After the long conversation with **Queen Victoria**, my mind was still filled with the reality I had just faced. But before all of that—before I sat in front of the queen—there was one thing I couldn't ignore.
Carla.
She was the one who brought me to this place. We had walked for quite a while, through a forest that grew increasingly strange and silent. She kept talking about something she called the "Mystic Gate," a doorway into a world invisible to most people.
"The gate is inside an ancient tree," she had said, "but… I can't see it."
When we arrived, a massive tree stood before me—larger than anything I had ever seen. Its roots sprawled across the ground like giant hands gripping the earth. Carla stopped, stared intently, then shook her head.
"I know this is the place… but I still can't see it."
I nodded slowly. And at that moment, for some reason, I could see it clearly: a slit in the trunk, shaped like a door with a faint glow from within. My body moved before I had a chance to think.
I stepped inside, letting the light swallow me. And that was when I left Carla behind—silent, her face full of confusion.
This world was unlike anything I had ever seen. Every breath carried a fresh scent I couldn't describe. The sky shimmered—not just blue, but also green, gold, and silver, shifting like silk caught in the wind. Yet even though everything appeared peaceful… I knew this peace wasn't meant to be enjoyed, but tested.
After I finished speaking with **Queen Victoria**, she placed me in a place she called the **"Circle of Emotion"**—a flat stretch of land beneath an ancient tree that held the memories of the elements.
"You can't control earth… if you can't make peace with the wounds inside you," she said before leaving.
And now here I am, standing alone in the silence.
Suddenly, the ground beneath me trembled. Roots burst from the earth, forming a circle around me. A thin mist rose, then shifted—becoming a figure… one far too familiar.
**Mother.**
She stood before me, her body frail just as it had been the last time I saw her. Her hair hung loose, her eyes dim yet warm.
"I just wanted you to live in peace, Hiro," she said, her voice trembling. "Not like this… running, hiding… alone."
I tried to reply, but my voice caught in my throat. My shoulders began to shake. I knew this wasn't real. But it felt… too real to ignore.
"I never wanted to leave you," she continued. "But I couldn't stop it."
And then, the ground beneath me began to crack. Small stones floated into the air. I grasped the earth—not to attack, but to hold it steady.
I was holding myself together.
I remembered Queen Victoria's words: *"Earth is buried emotion. If you don't unearth it, it will bury you."*
Tears fell. Not from weakness.
But because I finally accepted the pain.
And for the first time… the earth responded. It didn't shake me. It didn't throw me down. It was still. Calm.
And with me.