The scorched desert stretched in every direction, glittering under the brutal sun. But in that emptiness, the dunes were not the most eye-catching thing.
It was a massive black scorpion, the size of a twelve-story building, scuttling across the sand with terrifying grace.
And sitting on its shiny armored back, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, was a guy.
A ridiculously cute guy.
Hyun-woo, twenty-four years old but looking sixteen, clung lightly to one of the scorpion's ridges. His black hair was messy from the wind; a loose white T-shirt flapped around his toned chest and arms (he'd worked hard for those muscles, okay?); and his big brown eyes kept darting around nervously.
He wasn't riding toward the tower of Eden. Nope. They were heading the long way around, to the east side of the barrier, where the desert suddenly turned into thick, dark forest.
One second they were dying of heat; the next, Hyun-woo was staring at huge green trees, misty air, and flowers that glow soft blue at night. The place felt beautiful yet profoundly wrong, as if the desert and the forest were fighting a silent war, neither willing to lose an inch of ground.
"Hey, Ebo?" Hyun-woo called. "Why are we going this way again?"
The giant scorpion (Ebonara) slowed a little. Her tail curled lazily in the air.
A smooth, warm voice floated into Hyun-woo's head, playful and teasing. "Because I like hearing you ask cute questions, Hyun~"
Hyun-woo stared at her, mouth agape.
She always talked straight into his mind with magic. It felt weird, like she was whispering right against his ear even though in this form her face was so far away.
"But really," she continued, amused, "the Tower of Eden has a super strong magic wall around it. Only women can walk through. If any man touches it—poof!—instant death. No save point, no retry. That's why we're going to my friends' place first. They'll watch you while I go to the meeting."
Hyun-woo blinked. "Wait… do I have to chill with your friends? Why can't I stay in your cave? Wouldn't I be much safer there?"
Ebo let out a rumbling laugh that vibrated through her whole body, making Hyun-woo bounce a little on her back.
"Silly. My territory is full of hungry, thoughtless monsters. The moment I leave, they go into a frenzy and will try to eat you day and night. You would have no rest." Her tail swayed teasingly close to his thigh. "Trust me, I know you are powerful, but I suspect you would not enjoy fighting all the time."
Hearing this Hyun-woo felt a little warmth in his heart. Even if she had just met him, she was protecting him in her own weird way. She really was weird. He smiled softly and rested his hand on the warm, smooth plate of her back.
Somehow Ebo felt his touch. She could feel his gentle touch so clearly it made something in her chest feel strange and fluttery. Weird. She wasn't used to that.
"Um," Hyun-woo said, suddenly thinking of something. "Won't your friend have to go to the meeting too?"
"Nope!" she answered proudly. "I'm dropping you off with three gorgon sisters. Anyway, they have snakes for hair. And usually, only one of them will show up at the meeting; the other two usually stay in their own territory. But all three of them owe me a huge favor. They'll keep you safe. Probably."
"Probably?!" Hyun-woo squeaked. Aren't you sure yourself?
Ebo's laugh echoed across the sand again, rich and delighted.
She whispered the last words, "Relax, Hyun. They're probably not going to kill you."
Hyun-woo just gulped; he knew the myths about those three sisters. He was not worried, alright. He just didn't want anything bad to happen to Ebo either because of him.
Ahead of them, the wall of dark green forest grew closer. Fireflies (no, bigger glowing bugs) started drifting out of the trees like tiny lanterns. The air turned cooler, smelling like rain and sweet flowers.
Hyun-woo took a deep breath, clutching Ebo's shell a little tighter.
"Let's just hope nothing bad happens," he whispered. And let's just hope those three are not from those myths.
Ebo's tail gently (very gently) patted his leg, as if telling him it was okay because she was here.
"Don't worry, those three owe me, after all."
And with that, the giant scorpion and her cute rider disappeared into the glowing forest, leaving only a trail of shimmering sand behind them.
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After hours of creeping through that eerie, glowing forest, Ebonara finally stopped in front of the strangest, most beautiful tree house or houses Hyun-woo had ever seen. As in there were three houses built on the tree.
They were built inside and around one gigantic tree that towered over every other tree in the forest. But this wasn't a normal tree. It was split exactly in half from roots to crown, like a god had sliced it with a sword long ago.
One side was alive: warm golden-brown wood, glowing faintly with green sap that ran through the bark like veins, and thick emerald leaves rustled softly even though there was no wind.
The other side was solid stone: smooth pale gray granite threaded with silver lines that shimmered like moonlight trapped inside rock.
Wood and stone grew together perfectly—no gaps, no cracks—just one impossible tree, half living, half eternal.
The front door was a huge arch cut right where wood met stone, big enough for even Ebonara to walk through if she lowered her tail.
Inside, the ground floor belonged to the youngest sister. The ground floor house was made of both Grey Stone and Brown Wood.
The floor was polished golden heartwood that felt warm under your feet. Shelves carved into the living walls held bundles of sweet-smelling dried herbs and crystals that glowed soft colors. All the furniture—benches, tables, even a big round bed covered in springy green moss—had simply grown out of the tree itself. The moss smelled like pine needles and honey; it looked so comfy Hyun-woo almost wanted to flop onto it right then.
A wide spiral staircase made of twisted roots on one side and carved stone steps on the other curled upward through the center of the trunk.
Halfway up, the living-wood side opened into the middle sister room. Sunlight poured in through windows shaped from bent branches. Balconies of woven vines stuck out like bird nests, hammocks of spider-silk and flowering vines swayed gently, and the air smelled like fresh leaves and warm summer.
Higher still, the stone half took over. The eldest sister's home was cool and quiet. Smooth granite floors, tall windows cut into solid rock, rows of stone statues standing like silent guards (Hyun-woo really hoped those were just decorations), and blue flames dancing in stone bowls that never went out. Her bed was a huge slab of black marble covered in soft silver furs and clean white sheets. Strange glowing runes were carved into every wall—they sparkled whenever moonlight touched them.
Little bridges of braided vines and stone arches connected the two sides on every floor, so the sisters could visit each other without ever going outside. From the branches hung wind chimes made of old snake bones and clear crystals; they made soft, haunting music whenever the forest breathed.
From far away, the whole place looked like a giant glowing hourglass made of gold wood and silver stone rising out of the mist—beautiful, impossible, and a little scary.
This was the home of the three gorgon sisters.
The moment Ebonara lowered her massive body so Hyun-woo could slide off, he felt it: three pairs of eyes locked onto him.
He looked up slowly.
Three women stood at different levels of the tree-house, staring down with sharp, glowing gazes that made the hair on his neck stand up. One on the wooden balcony, one on a stone window ledge, one at the front door. Their snake-hair hissed softly, tongues flicking, eyes bright with curiosity… or hunger.
Hyun-woo swallowed hard. His legs felt like jelly.
He had no idea what was going to happen next.
But one thing was crystal clear—these three weren't just strong.
They were terrifyingly.
But also they were terrifyingly beautiful.
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Chapter 13 is now available on Patreon.