step into it, and you may never return. Even we fear its depths."

"That leaves us one option," the Elf King said calmly. "The World Tree."

The air shimmered as his words carried weight beyond magic.

"This world has three World Trees," he continued. "One floats in the southern void, drifting endlessly. Another lies deep in the Elf Realm, protected by reclusive kin. The third... is this one. The youngest, and yet the most promising. It has not yet matured, but it possesses the unique power to connect to realms far beyond our reach."

"So you plan to use it as a bridge," murmured the Angel.

"Exactly. We shall extend our roots through it— through the cracks between realities. We will reach a new realm untouched by gods or demons."

The Angel’s eyes narrowed. "But where does this bridge lead? Which realm will we connect to?"

The Elf King smiled faintly. "Forgive me for keeping it secret until now..."

The silence was suffocating. Even the Demons held their breath.

"The place this tree shall connect to..." he said softly, "...is the Dream Realm."

Every being—angel, demon, dwarf, elf—froze in shock. The air itself trembled. The sea rippled as if reality doubted the words it had just heard.

Tyler’s eyes widened.

"The Dream Realm...?" he whispered, "Another familiar word..."