「30」Good and Evil (Part 2)

SIDAPA

“FOUND it!” I exclaimed when I finally had the core in my grip.

I clasped it within my palm and carefully pulled it out. The screaming grew louder as the core was forcefully removed from its proper place. I knew the consequences, the risks, but none of them mattered to me now. If I was a sinner from the very beginning, then I would continue being one for my Libulan.

The instant the core exited the trunk, the thousand year old tree began to deteriorate. All the lifelines I had carved on its magnificent surface flashed a blinding light, causing me to shut my eyes. My machete that was still stuck to the trunk melted and became a black substance. The tree absorbed that substance. The tree itself started to rot away. The dead branches fell off first, and the live ones were forced to detach from the wood.

The ground made a rumbling sound, as if it was aching to open up and send everything from the above straight to hell. It was a horrifying sight to see. Then suddenly, the portal