SIGRID

At that moment, I was beyond grateful for my knowledge of black magic.

Even so, despite all the strange things I had witnessed, watching the trunk of that tree split open, with dark, tar-like blood oozing onto the ground from within, and the body of that man being "released"—that was a scene that would be burned into my memory forever.

Half of his body tumbled out of the tree trunk, barely recognizable, his raw flesh exposed and slowly being devoured.

He tried to crawl forward using his arms, but he couldn’t. His legs were still trapped—it seemed that cursed tree wouldn’t let go of its meal so easily.

The slave clung to life. Not a single sound escaped his lips despite the excruciating pain he had to be feeling, and something like admiration stirred in my chest.

I placed the baby on the soft grass, away from this horrific scene, and strode toward him with determination.

"Come on, don’t make me waste my time and spells in vain," I urged him sharply, gripping his arms and yanking