Maehwa Tree- Tower of god/TOG

²¹Destiny

"Hell Joe? What kind of stupid name is that?" Yuri asked.

Ai chuckled and answered
"It's the name of the warlord that rules the south city. This place is divided into the south and north city. As you know, Hell Joe rules the south and Grand de Lee rules the north."

She continued on without a smile this time
"Hell Joe is a tyrant of a warlord. He's something of a maverick so he doesn't really trust anyone. And if he dislikes them, he traps them in an Eternal Prison. They say he's an evil, lawless man."

She starts explaining Hell Joe's backstory of being a hole digger, he discovered something about the holes which led to the previous ruler of the south city, Grand De Sah, to trusting him. Hell Joe usurping Grand De Sah's rule, betrayal, yah de yah de yah-

But here's the important part
Hell Joe was actually working with FUG and was secretly sending fragments of the thorn to them.

"Well, since your already here, can't you help me and my master for once?"

Yuri contemplated but quickly replied with an alright.

Ai raised her hands in joy.

"Make sure you lead us well, and to find Bam for us too." Yuri said.

Ai giggled happily and agreed quickly.

——

Garam was with Bam, telling him about the hidden story of Arlene Grace.

"So she really is my mother?" Bam asked

"Well, I'm not sure of that. All I know is that she had a baby when she and V tried to escape the tower." Garam said.

"So that baby is-

Garam interrupted "No. that baby was murdered by Zahard. It was written in Arlene's diary, after the incident, her sanity couldn't be kept intact. She went insane. Unable to handle the death of her child, Arlene tried committing suicide, but that didn't work since she was as immortal as the rest of the 10 family heads."

Garam continued.
"But V wasn't Immortal, he couldn't bear to see Arlene so down, so he himself committed suicide and left a note saying 'forget everything and return to your companions and live happily.' But Arlene didn't return to Zahard nor to the 10 family heads. She seeked out the one person she could trust her life with. Another hidden companion of Zahard. His most trusted one too, Hwaya the Scarlet Witch. Hwaya had helped the two escape but Arlene and V never did hear from her ever again, so they feared for the worse.

And that fear was true. When Arlene went to visit her dear friend. She found no clue of her. Not a single word of her name nor her nickname. Not a single hair strand, not even a memorial. But the only reason she knew of Hwaya's death was because Arie had gone out of his way to send her a message. 'Hwaya is dead. It's not your fault.'

From that single message, Arlene cried for three days. While still keeping her now dead baby in a comatose state with her shinsu.

After finally getting the courage to escape the tower once more, she finally found a way.

"But as I was leaving this place, I couldn't let go of the longing for my love, for my dead companion nor for my dead child. So I decided, to offer this child's body to the god outside. Someday the gods power will enter this child's body and awaken him again. That child will open the door to this tower and return someday. He shall achieve vengeance for my love and my lost comrades and finish the war that we started with his own hands. He shall destroy corrupt power and bring truth to the tower. Gods messenger shall place the red thorn in that child's hands, and that child shall use the red thorn to cut the throat of the greedy king. And he shall find the hidden key and open the door, and lead everyone in the tower to greater heights."