Zion directed all of his power toward the roots of the world tree, flooding it with holy power. The world trembled as the transformation surged forward.
Zion’s body blazed with holy energy as wave after wave poured from him, slamming into the World Tree with deafening force. The colossal trunk groaned, its bark fracturing in radiant lines as divine light tried to thread itself through centuries of ancient magic. The air shook with each pulse, cracking under the strain.
Threads of holy power spiraled outward, twisting and thrashing like wild serpents, threatening to spill across the entire forest. They were caught mid-flight—snatched and bound by luminous chains, sealed before they could burst free. More surged in their place. The tree was rejecting the power, but that wasn’t going to stop Zion.
The resistance was raw and fierce. The World Tree trembled, fighting the intrusion with every root and branch. A violent backlash erupted, hurling divine light in all directions, nearly scattering the formation.
"Too much power," Aryah said through gritted teeth. "It’s slipping past my barrier!"
"I know," Zion growled, forcing more control into the flow.
Rings of radiant power formed and locked tighter, holding the energy in place as the sacred force continued to dig deeper, threading into the core. Each breath was agony, each second stretched into eternity. The divine and the natural clashed, fought, then—slowly—began to sync.
A leaf turned gold. Then another. Then a thousand.
The transformation rippled upward like fire through dry grass. Half of the canopy turned to gleaming gold, the other half holding its deep emerald hue. But the power still pushed outward toward the city, the land, and the forest.
The same holy threads lashed through the air, surging over rooftops and across bark. Trees all around the capital flickered as the light hit them. Half of every leaf turned gold. Vines shimmered in twin tones. Flowers bloomed with golden petals beside green ones. Grass became a mosaic of life and light.
Another wave hit. It buckled the formation.
"You’re pushing too much," Aryah hissed. "It’ll break the natural order if it spills beyond the tree."
"I know," Zion grunted. "But it has to be enough. It has to reach the heart. Or whatever a tree has for a heart."
Zion increased his power and forced the tree into submission.
Every pulse from the tree sent shockwaves through the air, but the holy pressure held. The power bent. The balance settled.
And then—quiet. Golden light settled like dust. The World Tree stood silent, colossal, resplendent. Half gold. Half green. So too did the forest.
Aryah’s voice came, strained but steady. "We did it."
Zion didn’t respond right away. He stared at the World Tree, glowing with sacred energy.
"Holy moly!" Valindra exclaimed, looking at the brand-new World Tree.
"Holy indeed." Melina nodded.
Zion flew back down to the ground, taking a minute to catch his breath.
"Fuck, I should have used the staff of magic, I’m so fucking stupid." He said with a strained voice.
Luminera chuckled slightly. ’I was going to remind you, but I was like, nah, he knows what he’s doing.’
"So? Did anything change on your end? I can feel the tree radiating your holy power, so you should definitely feel something, right?"
’Oh, I feel something alright.’ Just then, the sky crackled with golden lightning and a divine presence not felt in over 10,000 years.
Zion’s eyes widened, then he smiled. "You’ve escaped that void. You’re back in heaven now."
"Hahaha! That’s right." She bellowed, her voice now clearer than ever in Zion’s head.
"The world tree acted as an anchor for my power, allowing me to reclaim a part of the mortal world. Now with followers and an anchor, I was able to return to my heavenly space and recharge my power. It will still take some time for me to be at 100 percent, but I’m back to being a full Goddess once again."
Zion decided to spend the next few days rebuilding and curing the people from their sicknesses. He went to every part of Alfheim to offer aid and the support of his people.
Melina, now a part of Heaven’s Bane, decided to let the citizens of Alfheim settle down before making a huge announcement that would change the course of Elven history. Then, on the day of the announcement, every elf attended.
"I know these past few days have been hard and tough on you all, but I’m happy to announce that those hard times are now behind us! Some of you lost friends, family, and other loved ones, and to honor their memory, we’ll be holding a grand ceremony in three days time.
Some of you might be wondering why we had to suffer through such a hard time. You might be questioning if this was a test from Goddess Freya, but I’m here to give you the reality of the situation. Our Goddess Freya has betrayed us!"
Gasps and murmurs riddled the crowd. Some couldn’t believe what their queen just said. Others were furious for insulting their goddess, while others were more open to understanding why she said those things.
"Demons occupied our land, our home, and we couldn’t even see them coming when they attacked. Holy Power, the one thing that can fight against demonic energy, failed to protect us. Nimreth, our Divine Apostle, turned her back on us and sided with our enemies. She helped orchestrate the killing of our people, helped with the invasion, and killed my husband and two sons. Is that how a Divine Apostle should act? No! Where was Freya when we were suffering? Nowhere to be found. We were abandoned, forgotten, and betrayed."
A video of Nimreth admitting everything and fighting against Melina appeared in the air as Zion’s satellite managed to capture it.
"During all of this, there was one person who helped us even when he didn’t need to. He saved our people, cured them, rebuilt their homes, and drove out those invaders. Zion Zagan, the Divine Apostle of Luminera. Using her light, he gave us a new future, a new path, and a new World Tree. So, from now on, the official religion of Alfheim will follow Luminera, not Freya! I can’t ask you to convert, but I do hope you give her a chance, as she was the one who saved us when our goddess abandoned us."
Maybe it was because of her amazing speech or simply coming to the realization themselves, but every elf, the entire of Alfheim, accepted Melina’s words as the truth, especially after seeing the proof via the video and Zion’s efforts.
It didn’t take any convincing at all, and just like that, all of Alfheim were Followers of Luminera.