She watched the world from afar, imprisoned, though certainly not due to any actions of her sons.

Her sons

Those that had never even known her, not truly.

The enforcers had come, their dominion over this world and the trap long set upon it, long set within and through her, still just as tightly coiled as it remained in her own heart.

She should not have become involved.

In their world? No, that had never been a choice.

But in looking upon it…

It was painful enough to bear witness to all that the damnable parasite had done, had influenced, encouraged, and forced through her. Through the unbearable abomination of her being, what it had become – what it had been warped into.

How many ages had passed? Millennia, even tens or hundreds of them?

She no longer knew, in truth she'd stopped caring long ago.

And yet…

Something in these people, in their recent histories, had stirred her.

Enough to look upon the world, even with all its pain and hardship – its ugliness and beauty, paradoxically entangled as it was.

Their hearts… their will.

It echoed something in her, something long lost and nearly forgotten.

Even so, these people… it wasn't as if there was anything to be done for them, she could not so much as speak. Not truly.

Yet something had sparked within her. A curiosity, perhaps.

One that smoldered, and fanned into a low ember.

Something she tried to snuff out herself.

I know better.

Becoming involved would only mean the enemy would find out, that they would use these feelings against her.

That would be worse, in the long run, for herself and everyone involved.

There was no point to it.

The only thing she had left was to let them rest… to influence the shell of her being, what remained of her mind and who or whatever she once was, to protect all of those souls trapped within the God Tree.

They at least should know peace.

A short uneasiness swept through her, acknowledging the fact that these people would balk at her having such a thought. Because they didn't know.

Their memories weren't simply gone.

They'd been transmigrated, swept away to a place far from the reach of those enforcers. Their physical beings yes, taken and transformed for war, but their souls? Intact.

It didn't matter.

Nothing she could do would matter.

This parasite… that horrific, liquid darkness.

For the first time, it was at least now distanced from her. She could finally begin to breathe, think, become more self-aware, all on her own. Without its constant manipulations and prodding.

Who was it that had so overwhelmed her? That had forced this upon her?

The woman could not bring herself to recall.