As soon as the plant was secured, Erik noted that the roots had spread beyond the soil and lodged themselves into the building's rotting walls. It seemed as though the plant had discovered an odd source of nourishment in the ancient bricks in its search for sustenance.
The thin and delicate roots intermingled with the wall's fissures and crevices, clinging tenaciously as they gathered nourishment from the surrounding environment and grew along the walls, hugging them in a tight embrace.
The plant appeared to have exceptional tenacity and adaptability, allowing it to grow even in the worst conditions.
He discovered something strange as he inspected the roots more attentively. They radiated a faint, bluish glow, their energy pulsing in time with the plant's ethereal radiance. However, the energy within decreased rapidly, and the glow dimmed.
Soon a transformation began to take place right in front of his eyes. The once vivid and supple tendrils that had threaded their way through the crumbling walls began to wilt. The once vibrant colors had faded, replaced by a grey pallor that stretched like a blanket down the length of each root.
The roots became brittle and frail as the plant's vigor evaporated. Thin cracks emerged on their surface, simulating dry dirt needing water. The breaks grew deeper over time, separating the roots into shards that decomposed into small particles. The roots crumbled into fine flakes like ashes as the metamorphosis accelerated.
<This is not good…>
The remnants started falling to the ground by the air coming from the hole in the roof, which allowed air to spread inside the building, dispersing the plant's ashes like ghostly dust within the abandoned room. The ashes shimmered briefly before being carried away by an unseen stream, a last fleeting glimpse of the plant's former vitality.
A strong tremor shook through the building's foundation at that exact instant.
"Shit… The plant kept the building in place."
The building groaned and creaked in protest, its aged timbers and weathered bricks reacting to the disruption with a cacophony of unpleasant noises.
The tremors became more intense as if the removal of the mystical plant had awoken the structure itself. The walls shook, sending cascades of dust and debris down from above.
As the structure convulsed, Erik's surroundings seemed to dance in chaos, as if the very fabric of reality had been disrupted.
Objects fell from shelves, smashing to the ground in a flurry of shattered glass and splintered wood; parts of the ceiling started to collapse from the floor above, destroying the flooring and falling to the room Erik was currently standing in. The formerly peaceful and tranquil atmosphere had been overwhelmed by turmoil.
"I'd better get out of here."
Erik's heart pounded with adrenaline-fueled urgency with each thunderous shake and tremor that resonated through the structure. His feet pounded against the shaky ground beneath him as he dashed towards the stairs going back to the first floor.
However, as he ran upstairs, a portion of it gave way beneath Erik's weight. His heart skipped a beat as the wood cracked and disintegrated, threatening to throw him back to the bottom floor and lock him below. His hands went out instinctively, reaching for something to grab onto, desperate for an anchor to keep him from falling.
Erik's fingers found traction on a solid handrail; the wood was weathered but amazingly unbroken. He held on to it with all his might, his heart thumping in his chest as he dangled perilously over the dark gulf that opened beneath him. Sweat ran down his brow as he battled to regain his footing.
With sheer determination, the young man gathered his strength and hauled himself up, centimeter by centimeter. The railing cracked and moaned under strain, but it stayed fast even as the building shook, giving him the lifeline he needed. The world appeared to hold its breath as he struggled against gravity, his muscles straining.
Erik lifted himself onto the solid earth of the first floor with a sigh of relief. He took a deep breath and paused momentarily to take in the sights around him.
The awakener's veins were filled with a mixture of thankfulness and adrenaline. He silently thanked the gods for saving him from a potentially fatal fall. At that moment, though, he turned to face the building's entrance, the window he had destroyed to get inside. He began rushing away from the exit without looking back.
The building creaked and complained, threatening to collapse at any moment, but Erik persisted, motivated by an intuitive desire to flee the collapsing structure.
His hammering footsteps eventually reached the window, and he burst through it to escape. The air felt significantly more stable there; Erik took a huge breath to savor the fresh air.
As the kid stepped out of the rotting mansion, the building's foundations groaned beneath the weight of its own age. The young man turned to look back in time to see a scene of devastation.
The structure, weakened by the lack of roots, could no longer support the weight it had supported for so long. The walls collapsed with a tremendous sound, releasing clouds of dust and debris into the air.
To him, the collapse appeared to happen in slow motion, with debris hanging in mid-air before succumbing to gravity's grip. Dust clouds billowed, hiding the structure's ruins and engulfing the memories trapped within its walls.
Erik stood there, fascinated by the sight, his emotions racing. Witnessing the demolition of a place with so much history and value was a moving experience. The once-standing structure disintegrated, tumbling in a violent avalanche of rubble.
Erik exhaled a sigh of relief as he stood a safe distance from the collapsing building, his heart racing from the adrenaline-fueled escape.
"Wow, that was a close call," he muttered to himself, his voice filled with shock and gratitude. "I can't believe I made it out in one piece. Talk about luck."
The kid took a step back as the dust fell to the ground, and silence returned to the scene, allowing himself to digest the enormity of what he had witnessed.
"I wonder what archaeologists would have thought about this place. It's a little bit sad that the building collapsed. But why did no one find this place during all this time?"
To be honest, that was weird, as it wasn't like it was hard to find the building. The vines growing on it were too weird not to notice, mainly due to how they grew vertically.
Erik then looked at his side; the plant holding the water bottle was there. Erik gingerly cradled the plant's water bottle in his hands, his attention fixed on the ethereal glow within. The flower, nestled within the container, seemed to throb with an otherworldly force as if it carried a secret waiting to be revealed.
He rotated the bottle gently, watching the slender green stems twist and coil like serpents in an elaborate dance. Each stem was adorned with glowing leaves that emitted a delicate, captivating glow that coated his hands with iridescent color. The beautiful colors of the petals, which blended iridescent blues and purples like a starry night sky, captivated his imagination and enslaved him.
Suspended from the branches, clusters of translucent spheres radiated a gentle pulsing of mana that resonated with a beautiful murmur. The spheres, whose hue changed from deep blue to shimmering silver, appeared to respond to invisible cosmic forces, adding to the plant's mystique.
Erik was amazed at the flower in the bottle's beauty and unfathomable power as he examined it. The delicate aroma of the plant, a gentle sweetness that permeated the air, added to the enchantment surrounding it.
<Luckily I didn't drop this, or I would have risked my life for nothing…> the young man thought.
Erik's gaze was riveted on the plant inside the bottle. He couldn't help but wonder about its capabilities and if the capacity to fend off the thaids was real. For now, it was just a hunch, fueled by the slightly repulsing feeling he felt from the plant scent despite its alluring perfume.
"It's wonderful," Erik murmured as he observed the flower inside the bottle, his voice laced with admiration and hope. "But can this beautiful flower truly protect me from the thaids?"
Erik tightened his grip on the bottle, determination shining in his eyes. "I may not know for certain, but I won't let doubt stop me from trying, at least. It may work or not, but I need to try if I want an answer."
The young man then stood on his feet again. He removed the dust, the earth, and the dried leaves from his clothes.
Leaving the remnants of the destroyed house behind, Erik resumed his march with a renewed determination. His boots crunched against the gravelly path as he set his sights on the road ahead. The weight of the past lingered in his mind, but he knew he had to keep moving, pushing forward toward his destination.
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