Cannimi

Finding yourself in an unfamiliar place is always terrifying, especially when you’re there alone, with no one to offer even emotional support. Although most people are familiar with this feeling, it would be hard for them to imagine how a young girl must have felt when her life was turned upside down in a matter of seconds. One moment she was strolling through a neighborhood she knew so well when she heard the neighing of horses, and then she felt only excruciating pain that quickly knocked her unconscious. Instead of waking up in a hospital or in her own comfortable bed, she was greeted by the darkness of a levitating coffin and a group of people dressed like members of an underground cult, led by a man wearing a terrifying raven mask, whose yellow eyes seemed to pierce everything with a judgmental gaze.

Finding herself in a distant realm full of mages, magic, and creatures that were mythical to her should have broken her. Most people wouldn’t have been able to handle it mentally and would have given up quickly, yet she decided to keep living until the Headmage would found her a way back to her beloved and safe home.

Everything slowly began to fall into place, and despite the heart-wrenching grief and longing, she learned to live in this twisted world and even found companions dear to her heart, with whom she could happily spend her days and on whom she could count for support in most cases.

However, with every day she spent in Twisted Wonderland, the sight of a certain dark liquid poisoned her mind, taking root in her heart and destroying her seemingly brave and cheerful demeanor. Every single overblot, every harm she witnessed or experienced, left an irreversible mark on the girl’s already fragile psyche, which was undeniably weighed down simply by her presence in a foreign dimension.

It started innocently enough, when she witnessed only two or three overblots, or when they involved someone to whom she wasn’t so strongly emotionally attached. She would flinch at the sight of them, avoid eye contact, or always stay in the company of someone she trusted, afraid of being left alone with those who had been consumed by the blot.

Then she began to feel her heart racing at the mere sight of the ink that some of the students at school used for writing. Just as some people freeze in fear at the sight of a spider, she would stiffen at the sight of ink spilled by a student next to her and only snap out of it when Grim called her attention to it, but her gaze would involuntarily wander toward the black abyss of ink, as if it might come to life at any moment.

After the incidents with the overblots, they really tried to improve and learned from their mistakes, but no matter how hard they tried, repairing what had been destroyed wasn’t easy. And love alone isn’t enough to completely mend a broken heart.

Riddle Rosehearts

After the Overblot, a great deal of information reached Riddle, changing his worldview. When he fully realized everything he had done and what he had blindly believed in, he decided from the bottom of his heart to change for the better. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to eradicate all ingrained behaviors overnight. That’s why he appreciated the second chance he’d been given, as well as the patience others showed him, despite the atrocities he’d committed against his students.

He tried harder to control himself and found himself involuntarily looking for a certain non-magical student he knew well, almost as if seeking her approval. Every time he looked at her, he was overcome with guilt that she had been dragged into this, even though she was defenseless in a world where magic was an everyday reality. Memories kept coming back to him of the moments when, under the influence of the blot, he had aimed spells at her—which could have ended tragically if it hadn’t been for the other students at Heartslabyulu who had protected her.

She became his main motivation to change himself for the better, because over time, as he observed her helpfulness and kindness, he began to develop ever stronger feelings for her and wanted to be worthy of someone like her. However, his efforts seemed to go unnoticed by her, and he was painfully aware of how tense she became every time she saw him.

One day, she was invited to a Unbirthday Party, and everything seemed to be just right—but then all the calm vanished like a spell.

“ACE, DEUCE! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?! OFF WITH Y- …ahem,” Riddle was red with anger as he watched the two of them running around the garden, causing one of the vases to tip over.

The two friends quickly got to their feet, apologizing and blaming each other, and Riddle simply told them to clean up the mess and scolded them for their bad behavior. Deep down, however, he was proud that he’d managed to control himself in time. Instinctively, he glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye, expecting a giggle or a smile, but he froze when he saw the terror etched on her face and her gaze fixed on the floor as she awkwardly stroked Grim.

He wanted so badly to ask her what had happened and desperately try to bring a smile to her face, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He didn’t dare do so until after the feast was over, when everyone was bustling about cleaning up, and she looked as if she wanted to get back to her dorm as quickly as possible.

“We need to talk,” said Riddle, grabbing her wrist and cursing himself inwardly for how harsh his tone sounded. He quickly let go of her and continued, “…I’m sorry. I just think something’s bothering you.”

“Everything’s fine,” the girl smiled, but the redhead could see a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.

“Lying is against the rules,” Riddle muttered under his breath, then looked at her again. “Listen, I…”

But he froze when he saw how quickly she lowered her head, apologizing over and over for breaking some rule, almost as if her life depended on it. The initial shock quickly subsided, and he was the one who started to panic a little, even though it looked like he was the one who was angry.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m not good… at this,” Riddle sighed, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks from his sudden embarrassment at the whole situation.

However, this only made her apologize even more, and no amount of reasoning seemed to get through to her.

“Stop it. I already told you, I’m not angry!”

“When you turn red… you always yell afterward! I… I’m sorry…! Please, I don’t want you to overblot again…”

That simple statement left him stunned once more. A moment of awkward silence passed between them, and Rosehearts’ mind was swirling with a multitude of thoughts that slowly began to come together. She was afraid of him. She was terrified when he turned red with anger because it reminded her of his overblot.

“I… I’m sorry,” Riddle muttered quietly this time. Another moment passed before he looked up; straightening up, he placed his hand over his heart and said in a solemn voice, “It’s my fault. It affected you more than I realized. And… I’m truly sorry for that. But I am a man of action, not words. I’ll make it up to you. I want to become a better person. For myself, but also for you.”

With pride and sudden confidence, he wanted to take her hand and place a solemn kiss on it, but as soon as he reached for it, the girl, terrified, took a step back like a wounded animal.

“You don’t understand, Riddle. I know… you’re trying,” she admitted in a trembling voice, “but… but I can’t. Seeing you like this… I’m haunted by the vision of the Overblot…”

“H-hey, calm down—”

“N-no! Please. I have to work through this on my own. By myself… I don’t want to witness it again. You don’t even know how my heart skips a beat every time Ace and Deuce throw food at each other in the cafeteria and smash the eggs…!”

“Eggs…?” Riddle blinked, staring speechlessly at her panicked sobs, until finally a fragment of a memory hit him like a speeding wagon. That’s right… just before his incident, one of the students had thrown an egg at him. “H-hey, listen, I—”

“No… I have to go before I break some rule… F-forgive me, Housewarden,” the girl interrupted him, quickly taking advantage of his shock to escape the dorm and return to her room.

He, however, stood there in shock, watching her receding figure with a heavy heart. He knew that an overblot could cause trauma, but he never expected… something like this.

Lost in thought, he instinctively clutched his heart, and his knees buckled slightly beneath him as he leaned forward, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. He muttered quiet apologies, but they never reached her; instead, they were carried away by the wind into a deafening void. He knew he had irrevocably lost something he might never get back.

Leona Kingscholar

You didn’t have to be a detective to know that Leona was secretly berating himself for letting go of the control he had so carefully maintained under the guise of a lazy prince—who didn’t care about anything—for so long. It was just as easy to notice the subtle yet undeniable change in his behavior toward the girl who had witnessed his overblot. Perhaps it was a subconscious acknowledgment of her strength, or perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but every time she came into view, his lion’s tail would sway slightly and his ears would twitch at the faintest sound of her voice.

Leona wasn’t stupid, and he quickly realized he’d fallen for a non-magical girl. His initial irritation quickly faded, and he decided to take matters into his own hands, under no illusion that this feeling would pass quickly. He resolved to be the first this time and win her heart through his own efforts rather than by trickery.

The brown-haired young man was convinced it wouldn’t be too difficult, but he soon realized that the usual methods that worked on women in his country had no effect on her. Every time he paid her attention, she avoided his gaze. She wouldn’t accept anything he “accidentally” left for her on the bench. She didn’t even show up in Savanaclaw to meet Jack. Leona quickly understood what she was getting at. She was avoiding him.

Playing cat and mouse, Kingscholar let the chase continue until one day he finally managed to be alone with her in the Botanical Garden, a place she only visited as a last resort. With a curious, almost appraising gaze, he scanned her figure, then sighed as if unmoved.

“Have someone threatened you?” he asked bluntly, causing her to flinch and then quickly begin to deny it, looking confused. “And yet you’re avoiding me. A prince hitting on you is too much, huh?”

As the girl tilted her head in confusion, Leona let out a quiet chuckle.

“So you didn’t realize I was courting you? Eh, maybe Ruggie was right and I should do it in a way that’s more… your style?” The brown-haired man clicked his tongue, then walked toward her with a confident stride. “Surprise, herbivore. At least we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding about you running away.”

“That… that really flatters me, Housewarden, but I…” She tried to say something, but Leona quickly noticed her trembling hands and her gaze fixed on the ground.

“Leona,” he muttered. “No ‘Housewarden.’”

“L…Leona. Um… forgive me, but… I’m sure you’ll find someone better… I…”

“Huh? So you were rejecting me on purpose?”

“No, I—”

“You already have someone.”

“W-what…?

“Of course. Second choice until the grave, huh.”

“N…no…”

“Who? One of those two who’s always hanging around you? Schoenheit? Don’t tell me it’s that lizard.”

“N-NO, T-THAT’S NOT IT! Y-YOU’RE THE FIRST!”

Her sudden outburst confused him, but he nonchalantly hid it, merely raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, really? If I were the first, you wouldn’t have turned me down,” he sighed, then looked at her with a sly smirk. “Isn’t that right, herbivore?”

“…fine…”

“Ha?”

“I… if that’ll keep you from overbloting again…”

The girl began to sob out all her fears and apologies for making him angry, without looking at him even once, her gaze fixed on the floor without focusing on any specific spot. Leona was both shocked and disgusted, and in his head he berated himself for causing such a panicked reaction in her. However, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. He couldn’t comfort her. He couldn’t even speak in a gentle voice.

“Hey. Herbivore. Pull yourself together. I didn’t mean… that. I just… Listen, I’m not good at all those warm words and overly sweet talk.”

But she didn’t seem to be listening to him, blurting out apologies for things he didn’t even understand. In a desperate attempt to calm her down, he reached out to grab her arm, but like a startled animal with a stifled cry, she fell to the ground, avoiding his touch. Out of habit, Leon grabbed the bridge of his nose, sighing and muttering something under his breath.

“Come here. You’ll get all dirty,” he said as gently as he could, and was just about to help her up when he froze in his tracks the moment he saw her face. “What the—?”

She stared with terrified eyes at the foam mixed with dirt, and her hands—which had been buried in that mixture as she broke her fall—were shaking faster and faster with every passing second. Leona watched her, speechless, and though he knew what was about to happen, he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Just as he’d thought, after a few seconds, a terrified scream pierced the silence of the botanical garden, and the girl, in a panic, thrashing about, got up from the ground and began frantically brushing the sand off herself. Sobbing, she tried to clean her hands first, and tears of helplessness streamed down her cheeks as she wiped her hands—which had long since been free of sand.

“No… I don’t want to…” she murmured, terrified.

“It’s okay,” Leona whispered, taking her hands. “You’re clean.”

But in a panic, she broke free from his grip, still brushing herself off as tears streamed down her skin, dripping onto the dry ground.

“No… I don’t want to be like Ruggie… I don’t want to die like that…”

Leona wanted to say something. To grab her. To wipe away her tears. But he couldn’t. Even if he knew how to comfort her, he knew that if he did so now, she’d only panic even more. Whatever one might say about the brown-haired prince, you couldn’t accuse him of lacking intelligence, so he put two and two together very quickly.

That’s why he stood rooted to the spot, watching her run away, muttering terrified apologies and other things he couldn’t understand. He didn’t cry. He’d promised himself he’d never again be that small, helpless boy, crying in his chamber out of loneliness. However, the boy’s green irises glistened slightly, though it was so fleeting it was as if it had never happened.

He cursed under his breath, then turned on his heel to head to one of his nap spots that Ruggie hadn’t discovered yet. Lying down in his usual comfortable position, however, he found he couldn’t relax his muscles. Even the sleep he so desperately craved—into which he quickly fell—did not bring the relief he longed for, tormenting him with images from the botanical garden and his own overblot.

Azul Ashengrotto

After the overblot, Azul was embarrassed by his behavior and by the fact that he had been seen crying in public over his defeat. However, he quickly pulled himself together and returned to his businesslike demeanor, while trying to reassess his ideals in light of the lessons he had learned from the event.

Old habits were hard to break, but he tried to get back on the right track. At first, Azul didn’t notice a certain pattern that Jade pointed out to him during one of their quiet evenings in Octavinelle, as he sat in his bar.

“My my, Azul~ It’s so… interesting how you always try so hard around the Prefect,” Jade chuckled, and when Azul asked what he was talking about, he added, “Oh my, haven’t you noticed it yourself? When she’s around, you suddenly become so charming. It’s downright… disgusting.”

Of course, at first Azul denied everything Jade had said, but after a sleepless night spent staring at the ceiling, he had to face defeat when he realized he was, in fact, falling with that girl. The first few meeting were incredibly awkward, and Azul wouldn’t even look at her, afraid he’d blush as soon as he see her. Because of his own turbulent emotions, he failed to notice the girl drifting away from him—a girl who was avoiding not only him but the entire Octavinelle.

One day, Jade told Azul that the girl hadn’t been included in the trip to the Coral Sea because she had fallen ill. She had also missed out on a trip to the world’s largest aquarium, which had a private beach reserved for visitors. Upon hearing this, the young man decided to give his beloved one more chance to go on the trip. After all, as a businessman and a merman, he had enough knowledge and connections to arrange a trip for himself and his potential future Mrs. Aschengrotto.

However, Azul couldn’t bring himself to invite her directly, so he instructed the twins to lead her to the Hall of Mirrors, from where they would teleport to a beautiful, pristine, and secluded beach with access to the sea and a boat moored at the shore. What the silver-haired man didn’t know was that the girl was terrified as the two eels practically dragged her to their destination, despite her attempts to wriggle free.

“Ah, hello, my dear. Floyd. Jade,” Azul nodded at them with a pleased smile, then, like a gentleman, gestured to a seat for her on the boat. “I heard you missed both trips. Don’t worry, though. I know these waters better than any land dweller. Let me help you catch up.”

But she stammered in an attempt to refuse, thanking him for his generosity and not wanting to take advantage of it, but Floyd silenced her, pushing her onto the boat, which Jade had just untied.

“Come on, Shrimp. Azul won’t leave us alone if ya don’t go, and listening to his whining isn’t fun,” Floyd muttered.

“Have fun. Please, Prefect, enjoy the trip,” Jade added, watching the receding boat with a sly smile.

“Honestly, those two don’t have a shred of manners,” Azul sighed, reaching out to help her up. “Let me help you.”

“N-no…!”

Her sudden scream made him finally look at her properly, and the sight rooted him to the spot. The woman he cared so much about, so devoid of magic, was sitting on the wooden floor of the gently rocking boat as if it were about to fall apart beneath her. He tried to brush a strand of her hair aside with his hand, but she screamed piercingly, clinging to the planks.

“You… can’t swim?” Azul blinked, confused. “Don’t worry. The boat is sturdy enough and—”

“N-no!!!”

“Prefect, please calm down. If anything happens, I’ll save you. I’m an expert swimmer. But I wouldn’t let you fall overboard on the first place. Just let me—”

“N-no! Just… just not merform…! I beg you, no… I don’t want to…”

Her terrified murmur felt like a blow to his heart, striking him deeply and painfully. He had hidden his true form after being bulled about it repeatedly as a child, and now, hearing the woman he cared for speak of him that way hurt him more than the insults of the past. Yet instead of tears, he sighed deeply to compose himself, then gathered his composure and spoke professionally.

“I… wasn’t planning on using it anyway,” he lied. “I’m fast even in this form. Besides, I wouldn’t have let you fall anyway. So you can relax and read the contract, which—”

But at the word “contract,” the girl immediately stiffened, causing Azul to flinch, cursing his choice of words in his head. He smiled at her, trying to ease the tension building between them.

“Not a contract. More like… a proposal? It’s all written down here. Not like before. I just realized that I—”

However, she cut his confession short mid-sentence, jumping to her feet and about to give him a piece of her mind when she froze, staring with empty eyes into the dark depths of the ocean below them.

“Are you… feeling better now? If so, let’s get down to business. As your boyfriend, I could give you—Prefect? Are you… okay?”

Azul began to speak, thinking the girl had calmed down, but when he stepped closer to investigate her sudden stillness, he shuddered at the sight of her terrified face staring into the dark waters. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was unable to move, only staring with a pounding heart into the depths of the ocean.

“Prefect?” muttered Azul, who was beginning to feel a sense of unease himself.

“Why…?” the girl murmured.

“Excuse me? I don’t understand.”

“You’re going to drow me, aren’t you?”

“W-WHAT?! Of course not! What kind of idea is that anyway!”

“I’ve avoided water so much… Was that not enough…?”

“Prefect, what are you talking about? No one’s going to drown you. Listen, I—”

However, her scream cut him off as a smaller wave crashed into the boat, and some water spilled onto the deck, splashing her leg.

“Don’t pull me in!!!”

Azul stood rooted to the spot as she panicked, quickly clutching her legs as if to protect herself from creatures from the depths that might try to pull her underwater.

“Are you… afraid of water?” Azul whispered, confused, and only then did she lift her tear-stained eyes to him, reflecting a terror and helplessness that broke the boy’s heart.

“I thought I was going to drown that day…”

He quickly realized which day she was talking about, and the realization hit him like a slap in the face.

“Water is everywhere… So are the things that live in it…”

“I’ll… take you back to shore,” Azul whispered, unable to look her in the eye.

After a short while, they reached land, and before the boy could say anything, the girl ran out of the boat and fled, terrified, deeper into the land. He couldn’t stop her. He didn’t feel he had the right, even though his heart begged him to go after her and comfort her. To assure her that everything would be all right. But he couldn’t.

Full Name: Serein Noire

Age: ???

Pronouns: She/Her

Height: 163 cm

School: None

Homeland: On the border of Briar Valley and Bladevale

Inspiration: The Swan from Swan Lake

Unique Magic: “Mirror of the Lake” – Serein creates a pool of magical water which reflection reveals an opponent’s fears, remorse, or deepest desires, causing them to doubt what is real. However, the longer the spell lasts, the more Serein herself feels the emotions of the person she cast it on.

Personality: Calm and composed, with a gentle smile. However, she is skittish and rather taciturn. She is unable to talk about her problems.

Hobby: Collecting items washed ashore by the water and turning them into decorations.

Pet Peeves: Noise

Talents: Dancing and singing (though she doesn’t think so herself)

Favorite food: Homemade bread

Least favorite food: Anything spicy

Weaknesses: Strong emotions.

Fun facts: She has a scar from an arrow near her navel

Story: “The cottage by the lake hasn’t seen any guests in a long time. Yet one window remains lit every night.”

(WARRINGS: violence, death and other things-)

When this place was bustling with life and a village had flourished for centuries near the crystal-clear lake, everyone lived happily and in abundance. Little Serein grew up there surrounded by love and curiosity, often sneaking out of the house to spend her free time by the lake. She was particularly fascinated by the swans, which she encountered time and again after rescuing a small hatchling that had fallen into a hole dug by other children. From that moment on, these animals showed themselves whenever she was present, though the villagers did not believed her, since these creatures had not been seen in the area for centuries.

Life would have continued peacefully, but in its cruelty, the human leader of Bladevale provoked a war with Briar Valley, pitting two species against each other that were already cool toward one another. The settlement was located on the border between these two nations, so it, too, suffered damage.

One starry night, the fea attacked the human troops stationed at the inn at the time. The battle destroyed everything, and the fire consumed the houses one by one. Screams pierced the silence in the streets, and the smell of blood and ash rose all the way to the treetops. Serein had no choice but to flee deep into the forest when the last person close to her was engulfed by the flames.

She ran with all her might and was already thinking she would manage to escape, but suddenly she heard words she couldn’t understand coming from behind her, and she knew immediately that one of the fae soldiers was chasing her. As if guided by fate itself, she ran out into an all-too-familiar clearing containing a beautiful lake—a lake that, however, blocked her escape route.

The masked fae emerged from behind the trees with his bow drawn, so Serein instinctively retreated onto a small bridge to let even that modest distance calm her heart, which was pounding with fear. She wanted to say something. Anything. To try to communicate with him and explain that she, too, was against the war. And yet her voice failed her.

When she opened her mouth to try to say something, it was already too late, and the arrow struck her in the stomach. The initial shock numbed the pain, but moments later, the poison coating the arrow spread through her bloodstream, paralyzing her body, and a searing pain flooded her senses. Serein didn’t know when her legs gave out, but in that instant she fell backward, and a loud splash echoed through the silence of the night.

As she sank deeper and deeper, she felt her lungs filling with water, but instead of panic, she felt calm due to the numbing pain and the poison’s effects. The shimmering surface receded further and further, and Serein’s eyes marveled at the beauty of the glistening water until they slowly closed. Her last thought was that, at least on that day, she had turned sixteen.

However, instead of dying, the lake washed her ashore, having a different plan for her, and the magical swan shed a single tear of sorrow for its former heroine. That was enough to seal what the lake had begun. She awoke, but not the same. Her life was a hazy memory, and she remembered only the last day of her former life.

But giving someone life is never without consequences. The Magical Swans, who were fae animals, gave her a second chance, but for the spell to work, she had to be like them. Only then would the part of herself that the magical creature had given her be able to sustain her life.

As long as she maintained the calm of the lake and goodness, just like those swans, she remained safe. However, if negative emotions become too strong, her body begins to be covered with a black film and feathers, signifying death. As long as it does not reach her heart, nothing will happen to her, and once she regains control, the blackness will slowly recede. If, however, the darkness consumes her completely, she will return to the embrace of death. To remind her of the fate that may befall her, her hands are eternally covered with black feathers, which, like death itself, remind her of the end.

The years go by, and she remains by the lake, dancing on its surface every night and humming various songs from the old days that the world has long forgotten. Some say she lives at the very bottom of the lake, while the more perceptive claim that an abandoned fisherman’s cottage is where she rests, for every night one can see a faint light glowing in the top window.

  Although the Asim family was not of royal blood, the wealth and prestige they had accumulated over the years could often rival those of the most illustrious dynasties from around the world. One might think that success had gone to their heads, but they treated everyone with humility and kindness, often disregarding social status. Their family relationships—with the exception of a few incidents involving extended family—were also warm, and despite their long work hours, they always found time for their loved ones.

  It would seem that this family was practically perfect and impossible to hate, but as always, there were envious hearts who, driven by jealousy, often tried to take advantage of the Asims or even went so far as to attempt to poison the eldest son. That is why they were very careful in choosing their social circle and servants, in order to at least slightly reduce the risk of betrayal.

  Jamil Viper was born and spent nearly his entire life within the walls of the Asims' estate, as his parents worked there as trusted servants; thus, he too took on that role, serving as—how Kalim believed—a friend to the eldest son. After all, the child of such loyal people was far more trustworthy than an outsider for a role as important as watching over the eldest. They were seen as close, yet the resentment from the constant comparisons and the demand to keep his distance so as not to overshadow the white-haired boy were too overwhelming for him to truly harbor positive feelings toward him or see him as a friend.

  Yet Jamil humbly fulfilled his role, never stepping out of line or revealing his true abilities. This did not change even after they both enrolled at Night Raven College, where young mages like him could rise to unimaginable heights if only they chose to harness their full potential. It didn't seem likely that anything could make Jamil desire something so much that he would be willing to defy the ideals instilled in him since childhood. Despite everything, his apparent composure was bound to falter one day.

 Kalim's parents were painfully aware of their son's kindness and of how his trust in people could lead to his downfall in the future. Therefore, wanting to prevent anyone from seducing the white-haired boy, they decided to arrange a marriage with the daughter of a close friend. Such arrangements were nothing out of the ordinary in the upper classes, which is why, at first, the news didn't make much of an impression on anyone.

  "Did you hear, Jamil?! I can't wait to meet her. I have to show her my flying carpet. Haha! We will have so much fun!" Kalim exclaimed excitedly as soon as he heard the news from his father.

  "I heard, I heard. Eh, you really should tone it down. You haven't even met her yet," Jamil sighed, watching with his arms crossed as Kalim ran around the room, clearly unable to focus on one thing at a time. "What if you two don't get along?"

  "Oh right... But it's worth a try! If we're going to get married, we should at least get along, right?!?"

  "You trully are hopeless," the brown-haired man sighed under his breath with a smile, as Kalim was too busy to keep listening to him.

  The days passed, and finally the day arrived when the betrothed were to be officially introduced, so it was easy to guess that from early morning Kalim had been running around the house, joyfully excited at the prospect of forming a new friendship. Jamil, on the other hand, merely watched everything from the sidelines with boredom, following his master to carry out his duties. Unlike the young master and most of the estate's residents, the boy felt no excitement at the thought of the guests; in fact, he couldn't wait for it all to be over.

  Surprisingly, however, the brown-haired boy's attitude did a complete 180 when, instead of a arrogant young lady or a female version of Kalim, a girl entered the estate with a smile as gentle and bright as the sun, though not as wide and intrusive as the white-haired young master's. Whether it was her kind words or her entire demeanor, his heart involuntarily began to beat faster, and with every moment he watched her interact with Kalim, the strange feeling only seemed to deepen.

  At first, Jamil blamed the tightness in his chest on the girl's beauty, telling himself that surely more than one man had felt that way the moment they saw someone so pretty. After the visit, it seemed he had returned to normal, but that strange fluttering in his chest returned when the date of their next meeting arrived.

  "You should try this too! Oh! And this as well!!!"—Kalim exclaimed excitedly, showing his fiancée the various delicacies his parents had previously ordered to be prepared as refreshments. "These are my favorites! Ah, and my sister loves this one! Oh... I mean the youngest one, hahaha!"

  The girl merely shook her head with a smile, meekly trying the delicacies mentioned by the white-haired man and sharing her opinions.

  "Could I have a tissue, please?" she asked politely when they finished eating.

  "Ah, of course! Um... ah, where are they?!" Kalim quickly panicked, trying to remember where he'd put the tissues, but both his memory and his eyesight failed him.

  "Here you go, Miss," Jamil bowed gently, handing her a tissue.

  "Oh! Thank you so much, mr. Jamil!" the girl smiled radiantly, gracefully accepting the tissue.

  "Just Jamil is fine."

  "In that case, thank you very much, Jamil."

  "Aaah! It's so good to have you here! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Kalim sighed happily, looking as if he might throw his arms around the brown-haired man at any moment.

  That afternoon’s seemingly innocent conversation, however, kept Jamil awake; his mind replayed it over and over again as he lay in bed trying to fall asleep. He was accustomed to the Asims’ unmatched open-mindedness, but apart from them, he had never met any gentlemen or ladies from grand houses who treated their servants with such kindness.

  “Thank you, huh?” he sighed, covering his eyes with his arm.

  Usually, guests in the house paid no attention to the servants, let alone thanked them for something that, by all accounts, was “a matter of course.” Despite everything, Jamil once again didn’t even consider the possibility of beginning to tolerate someone from the so-called upper classes, allowing himself to persist in the belief that he was merely overinterpreting the behavior of the future Asim.

  Weeks went by, and the girl visited the Asim estate more and more often, never losing her dignity. When she came to stay with them for a longer period once again, Kalim happily suggested a walk outside the estate to show her the beauty of the gardens in early spring. Just as they were getting dressed to go out, the white-haired man, as was his habit in his absent-mindedness, forgot to grab a few things, so he quickly ran to his chamber, leaving the other two alone.

  “Let me help you,” Jamil said professionally as the girl began to put on her coat.

  “Ah, there’s no need,” she smiled, waving her hand.

  “I insist. You shouldn’t do this alone. It’s inappropriate for a lady.”

  “Inappropriate… or is it because someone has to do it for me?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand, miss. Nevertheless, this is not something you should concern yourself with. You should leave trivial matters to those responsible for them.”

  “Why do you underestimate yourself so much?”

  A momentary hesitation born of sheer shock caused Jamil to stop mid-movement, as if he hadn’t expected such a question. He had always thought of himself as a master at hiding his true self, having spent years suppressing his talents so as not to overshadow the heir, and yet she seemed to see right through him as if it were nothing.

  However, before he could reply, Kalim ran joyfully into the hallway with his younger siblings, who, according to the white-haired boy’s explanation, wanted to join the walk.

  Yet this conversation stuck in Jamil’s mind, and he began anxiously searching for a hidden agenda or underlying motives the girl might be concealing. Nevertheless, the more he tried to find a hidden motive or potential benefits she might gain, the more impossible it seemed to him. And the purity of her feelings was confirmed, in his opinion, by one incident that took place right after one of her frequent visits.

  “Oh, Jamil! There you are!” the girl smiled happily, having apparently looked for him immediately upon her arrival. “I have something for you~! I baked a cake! Well… with some help, but I did my part! I know that at my house, most of the treats have dates in them. But don’t worry. I remember you once mentioned that you don’t like them, so we used raisins instead!”

  She giggled, proud of having made something as simple as a dessert, but the brown-haired boy’s heart instantly began to beat faster, and a delicate, barely noticeable blush crept onto his cheeks.

  “Oh? Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Thank you,” he mumbled, quickly regaining his composure and gracefully accepting the small package.

  Still, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth building in his heart when he realized something she probably hadn’t even considered when giving him that gift. She had been listening to him. She had remembered what he liked and taken his preferences into account. True, the cake was likely meant for the hosts of the meeting, yet she had saved a piece especially for him.

  The nagging thoughts that haunted his mind every time she appeared on the horizon made Jamil, for the first time in a long while, start to avoid her gaze. He could no longer look her in the eyes with the same indifference as before. Every smile, every “thank you” she uttered, every moment she turned her attention specifically to him. It all muddled his mind, making his always so perfectly composed mask difficult to maintain.

  The more he tried to suppress these unwanted feelings, the stronger they grew, weighing on the brown-haired man’s conscience, who was painfully aware that they should never have been born. After all, she was Kalim’s fiancée. A person for whom his master felt genuine affection and almost childlike excitement. Perhaps in his eyes they looked more like siblings or friends, but that didn’t change the fact that she was meant to be someone who would one day become part of the Asim family. Someone absolutely out of his reach.

  He shifted slightly, turning his head toward the girl standing a few steps away, an innocent look of concern in her beautiful eyes. Most of the servants were busy cleaning up after dinner, and Kalim and his siblings had disappeared into one of the side rooms, leaving the two of them alone for the first time in a long while.

  “Kalim said you didn’t seem to be feeling well,” she began gently. “You do look tired. You work so hard. You should give yourself a moment to rest.”

  “Master Kalim has a tendency to dramatize things. I think you’ve already noticed that,” Jamil sighed, trying to remain professional.

  “And you have a tendency to be negligent.”

  “Negligence. . . ? I beg your pardon, miss, but I don’t quite understand. I don’t think I’ve been neglecting my duties.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

  “...Excuse me?”

  “You’re so constantly absorbed in your work that you neglect your health.”

  “Miss, you shouldn’t worry about someone like me. I appreciate it, but there are priorities.”

  His words were stiff, almost rehearsed, and yet they came out of his mouth as smoothly as if he’d repeated them thousands of times like a mantra. The brown-haired man hoped that cutting the conversation short would be enough, but to his irritation, the girl neither dropped the subject nor nodded in agreement, as others did, but instead grabbed his wrist, not letting him leave once he had turned his back on her, ready to leave her alone.

  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Jamil,” she said more quietly, but no less firmly. “You keep referring to yourself as ‘someone like me,’ as if you truly believed you were worth less than others. But that’s not true… You know that… You have to know that.

  The moment of silence that followed her confession made him involuntarily stop struggling against the woman’s gentle embrace. He stood motionless, without making a sound, but it seemed as though that silence spoke louder than any words, no matter how loud they might be. It was then that something inside him broke irreparably for the first time.

  Several days had passed since that conversation, but Jamil found himself increasingly catching his gaze involuntarily seeking her out in the crowd. Sometimes she sat with Kalim in one of the rooms lit by the desert sun, listening to his endless stories with a patient smile. Other times she strolled through the gardens with her fiancé’s younger siblings, letting them hold her hand and bombarding the children with questions about their favorite games. Despite everything, there were also quieter moments that seemed almost magical, such as reading alone in the privacy of her guest room, to which Jamil would often, without thinking, bring drinks appropriate for the time of day.

  Yet it was precisely these moments that bothered him the most, for he found himself unconsciously and increasingly often by her side, almost as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  At first, Jamil accompanied her solely because it was part of his duties or because of Kalim, who often asked him to show his fiancée other parts of the estate or to make sure she had everything she needed during her visits. However, over time, the line between duty and habit began to blur dangerously, and neither of them noticed the subtle changes right away.

  At some point, when she arrived, she would almost instinctively look for him among the servants instead of eagerly searching for her future husband, while he increasingly realized that he was unconsciously waiting for the sound of her footsteps in the hallway or her quiet laughter at Kalim’s foolishness.

  Sometimes they would sit together in the conservatory while Kalim was busy talking with his family or coming up with yet another absurd idea that he had to put into action immediately. Other times they would stroll through the gardens, talking about things so ordinary that Jamil himself could not later recall the subject of those conversations.

  That was the worst part of the bond growing between them. Everything was lighthearted, almost without any strings attached. Over time, the brown-haired man no longer had to constantly watch every word he said to avoid saying something inappropriate. He didn’t have to pretend to be less intelligent or make sure he didn’t accidentally shine brighter than he should. She never treated him as someone who should treat her in any special way, nor did she try to force her way into his life, though in her mind she had succeeded in doing so more than Kalim had over all those years.

  All of this meant that more and more often they sat side by side in the glow of the desert moon, admiring the beauty of the peaceful night so longed for after turbulent days full of emotion.

  “Did Kalim tell the kitchen to prepare food for fifty people again, even though there will only be ten guests?” she asked one evening with amusement.

  “Yes. Just so no one runs out. As if we couldn’t just make more as we go,” Jamil sighed with a smile that was somewhere between resignation and amusement. But one thing was certain. That smile was genuine.

  “He’s such a sweet guy. Scatterbrained, but sweet,” she sighed with a hint of sadness, leaning instinctively against Jamil’s shoulder. “A bit like a younger brother trying to be the older one.”

  “Brother? You’re talking about your fiancé.”

  “I know, I know... I like him, I really do. But it’s not that kind of love. I can’t even... imagine doing anything with him that normal couples do.”

“You shouldn’t say that.”

  “I know… But you won’t tell anyone, will you? I can trust you. That’s exactly why I like you so much.”

  The girl sighed wistfully, gently closing her eyes and letting the pleasant coolness of the night fill her with a refreshing sensation. The moment of relaxation, however, was short-lived.

  Jamil’s shoulders tensed involuntarily, and his heart pounded in his ears with intense force, while his mind waged a fierce battle between joy and terror. His feelings were not one-sided, and the attraction was mutual, which set his heart ablaze, yet in the back of his mind, the thought that this was the case terrified him. After all, she was his master’s fiancée. Mutual feelings would only hurt them both once the wedding took place.

  After that incident, Jamil tried his hardest to avoid her, intending to distance himself from her. While the prospect of suffering alone was not entirely foreign to him and he was able to come to terms with it, the thought that the heart of someone so dear to him would break was unbearable. He quietly tried his hardest to distance himself, but his sudden change in behavior did not go unnoticed by the young woman, whose heart also beat faster at the sight of him.

  Despite everything, at first she tried not to pay attention to the brown-haired man’s attempts to distance himself, living as usual and regularly visiting the Asim estate. Unconsciously, she automatically began to look for him more often than usual, almost longing for his presence.

  The days passed, and with each visit, Kalima’s fiancée felt increasingly rejected by Jamil, which pained her deeply, and her mind began to swirl with dark thoughts blaming her for the current state of affairs. The final straw came during one meeting, when she noticed how much more he was talking to Kalim than to her, leaving her determined not to let the matter rest.

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked quietly as she followed Jamil into the kitchen on the sly to find a moment of privacy.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, miss…” he sighed after a moment of silence, not even looking at her, staring intently at the sink.

  “You’re avoiding me.”

  “You must have imagined something, miss. I’m quite busy with work. That’s all.”

  “You’re lying… You always get so tense when you lie. And even though we’re alone, you’re calling me ‘miss’ again. It’s because of what I said, isn’t it?”

  A moment of silence fell between them, but not a pleasant one—it was tense and heavy. The young woman was about to turn and leave, conceding defeat, but the brown-haired man’s quiet words froze her in place.

  “That's how it should be...”

  “What... what do you mean?”

  “You’re Kalim’s fiancée. Our feelings... will only cause pain. It’s best to nip them in the bud.”

  “Ours...? You... you feel the same way about me too...?”

  “...it doesn’t matter. Even if I did, our relationship won’t allow it.”

  “What if I broke off the engagement?”

  The sudden question made Jamil freeze in his tracks, taken aback by such a bold idea. However, he shook his head, clicked his tongue, and glared at her.

  “It won’t do any good. You’re a lady from a grander house. I’m a servant. This conversation is over. And now, excuse me, but you should get some rest.”

  Jamil turned on his heel, leaving the room with an air of superiority. Yet despite his harsh words, his heart ached no less than hers, but he knew this was for the best. If he stayed now and wiped away the tears silently streaming down her cheeks, he wouldn’t be able to reject her again, and this was their only way out.

  Shortly after that conversation, Kalim and Jamil ended up at the famous Night Raven College, which allowed the brown-haired boy to distance himself from his master’s fiancée, though whenever they met while returning to their family home, his heart ached just as much.

  A lot happened while studying at such a prestigious school. From highs and lows to successes and tragedies. It was there that Jamil could no longer bear the pressure that had been weighing on him for so many years, nor all the sacrifices he had had to make, which led him, when his plans to finally be free failed, to let magic take control of him.

  However, the Overblot failed as well, and the group of students managed to save Jamil from the tragic end that befalls many mages who have lost control. It was at that moment that the brown-haired man exploded, venting all the grievances he’d harbored toward Kalim over the years—which clearly surprised the white-haired man, who’d never suspected his closest companion of such feelings.

  “Let’s stop playing master and servant and be equals!” Kalim said cheerfully after listening to the brown-haired boy. “Let’s be friends!”

  “NO WAY,” Jamil protested, causing Asim to blink in confusion.

  “Huh?”

  “Even if we hadn’t known each other since childhood and had gone through other relationships, I would never have become friends with you!”

  “Haaa?!?!

  “And there’s absolutely no way I’m going to forget everything and pretend to be your friend! I’d like to be number one, too. They always make me let you win. At games, in school, in love. In everything! I’ve never been able to have what I wanted, and that’s not going to change overnight!”

  “Huh? Love?”

  Kalim blinked a few times, which made Jamil realize what he had said. He quickly looked away, embarrassed and sulky, leaving the white-haired man speechless and confused.

  “Oh my~ Could it be that someone has feelings for Kalim’s fiancée?” Azul smiled cheekily, putting on an innocent expression.

  “How do you know Kalim has a fiancée?” Jamil asked suspiciously, but received no answer.

  “Oya? How rude,” Jade giggled.

  “HA?!?!?!?!?!” Kalim shouted when he finally understood what was going on. “You love her?!?!?!”

  “It… doesn’t matter,” Viper grumbled, avoiding his gaze.

  “Why didn’t you say so sooner?!? She’s lovely, of course, but she's more like sister! She’s always so nice to me and my siblings! She reminds me a little of you, hahaha!”

  “Wha-?”

  “We have to tell my dad!”

  “A-ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

  “I’m sure he won’t mind! After all, this marriage wasn’t supposed to be for any other reason than my happiness and the union of our families, right?! Ahahaha! And you’re almost like family!”

  Kalim was already lost in his own world and wasn’t listening to Jamil’s denials or his attempts to turn the situation around, which, incidentally, were kindling unwanted hope in his heart.

  It wasn’t long before news reached them of the peaceful breakup of the engagement of the future head of the Asim family. Jamil couldn’t bring himself to look Kalim’s parents in the eye—he had surely told them everything—but to his surprise, they held no grudge against him for his feelings toward his fiancée. After all, he had done nothing to win her back, despite his own suffering.

  That same day, the friendly family came to visit the Asim estate again. However, this time, when they went out to greet them, Kalim wasn’t the first to run up joyfully and lead them to the feast; instead, he shoved Jamil, who barely managed to keep his balance.

  “Young Master Kalim, what are you—?!” But the brown-haired man didn’t get to finish before the family heir cheerfully interrupted him.

  “Go! That’s an order,” he chuckled, pointing at his former fiancée.

  Jamil took his first uncertain steps with his heart beating dangerously in his chest, then slowly bowed uncertainly.

  “Welcome to the Asim estate, Sir, Madam, Miss,” said the brown-haired man uncertainly, without taking his eyes off the floor.

  The moment of silence seemed to stretch on forever as Viper stared at the ground, as if there were something extraordinary there. The tension was finally broken by the touch of soft hands cupping his cheeks and lifting his head up. Hesitantly, the boy’s eyes met her beautiful pupils, sparkling with joy, relief, and other unspoken emotions that were tearing at her just as much as they were at him.

  Both seemed to want to say something, but no words came out of their mouths, and the silence between them was once again louder than words. Suddenly, with an uncertain yet firm movement, Jamil wrapped his arms around her with all his strength, burying his face in her shoulder, as if afraid to wake up from such a beautiful dream.

  The girl slowly wrapped her arms around him as well, breathing in the familiar, soothing scent, savoring the moment. She raised her eyes gently to Kalim, standing nearby, whose smile betrayed his pride in his own idea, and then, making eye contact, whispered silently, “Thank you.”

  Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell down from the sky, and where it sank into the ground, a magical golden flower bloomed. However, despite its healing properties and the good fortune foretold, it was precisely because of this plant that the newborn princess was kidnapped in the thriving kingdom of Corona. The tale of the Lost Princess, whose sun-bright hair healed wounds, was etched into the pages of history and told not only to new generations of Corona’s inhabitants but also to people living in other regions.

  Years passed, and the event continued to be on everyone’s lips, though it was not as sought-after as it once was, because new generations of Rapunzel's family seemed to awaken no magical powers. Over time, only in Korona itself people did believe in the truth of this story, while the rest of the world dismissed it as an exaggerated fairy tale.

  However, one day the Corona’s fate seemed to change when the royal couple there gave birth to a beautiful little girl with disturbingly long, golden hair. The residents’ usual joy at the news of a younger sister for the four-year-old prince was overshadowed by a subtle unease that had settled in the hearts of the king and queen. The fear that the young princess might inherit the powers of their distant predecessor weighed heavily on their hearts, for the consequences of such a turn of events were well known; nevertheless, they decided to put their worries aside for the time being.

  Unfortunately, these fears proved to be well-founded when, at the age of two, the court hairdresser, while attempting to cut the princess’s hair and style it, broke her scissors, leaving the hair untouched. Anxiety immediately gripped the royal couple. Although Princess Rapunzel’s healing powers had long been forgotten, there was a possibility that there would be those who, just like Gothel, would desire the girl’s powers for themselves alone.

  Some time passed, and it seemed that the heightened security around the golden-haired girl had deterred potential kidnappers, until one winter morning an attack was carried out, during which the princess came within a split second of being abducted. In a moment of weakness, her desperate parents wanted to hide her from the world, whether in the castle or in a remote place, but a trusted advisor suggested another, more feasible idea.

  The Corona bordered by sea with the mysterious yet benevolent kingdom of Briar Valley, with which it had lived in peaceful relations for centuries, likely due to its neutrality during the Great War of Humans and Fae. It was known that the heir to the fairy throne was Crown Prince Malleus Draconia, who was feared for his powerful magic.

  The dragon fae might have seemed unsettling, but the royal couple had the opportunity to meet him at several gatherings and were more than certain that the green-eyed one was not as evil a figure as he was made out to be. Therefore, following the suggestion of a trusted advisor, they offered Briar Valley a marriage between the crown prince of the fae and their daughter.

  The initial shock and near-outrage among the people of both kingdoms subsided once the rulers of the fairy realm considered the offer. After all, it had many advantages for both sides. Closer relations between the lands would strengthen the alliance and trade, bringing more modern technologies to Briar Valley. Besides, most people feared the fae, and no princess would willingly agree to marry an intimidating prince unless she did so for profit—and such a queen was not desirable. As for the young princess, not only would she become queen in the future, but she would also have the protection of one of Twisted Wonderland’s most powerful mages.

  The final word, however, belonged to Malleus, who, though still young by fae standards, took the governance of the realm seriously and strove with all his might to strengthen inter-species friendship. Therefore, after numerous deliberations, he agreed to the pact, setting his own conditions: they would wait until she came of age to marry, and she would be allowed to withdraw if she did not wish to proceed once she had grown up.

  With this second condition, Malleus caused confusion and astonishment among the courtiers, who on the one hand admired this decision, and on the other were outraged by the possibility of breaking the contract. He himself, however, seemed unconcerned, explaining only that he did not want a wife who would hate him for the rest of her life for a decision made when she was too young to understand what was happening around her.

  Time flew by, and with each passing year the princess grew and no longer was a small child but blossomed into a beautiful young woman. It would seem that over the years she had grown accustomed to the gloomy yet stately castle of Briar Valley, but the cold walls could not hide everything—especially not from the perceptive fae.

  Malleus knew that despite her visits to the Corona, the princess longed for her kingdom, which, after all, was her home. A particularly melancholic mood crept into the castle’s chambers on the Lost Princess’s birthday, for although she had been found centuries ago, the tradition of releasing hundreds of thousands of lanterns into the sky remained, to guide other lost souls.

  This festival had always been the princess’s favorite event; she had taken part in releasing lanterns from a very young age. However, there was no such tradition in Briar Valley, and the lanterns from the Corona did not always reach the horizon visible from the castle for her to even catch a glimpse of them.

  Her gloomy staring into the darkness outside the window once again began to bother Malleus too much, for an unpleasant tightness gripped his heart, preventing him from banishing that look of utter disappointment from his memory. Therefore, not wanting to see his fiancée in such a state, he consulted Lilia on what he could do about it, and after just a short while, they began their preparations.

  As soon as the sun began to set again on May 12th, and the girl sat gloomily in her chamber, the green-eyed man knocked gently on the oak door; then, having been granted permission to enter, he stepped inside as the door creaked softly.

  “Would you care to join me for a walk today, my dearest?” Malleus asked gently as soon as he saw his fiancée.

  “A walk? Have you found another set of ruins?” the girl giggled, though she couldn’t hide the hint of sadness lurking beneath her cheerful facade.

  “Ah, not this time. A gargoyle was spotted on the roof of one of the towers.”

  “Gargoyles. Of course. Who would have thought that a great, feared dragon fae would be obsessed with something like that.”

  The princess rose from the bed with a giggle to approach the sorcerer, allowing Malleus to see how her floor-length braid swayed behind her with every step as she looked at him mischievously. However, her teasing neither annoyed nor offended him, but merely elicited a quiet chuckle.

  Like a gentleman, he offered her his hand, then began to lead her at a leisurely pace through the castle’s winding corridors until they reached the entrance to the roof of one of the towers. He squeezed her hand almost comfortingly when he noticed how she had suddenly grown gloomy again, looking almost like a scolded child. As soon as they reached their destination, with Malleus holding her, the princess stepped onto a flat section of the roof, and a moment later the prince joined her.

  “Huh? And where’s that gargoyle?” the girl asked in surprise, turning to her fiancé in confusion, but suddenly her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to beat faster.

  The dragon fae merely gave her a rare, shy smile, holding a slender lantern with a dragon pattern in his arms. After staring at the object for a moment, the princess raised her eyes uncertainly to Malleus’s face, as if seeking an answer or confirmation in them.

  “It may not be a lantern from your kingdom, but I think one like this counts too, hm?” said Draconia, lighting the lantern with a green flame in a single breath and stepping toward her. He might not have admitted it, nor anyone would have been able to tell by looking at him, but with every passing second of silence, his heart tightened more and more with anxiety and doubt.

  “I… I don’t know what to say,” the girl finally mumbled, looking at Malleus with those beautiful eyes, in which the green glow of the lit lantern was reflected.

  “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to say anything, my dear.”

  “It’s… it’s not that! It’s just… why?”

  “Why, you ask? You are my fiancée. Political or not. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner here. After all, this is your new kingdom.”

  Her eyes widened even more, and a blush crept onto her cheeks as she searched her mind for the right words to say in reply.

  “The sun has set completely. Is it time?” Malleus asked with a gentle smile, offering her the lantern.

  The princess looked at him with a charming smile, then grasped the other edge of the lantern with trembling hands. Their eyes locked in a trance-like gaze until, as if telepathically, they sent a signal to one another, responding with a single movement as they released the light upward into the dark sky. However, the beautiful glow did not hold Malleus’s attention for long. Instead, his breath was taken away when he noticed his fiancée’s eyes sparkling with joy, her lips curving into a truly joyful smile for the first time in a long while.

  She was snapped out of her reverie over the single light by a sudden flash in the corner of her eye, so she instinctively turned toward the castle courtyard and gasped in surprise. More lights flashed near the ground, only to be propelled toward the sky, until hundreds of lanterns from all over the castle and the surrounding area soared into the heavens, illuminating the darkness of the night.

  Without taking her enchanted eyes off the flying lights, the girl gently took her fiancé’s hand and, holding her breath, pointed to the sky with the other. His initial surprise gave way to a soft smile that crept onto Malleus’s lips as he intertwined their fingers, listening intently to her words of wonder.

  “This is... amazing! How did you manage to...?” she tried to ask him, but her tongue stumbled in speechlessness as she watched the lights wandering across the sky.

  “Being the crown prince has its perks,” Malleus sighed contentedly. “Though I must admit, Lilia played a big part in this.”

  “I’ll have to thank him later. And you, too.”

  “Nonsense. You don’t have to thank me.”

  “But I appreciate it. Really,” she interrupted, turning toward him, then cupping his cheek with trembling hands, standing on her tiptoes, and placing a gentle kiss on the other. “Thank you.”

  That one simple gesture and quiet word were enough to make Malleus’s heart beat faster, and the tips of his pointed ears turn red. For a moment, he was too surprised by this new feeling to react at all, but then he returned her soft smile, squeezing their clasped hands.

  “I’m glad the surprise worked out,” the dragon fae said softly, brushing a stray strand of her hair aside.

  The princess smiled radiantly at him, then gazed dreamily at the lanterns drifting away. The green-eyed man followed her gaze, looking at the fruits of his preparations. They stood side by side with their hands clasped, savoring the fleeting moment, and all the castle’s murmurs seemed to fall silent as they lingered in that quiet.

  Far across the sea, the kingdom of Briar Valley had lain dormant for centuries; since the Great War between humans and the fae, it seemed to have remained in a state of relative slumber, for as the long conflict drew to a close, in the human-dominated lands, all scandals and rumors about fairies had faded away over the years. And yet, this kingdom was by no means declining due to the effects of the war; on the contrary, it seemed to flourish with each passing century.

  If there was any interest in the affairs of the fae kingdom at all, it centered on the famous Malleus Draconia, the crown prince, who one day was destined to take power in Briar Valley, and it never occurred to anyone to take an interest in someone seemingly less important, yet from the dragon fae’s entourage. The fact was that he had entire battalions of knights devoted to him who would go into battle for the royal family, but none of them could rival the devotion of the two young warriors so close to him—Silver and Sebek.

  People often noticed the loud, green-haired knight who praised Malleus above all others, while the silver-haired boy seemed to be nothing more than an afterthought. And yet, it was his future that would turn out to be more exciting.

  “Ha! I won today’s training session, Master Lilia!” Sebek sighed proudly when, one day, he returned with his not blood related brother from sparring to the castle, where both Lilia and Malleus were resting after their own duties.

  “Oh, really? I’m pleased with your progress, khe he he,” chuckled the eldest of them with a sly smile. “Women like competent men.”

  “So if a woman confesses her love to me, I’ll be competent enough to serve the great Malleus! You’re so wise, Lilia-sama!!!

  “I don’t think that’s how it works,” Silver sighed with a yawn.

  “You’re only saying that because you’re jealous! I’ll have a beloved before you and prove my strength! I WILL BE WORTHY OF SERVING THE YOUNG MASTER!!!

  Lilia merely chuckled at Sebek’s exaggerated enthusiasm as he began spouting his tirades about being worthy of his prince, while Malleus and Silver exchanged confused glances, sensing deep down that such zeal in the young knight would bring them trouble in the future.

  And yet Sebek’s words stirred something in the silver-haired man’s heart that he hadn’t known existed until then. The rest seemed to continue their conversation as he sank deep into thought, and perhaps there would have been nothing unusual about this, were it not for the fact that this time it wasn’t caused by his drowsiness, but by an insistent feeling squeezing his insides.

  Most of the time, Silver considered his trouble falling asleep a nuisance, but he couldn’t shake the memory of the faint warmth in his heart that often accompanied him upon waking. The word “beloved” echoed in his head like a looping melody, and a delicate blush spread across his pale cheeks at the memories of the night. For he had never considered having a beloved, wanting to train as effectively as possible to become an excellent knight who, just as Lilia once had, would be worthy of standing by Malleus’s side, to whom he owed so much.

  But Sebek’s words seemed to be a kind of revelation, a key to understanding himself and the strange dreams that haunted him at night. He remembered flashes of a smile as bright as the sun’s rays, the warmth of another person, and gentle touches that made his heart race. Until then, he hadn’t known what those strange dreams were or what they might mean, but now he was almost certain—he was dreaming of love, dreaming of it as if it were a lost part of his own soul.

  Despite his attempts to push those thoughts away, his perpetually hazy dreams grew clearer with each passing one, and the human-shaped blur began to take the form of a woman’s silhouette—a figure that was at once familiar and alien. The dreamlike visions, which until now had seemed merely a distant, blurred memory, were now closer and more vivid, allowing Silver to remember far more details—as well as the general plot of his dreams—upon waking.

  Though he hadn’t yet seen her face, the warmth that enveloped his hand as they lay together on the grass with their fingers intertwined felt real, not merely fictional. Not all his dreams featured this woman, but those in which she appeared were always the most pleasant and free of any nightmares.

  At first, Silver considered these encounters merely his dream projections, but after some time, he began to wonder why this dream love always took the same form. However, as time went on, curiosity and a slight tightness in his heart took over, so the silver-haired boy decided to ask the person he trusted most—his father.

  As soon as Lilia heard his son’s request, he happily accompanied him to a secluded spot, expecting that Silver would likely ask him for advice on fencing or the meaning of some term he didn’t understand. However, when Silver told him about his dreams and the strange feelings tugging at his heart and mind, the former general blinked in confusion. The initial shock of the gravity of the silver-haired boy’s confession left Lilia, for the first time in decades, at a loss for words for the first dozen or so seconds, and it was only after a moment that he regained his composure.

  “Oh? It seems you’ve found your soulmate, khe he he,” Lilia chuckled, and then, seeing his son’s confused and, for the first time in a long while, flushed face, he continued. “As you’ve surely heard, fae form permanent bonds, unlike some humans who enter and exit relationships after a short time. If the person they meet is the right partner, fae can sense it.”

  “But I’m a human, not a fae, Father,” Silver frowned.

  “You were raised among fairies. You’ve lived with them your whole life. Besides, you’re my son. Apparently, that’s influenced you and your feelings. Congratulations, Silver, heh heh heh~.”

  “So... are you telling me that this girl... is some kind of soulmate to me? But we’ve never met. Don’t fae usually recognize their partners after they’ve met?”

 “Hmm... maybe you have met? A fleeting glance, passing each other by—nothing major.”

  This statement drew a shocked sigh from Silver, as if he hadn’t considered that possibility before. However, his father’s words might have been spot-on—after all, as a knight, he had met countless people visiting the castle, whether on diplomatic missions or for events held there.

  “SILVER HAS A GIRLFRIEND BEFORE ME?!?!”

  Sebek’s familiar voice made them both quickly turn their heads toward the door, behind which stood the green-haired half-fae, who, realizing he’d been caught eavesdropping, quickly flustered.

  “A-apologize for eavesdropping, Lilia-sama! It’s just… Silver didn’t seem himself,” Sebek mumbled, not even looking at them.

  “Oh? Are you worried about him~?” Lilia giggled, making Sebek blush even more.

  “WHAT? ME? NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS! HE JUST WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO SERVE THE YOUNG MASTER IF HE WASN’T IN TOP SHAPE!”

  “Yeah, yeah, of course, khe he he.”

  “So that girl could have been one of the aristocrats visiting my castle. Hmm… I’ll have to check the guest lists for people who’ve been in the area recently,” mused Draconia, who had gone unnoticed until then.

  “Malleus-sama,” Silver exclaimed in surprise. “You’re here too.”

  “Forgive me for intruding. But curiosity is a rather powerful force, isn’t it, Sebek?”

  “Huh? Oh, right! OF COURSE, SIR!!!” the green-haired man shouted, jumping to his feet.

  “Well, I think we should get to work. Fae feel emotional pain when separated from a loved one after their first meeting. I cannot imagine my faithful knight suffering in solitude for so long. We must rectify this quickly.”

  “Of course, Young Master! YOU ARE SO DEVOTED AND GENEROUS! BRIAR VALLEY IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS ITS FUTURE KING!!!

  Sebek’s praise of Malleus continued, eliciting a giggle from Lilia, while the silver-haired boy’s heart swelled with a pleasant warmth at the thought of how the three of them cared for his well-being, even though he was less important than they were.

  The days passed as usual, except for his searches through records of women who had visited the castle and lived in the villages Silver had frequented around the time of his first dream about his mysterious beloved, but all his efforts seemed to be in vain. The dull pain the silver-haired man had been feeling seemed to worsen with each passing day, yet a mask of calm never left his face, as he did not wanted to worry his loved ones, who were already so concerned about him. Instead, he slept more than before, as his encounters with his beloved in his dreams soothed his pain, but the increased hours of sleep did not increase the frequency of these magical meetings.

  The image was becoming clearer and clearer, and Silver was almost able to make out new details, though he still didn’t understand the words she spoke. The woman’s voice was like a melody lulling him to sleep, though it never put him to sleep, only making every second more pleasant.

  “Father told me you’re my soulmate. You don’t remember those dreams, do you? I remember them because of the fae’s influence on me,” Silver sighed in one of his dreams, looking at his beloved leaning against his shoulder.

  A bitter smile crept onto his lips as her voice echoed in his head once more, though his senses could make out not a single word.

  “It’s all right. One day I’ll find you and tell you everything. I promise,” whispered Silver, brushing a strand of her hair aside to kiss her gently on the forehead.

  He was about to return to his previous position when suddenly he heard two syllables that made his breath catch in his chest.

  “...really...?”

  Silver, stunned by his initial realization of her words, didn’t have time to reply before a sharp intake of breath jolted him awake. He was breathing heavily, clutching his rapidly pounding heart, and his light-purple eyes seemed to instinctively drift toward the nearby window, which offered a view of the distant lands of Briar Valley.

  That one little word was like a ray of hope for Silver that he would finally be able to find the beloved with whom he had spent countless nights, though never in reality. And yet it was progress, filling his heart with warmth that one day, in a dream, he would hear her name or where she lived, so that he could keep his promise.

  Meanwhile, somewhere beyond the palace walls, a beautiful girl was suddenly awakened from her sleep; a trembling name slipped from her lips—a name that was foreign to her, yet seemed strangely familiar.

  “Silver…?” the woman fluttered her eyelashes, pulling the blanket to her chest and turning toward the window to admire the sunrise illuminating with soft light the usually gloomy Draconia's family castle towering over the other towns.

  In a world full of magic, non-human beings were nothing out of the ordinary, though different species often clashed due to intolerance or simple greed, which is why it took hundreds of years for the world to stabilize somehow. And yet, despite the relative peace in the world, there were silent, unspoken conflicts stemming from the diversity of living beings. That is why, when Yuuken first appered in Twisted Wonderland, he was surprised that such diverse people were able to study at the same school, but after not so long, he could sense the true silent rivalry and animosity toward one another.

  Another day at Night Raven College was exhausting for the brown-eyed boy, as both Grim and his friends Ace and Deuce, as very often, made life miserable for certain undesirable individuals, which led to them receiving a punishment that Yuuken, unfortunately, had to bear as well. When the cat-like companion of the non-magical man fell asleep comfortably in his bed, Enma sighed and stepped out into the dormitory courtyard, where the pleasant, cool air brushed against his skin. He began to reflect on the events of the past day when he noticed a familiar flash of bright green light, toward which he walked without hesitation.

  "Ah, Tsuntarou," Yuuken nodded in greeting when he spotted his horned friend, who simply smiled in return.

  "Quite a pleasant night, isn't it, child of man?" said the newcomer, gazing up at the stars with his shining green eyes. "Is something troubling you? You seem rather distracted."

  "You're a fae, aren't you, Tsuntarou?"

  "Oh? What gave me away?"

  "Your ears," he said bluntly, gesturing toward the pointed tips of his friend's ears. "I met some fae today, and they all had ears like that."

  "You're quite perceptive for a human child. So, have you changed your mind about me, hm?"

  "No. But I think I understand now why you prefer to keep your distance. Ace and Deuce got into a fight with some fae today. It seems to me it was just a matter of species... Don't fae and humans get along?"

  "Ah, that's a tricky subject, dear child. Though I must admit that our species... aren't exactly fond of one another. But I can't say that every kind of fae lives in harmony either. It works the same way that different human kingdoms compete with one another," the green-eyed man mused, glancing sideways at Yuuken.

  "Every kind of... fae? Are there different kinds than you?"

  "Of course. You didn't really think that only we, the inhabitants of Briar Valley, existed, did you? We are nocturnal fairies. We need a counterbalance, just like everything else in this world. That is why, on the border of our empire, there is an equally important, though not as large, kingdom whose forests are inhabited by light fairies."

  "Light fairies? I don't think Professor Trein ever mentioned them..."

  "I'd be surprised if he had. Many people believe that Lumine Forest was destroyed to the ground during the Great War of Humans and Fae. The truth is, though it has lost its former power, their kingdom still exists, hidden in a forest near the border of Briar Valley."

  "You seem to know quite a lot about these light fairies, Tsuntarou," Yuuken raised an eyebrow admiringly, sitting down on an old bench standing carelessly in the dormitory's neglected courtyard.

  "Ah, true. For a forgotten species, I know quite a lot about them, don't I?" The green-eyed man smiled predatorily with a raised eyebrow, then sat down next to his friend, turning his gaze back to the stars. "Well, the truth behind it is that my dear friend met one of them."

  "Really?" The boy's brown eyes widened, which brought a smile to the fae's lips; he could see in them a desire to delve deeper into the subject.

  "Yes. My... friend. Prince Malleus Draconia. I'm sure you've heard quite a lot about him."

  "Uh-huh."

  "Good. Maybe this story will show you a side of him a little different from what the rumors say" the green-eyed fae smiled softly, then looked up at the night sky and began his tale.

  When peace finally came after the Great War between Humans and Fae, nearly all the kingdoms involved in the conflict suffered unimaginable losses that led to the collapse of entire nations which, in earlier years, had seemed to be at the height of their power. One such example was Lumine Forest, where most of the inhabitants fell victim to the bloody clashes, for these fairies—unlike the  nocturnal ones—were not as skilled in conventional combat.

  That is why the surviving luminous fairies shut themselves away in their small forest kingdom, and over the centuries, the inhabitants of the world erased their existence from memory. Even to the new generations of  nocturnal fae, they seemed nothing more than a bedtime story, and the vast majority believed they had perished during the war.

  However, whenever the young prince of Briar Valley watched the sunrise from the window of his castle room, his mind was flooded with stories of the luminous fairies that Lilia, who had cared for him since he was a child, had often told him. Young Malleus had always been intrigued by the story of the fae—on the one hand so similar to them, and on the other so different—and whenever he managed to escape the watchful eyes of his guardians, who followed him endlessly, he would slip out of the castle to secluded places where, using magic, he tried to summon a luminous fairy.

  Yet even the power of a magician as great as he was unable to bring him into contact with the objects of his fascination, which at first caused him quiet frustration. Nevertheless, as he grew older, he came to understand that light and darkness exist together but can never meet, and this had been undeniable for centuries, so all he could do was accept it.

  And yet, one early morning, before the sun had risen, Malleus slipped out of the castle for a solitary stroll. At first, he intended to stick to familiar territory, but as if driven by some strange force, he strayed from his original destination, drawing closer to the border of Briar Valley and the mythical Lumine Forest. Standing so close to the realm that fascinated him, the young Draconia felt as if in a trance, his mind waging a silent war over whether he should cross the invisible line dividing their worlds or let it be.

  However, fate seemed to make that decision for him; as soon as the first rays of sunlight began to pierce the darkness of the night, right on the border between the two kingdoms, he spotted a small doorknob glimmering like a swarm of fireflies. Malleus raised an eyebrow, slightly confused, then hesitantly approached the mysterious object that seemed to be floating in the air. A spell cast softly revealed no danger concealed by magic, which only further baffled the young prince.

  Despite everything, he decided to examine the mysterious object, which, though it didn't emit any sinister magic, must have been kept hidden for some reason. As soon as he pulled on the apparent doorknob, it acted like an invisible door, revealing a world completely different from the one he had seen while walking along the border as usual. Malleus found himself in a strange clearing that appeared to be divided into two parts. The section he had come from was dark, yet in a familiar, homely way, while the ground before him was bright and seemed to glow with some inexplicable radiance.

  He didn't have much time to admire the space, however, because he heard a soft rustling among the bright trees, so he quickly tensed, ready for the danger lurking there. Yet he froze mid-step when his green eyes, instead of a beast or a monster unknown to him, caught sight of the glint of wings as bright as the sun and as delicate as flower petals, fluttering among the trees. Only after a moment  he could saw the entire figure—on one hand similar to him, and on the other so different.

  Her pointed ears, wings, and the general aura of magic radiating from her quickly told Malleus who this, gliding calmly among the trees girl was. Instinctively, he took a step forward, but this alarmed the stranger, who reflexively turned her head toward him, and her irises—which shimmered so beautifully in Malleus's eyes—dilated with something resembling fear mixed with confusion. However, it was differed from the normal fear others felt toward the crown prince. This one did not seem to be caused by him, but rather by something unknown.

  "Please wait," the black-haired fae said quickly, seeing that the unknown fairy was ready to flee. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I am just like you."

  He slowly turned sideways toward her to remove his cloak and release his wings, normally so carefully hiden. He spread them out cautiously and flapped them gracefully twice, as if to prove their authenticity to her. The girl peered out hesitantly from behind the tree, then, watching his movements closely, approached to examine his wings. Unlike her wings, delicate as pollen, his were large, black, and scaly, revealing the full nobility of his kind.

  "You're a fae," the girl said, taking in his wings and ears until her gaze settled curiously on his horns. "But you have horns."

  "I am a dragon fae, my dear," said the green-eyed man with a smile, bowing slightly in greeting. "My name is Malleus Draconia. Crown Prince of the nocturnal fae. You must be a representative of the light fairies, right?"

  "Yes..." she replied cautiously, still studying him. "So... what brings the prince to my kingdom? This is the first visit since... the time of Queen Maleanor. At least as far as I know."

  "Your kingdom? Are you also of royal blood?"

  "Yes. Though I am not a crown princess like you, Your Highness."

  "Please forgive me, then, for my lack of proper respect," the green-eyed man smiled, then gently took her hand to place a careful kiss upon it, as if any stronger movement might crush her. "And please, there's no need for those titles."

  "If you think so," the princess murmured uncertainly, her eyes fixed on Malleus, who was holding her hand so gently in his, and it seemed she couldn't take her eyes off him.

  After a moment, he let go of her hand, leaving a strange tingling sensation on his skin, which he ignored, however, to focus on the more important matter at hand: meeting face-to-face with a representative of a species many believed to be extinct.

  "If I may ask, why do you still live in hiding? The war ended long ago," Malleus asked gently, watching the girl closely.

  "From my parents' stories, I know that only a handful of us remained after it," she began after a moment of silence, staring at the grass. "We live well here. No one threatens or tries to kill us. Besides... even if we wanted to join the others and, somehow, other countries had no objection, it still wouldn't be possible. We can't cross the borders."

  "Borders?" Malleus blinked in confusion, then followed her gaze to the strange line separating darkness from the gloom. "You mean... that line?"

  "Uh-huh. Your world is shrouded in darkness. Light fairies couldn't withstand the darkness. Just as nocturnal fae would burn up in the light."

  "Didn't our kinds used to live together?"

  "They did. However, after the war, darkness engulfed your world. We are not adapted to living in such conditions. I'm sorry, Prince."

  The girl's eyes conveyed a quiet sadness that tugged at Malleus's heart. He didn't know why he reacted this way to this stranger, but he undeniably disliked the feeling that washed over him whenever he saw her downcast face.

  "In that case, our relationship will not cross the line. If I may, I'll take the liberty of signing up for an audience with the princess," he said mischievously, kissing her hand once more.

  "A-an audience?" the fairy blinked, confused.

  "It would be a great pity if this were our last meeting. I promise I'll come visit you again someday."

  "You don't have to."

  "I insist."

  After the crown prince's confident words, the luminous fae sighed in agreement, and Malleus could see a quiet joy in her eyes at his announcement, which brought a small smile to his lips. They parted gracefully, and each went their separate ways—she into the light, and he into the darkness.

  And just as the black-haired man had promised, it wasn't their last meeting. Malleus would go to the border to find the turning point of every sunrise and sunset, where darkness intertwined with light. They talked and grew closer, often simply sitting side by side on the very edge of light and darkness, enjoying each other's company.

  However, the more often the two fae met, the deeper their feelings for one another grew. Though it didn't seem so obvious to them at first, over time they fell in love, and the emotions they harbored for one another became clear; more and more often, they longed for the chance to be together in the same world.

  "What exactly will happen if we cross the barrier, little beast?" Malleus asked during one of their meetings, playing with the strands of hair of the princess resting her head on his shoulder.

  "Well... The darkness will poison me, and the light will destroy you," she sighed, nestling closer into her beloved's arm. "Or something like that..."

  "So we don't know exactly how it works? Well. Maybe it's just fairy tales, then, hm?"

  "No. Luminous fairies can turn into stone," she said, looking up into his beautiful green eyes.

  "Stone?"

  "Mm-hmm. In your world, I think they're called... gargoyles? You know, living creatures turned to stone."

  "Isn't there any way to prevent this? You know my abilities might be enough. I'd love to show you Briar Valley. Despite the rumors, it's a truly beautiful place."

 "Hmm... I'd love to see it. Actually, I'd go anywhere as long as I'm with you."

  A soft smile touched Malleus's lips, and he kissed the top of his beloved's head, whispering a promise that one day they would be together. She just giggled, cupping his face in her hands, then pressed her lips to his with a smile.

  A few weeks later, it seemed that Malleus had indeed found a way for her to safely cross the border without fear of turning to stone. The protective spell he cast on her worked just as Malleus had dreamed, and despite her initial hesitation, his beloved crossed the border between light and darkness without harm.

  "It... it really worked! It works!!!" she shouted joyfully, throwing herself into the dragon fae's arms, who caught her around the waist and spun her around.

  "I've done enough tests to be sure it would work. I wouldn't risk your life, little beast," Malleus chuckled softly, brushing his lips against her forehead, then bowed gently with his hand outstretched. "Will you allow me to show you around my kingdom, princess?"

  "Oh, of course, my prince."

  She giggled, letting him take her hand so he could lead her out of the barrier-enclosed world she knew and into the woods of Briar Valley, from where they could teleport to the gates of the castle, which was also surrounded by a magical barrier. Holding their hands intertwined, Malleus gently nodded to the knights they encountered, signaling them not to intervene as his beloved joyfully flew about, admiring the decorations, never letting go of his hand.

  At one point, he too unfurled his mighty wings to take to the air and show his beloved the hidden details of the castle's architecture as she followed him with curiosity.

  "Oh? Do we have a guest? You could have told me, Malleus; I would have dressed a bit more elegantly. Khe hee."

  At the familiar voice, the dragon fae turned around to see the mage so dear to him, standing upside down on the ceiling. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he noticed the intertwined fingers of the crown prince and the woman he'd heard enough about to guess who she was.

  "Ah, Lilia. Good timing. I can tell by your expression that you've figured out she's my beloved," Malleus sighed.

  "It would be hard not to notice your joined hands~. But you probably don't know me, princess. My name is Lilia Vanrouge. At your service, my queen, khe heh," he chuckled, bowing theatrically.

  "I'm not the crown princess, so there's no need to call me that," she smiled warmly.

  "Well... let's just say I know what I'm saying."

  "Huh?"

  "Enough of that. I still have a lot to show her," Malleus interjected, wanting to distract her from Lilia's words as quickly as possible."

  "Of course, of course. You know, old folks like me tend to ramble on. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone now and go back to the kids~."

  "Before either of them could say a word, Lilia had already walked away, prompting Malleus to sigh and take his beloved's hands, looking into her eyes.

  "Don't worry about him too much" he smiled gently when she assured him that the fae hadn't bothered her, then brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "All right. Come on. I'll show you."

  And so they spent the night together. Malleus showed her all sorts of parts of the castle and taught her about things that didn't exist in Lumine Forest, and everything seemed like a perfect dream. But even this spell had to break.

  "Are you all right, little beast? You've gone pale," Malleus said, concerned, as she staggered in midair while looking at the flowers in the castle gardens, causing her to slowly land on the ground, and him behind her.

  "I'm... feeling a little heavy," she confessed, looking at him.

  He gently cupped her cheek to look at her face when something dark flashed in the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to the side, and his green eyes widened in shock when he saw her delicate wings drooping downward, with a black streak visible at the tip of one of them. Seeing Malleus's expression, the princess turned and gasped when she noticed the darkened wing.

  "Is...?" The girl's unfinished, terrified question broke the tense silence and caused Malleus to tighten his grip on her hands.

  "But the spell worked... Why...?" he sighed in terror, but seeing his beloved's weakened state, he quickly pulled her into his arms.

  "What are you—?"

  "I have to take you home."

  Before she could say anything, he spread his wings and quickly took to the air, eager to leave the castle grounds as soon as possible, where teleportation was prohibited for security reasons. Malleus ignored the guards' shouts; his only thought was of his beloved, growing weaker in his arms. It didn't take long before he managed to get outside and teleport to the border, but there was no sign of the door to the kingdom of the luminous fairies.

  "Damn it, I left it open!" Malleus was breathing heavily, then he looked at the princess lying in his arms, whose wings were being swallowed by the darkness with every passing second. "We can't wait until dawn. Think... I can't create light. Ugh. Think."

  Seeing genuine terror and helplessness in the dragon fae for the first time in his life, the girl reached out her hand to cast a spell that would create the light of day. Nocturnal fairies couldn't use light magic just as light fairies couldn't wield dark magic, but she was, after all, a fae from Lumine Forest.

 "You're a genius," Malleus sighed with relief, kissing her forehead as he spotted the faint outline of the doorknob.

  He quickly ran across with her in his arms and immediately set her down on the other side, taking only her hand as he knelt beside the princess. He studied her darkening wings and the isolated patches forming on her skin, his heart pounding harder as the darkness refused to recede and continued to spread despite their return to the realm of light.

  "Why isn't this working?" the green-eyed man breathed heavily, feeling an emotion as rare to him as fear. "Do you have any medics here? Where are the nearest of your kind?"

  "In the castle. It's... a bit of a walk from here," the girl said, trying to stand up, but he wouldn't let her.

  "Stay. You won't make it anyway. You have to guide me like this."

  "Wha-? No! You can't! Something will happen to you!"

  "It's because of me that you're in this state. I can't lose you, little beast, so you have to trust me. Let me save you. I beg you... don't make me miss you."

  The girl bit her lip, torn inside as the pain spread through her body. Malleus grabbed her by the shoulders with a decisive movement, cast a protective spell, and spread his wings. Then he took a deep breath and began to rush as fast as he could toward the castle, the location of which the girl had revealed.

 As he drew closer to the castle, the heart of the kingdom, the glow grew stronger, piercing through Malleus's protective spell and searing his skin and scales. Yet the pain seemed to not bother him as he held his beloved's cooling body close. As soon as he reached the castle, the guards tried to stop him, but upon seeing their princess in the stranger's arms, they froze in place, giving him a chance to burst inside.

  The bright light streaming from the end of the corridor grew closer and closer, and it seemed as though he would fly right through it, but suddenly his wings refused to obey him, unable to carry him any further. He pressed his beloved tightly to his chest, turning away so as not to hurt her with the fall.

  All conversation in the hall fell silent, replaced by bewildered gasps, until suddenly a tall man adorned with a magnificent crystal crown shouted his daughter's name and rushed toward them.

  "Please save her," Malleus whispered, holding her tightly and grimacing in pain. "I beg you..."

  The king's initial shock gave way to adrenaline, which he used to shout orders, so that moments later a healer rushed into the hall, and several knights took the nocturnal fae by the arms and led him to a carriage, which quickly carried him to the border so he could regenerate in the darkness.

 "And hat happened to them? To those fae? Malleus must have made it, since he's attending school here. But what about her?" asked Yuuken, speaking up for the first time during his green-eyed friend's story.

  "She survived," said the fae, gazing at the stars with an unspoken sadness hidden in his eyes. "The healer said that thanks to Malleus's reaction, they managed to cure her before the darkness could spread. She couldn't fly for over a month, but luckily she didn't break her wings."

  "Would... that be a bad thing if she had broken them? Birds break their wings even in my world, and there's no problem healing them."

  "Well... for animals, it might not be such a big problem, but for the fae it is, dear child of man. For fairies... there is no cure for a broken wing."

  "Huh? What do you mean? Isn't this a world full of magic?"

  "It is, but neither magic nor medicine can counteract certain forces of Mother Nature."

  "Well... in that case, it's a good thing she didn't break her wings. Even I can imagine what that would mean for a fae."

  "Yes. Such incidents are highly unfortunate. Even the most powerful fae are unable to repair damaged wings."

  "Ymm," muttered the brown-eyed boy, taking the new information in, then looked up at his friend as if struck by a sudden realization. "What about Malleus, Tsuntarou? The light burned him."

  "Ah, right. So you're interested in the fate of even someone like him. You really are a unique one, child of man," the green-eyed one chuckled, then looked at Yuuken with a sad smile. "He's fine."

  "I see... That's good. But they'll never meet again, will they?"

  "Huh? Why would you say that?"

  "Um... in my world, fairy tales like this always end that way. Tragedy separates lovers who decide together that they'll be better off apart."

  Yuuken's genuine bewilderment made the green-eyed fae blink several times in confusion, then he began to laugh with a sincere, amused chuckle. The brown-eyed boy, surprised, was about to say something in response, but just then the dragon fae began to speak with a joyful smile.

  "So it's a good thing this is the real world and not a fairy tale. It would be pitiful if, after all this, they decided to forget about each other, wouldn't it?" the green-eyed one sighed with a smile, directing his dreamy irises toward the sky. "They still meet at the border of their worlds, where daylight meets darkness, and search for a way to be together."

  "Malleus is very devoted to her. I appreciate that. I'll keep that in mind the next time I hear rumors about him," Yuuken nodded, as if pondering and analyzing the story. "Is that why I've never even seen him on campus? Is he looking for a way to overcome the barrier?"

  Tsuntarou's eyes widened in shock, then he smiled again, resting a finger on his chin as if pondering an answer.

  "You're very observant, child of can," the green-eyed man sighed with a smile. After a moment of silence, he stood up, turning to his friend one last time. "It will be dawn soon. I should return to the dormitory. Thank you for listening to my chatter."

  "That was an interesting story, Tsuntarou," Enma said. "It gives a different perspective on the fae."

  "Well. If you say so. See you later, dear child of man."

  The green-eyed man turned his back, and before the young man could say anything in reply, he vanished into the shadows of the night, leaving behind only green sparks. However, he did not teleport directly to his dormitory, but to a clearing all too familiar to him, where, as soon as the first rays of the morning sun appeared, a magical doorknob materialized. Having crossed the enchanted passage, the green-eyed man smiled softly at the sight of the luminous fae, sitting comfortably on the brightest grass he had ever seen.

  "It's good to see you, princess," said the nocturnal fae with a gentle smile, taking her hand in his to place a tender kiss upon it.

  "Malleus! I'm so glad to see you! I have so much to tell you," the radiant fairy giggled happily, and as soon as he sat down beside her, she nestled into his arm and began to speak.

  Over the centuries, countless kingdoms have come and gone across the world; some endured for millennia, consolidating their power over the years, while others fell, allowing new, culturally distinct states to rise from their ashes. Despite changes in traditions, customs, and methods of ruling over subjects, there was a certain unwritten rule that members of royal families had always followed, deviating from it only in extreme cases. Namely, it was the rule that the throne was to be inherited by the eldest, firstborn children, and in some places, these had to be male descendants as well. Although this state of affairs had existed in society for centuries, not everyone agreed with it, silently cursing this simple line of reasoning.

  Leona Kingscholar may have been the prince of Sunset Savanna, but for the trivial reason of being born second, he was deprived of the opportunity to claim the throne he so longed for, which instead went to Falena, his elder brother. Yet he did not give up, and from childhood he tried with all his might to prove his worth and leadership skills; but no matter how hard he tried, he was always just the second prince. It seemed the situation only worsened when his special spell turned out to be the embodiment of destruction, while his brother's magic had never harmed anyone.

  Leona's heart sank when he realized that even magic favored Falena because of his birthdate, which only fueled the long-standing envy that had been gnawing at his insides due to the world's injustice. Always coming in second no matter how hard he worked, Leona finally realized there was no point in trying anymore, since he would never come close to his brother's level—a brother who, despite the responsibilities resting on his shoulders, often behaved far too carelessly and frivolously in the eyes of the younger prince.

  Leona stopped trying, slowly sinking into apathy and rolling his eyes every time he lost, rather than, as was his custom, fleeing to his chamber to cry himself to sleep quietly into a pillow that, despite its apparent softness, was never able to provide the young prince with the comfort he needed. And yet, after years of resignation, something made him want to fight his cruel fate once more and do something that would finally give him a sense of victory.

  Namely, as the second prince, he also had duties toward the kingdom when Falena was unable to fulfill his role. Therefore, it fell to Leon to carry out a less important but necessary duty: meeting with representatives from various villages in the Sunset Savannah, since his brother was busy caring for his pregnant wife. It was supposed to be nothing more than a tedious duty, during which he was to receive reports on life in the outlying villages of the kingdom and their problems, which he was to later relay to his brother, but unexpectedly, among the leaders, he spotted a young woman perhaps a year younger than him.

  Apart from her being underage, there would have been nothing unusual about this encounter, were it not for the fact that the gentle smile she sent his way made his tail sway slightly, as if she were the sweetest creature he had ever seen. And yet he suppressed that strange feeling and focused on his duties, listening to the complaints and praises of the diverse inhabitants and promising to relay everything to the king. The time also came for the mysterious girl, who turned out to be the daughter of her village's chief, who had decided to show her what these meetings were like.

 Their problem turned out to be all too common in towns far from the center of Sunset Savannah: a lack of water. The country's desert regions certainly had their charm, but frequent water supply issues often made life miserable for the civilian population, whose crops grew poorly due to shortages of this basic resource. Leona repeatedly cursed in his mind all the kings and queens who, over the centuries, had done little to fix such a basic problem for civilians, but as the second-born, he could do nothing about it.

  He listened with a grimace to the complaints of the residents, who demanded him to do something about it, but he merely responded sarcastically or brushed off their hateful words, repeating the empty platitude that rulers had always fed the people. He sighed in irritation and was about to walk away from the scribes handing in scrolls with the residents' reports when suddenly that young girl approached him shyly, her tail swaying slightly from nervousness. He raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity, and his piercing green eyes assessed her figure as she stood before him hesitantly; he was already prepared to listen to yet another complaint, but her words took him by surprise.

  "Prince Leona Kingscholar, isn't it? It's an honor, Your Highness. I... I know my father was one of the troublemakers, and I truly apologize for him."

  The green-eyed man instinctively turned his gaze toward the man standing nearby, who was now talking passionately with one of the scribes, but the quiet, nervous chuckle that escaped the girl's lips after her remark made him look at her intently once more, listening to her next words.

  "I know you have no control over the weather, but my father can be truly unreasonable when he's stressed. Still, he does it because he worries about us, so it's probably nothing bad. I'm just asking you not to take his words personally, Your Highness."

  The girl curtsied gracefully with a sincere smile, then returned to her fahter, leaving Leon with a strange feeling that squeezed his heart. He usually didn't hear kind words from the locals, since they didn't bother trying to win over the other prince, yet she behaved around him as if he were the most ordinary person and not someone inferior.

  That meeting reminded in his mind for several days, frustrating Leona, who felt irritated by his inability to focus on everyday things, so he decided to confront it in order to dispel the false belief that was taking root in his mind. And yet it wasn't as far from the truth as he'd liked to believe, so when he went to that village and she continued to treat him kindly, he felt both anger and joy, squeezing his heart.

  Despite everything, as if to explore this mysterious feeling, the second prince began visiting the village regularly under the pretext of royal duties, but in truth, he only wanted to be in the company of this seemingly simple girl, who made him feel good enough. He would casually follow her around like a stray kitten, making snide remarks when she did something wrong, but he always corrected her or took over her tasks.

  "Give that to me, you'll spill it," Leona sighed, taking one of the buckets of water from her. She had been asked to fetch them from a nearby stream when the prince arrived, who followed her without a word of complaint.

  "I can handle it, really," the girl sighed, trying to take the bucket from him. – "You're a prince, so you shouldn't be doing this."

  "A prince should be a gentleman, right? So I have to rescue a damsel in distress, so shut up, herbivore."

  "Oh? Herbivore?! I'm just as carnivorous as you are!"

  "Yeah, yeah. What about the fruit you're almost always eating whenever I see you?"

  "Fruits are good! It's nutritious and keeps you hydrated."

  "So, a herbivore."

  "That's not true!"

  "Anger doesn't suit you, herbivore."

  "Stop it!"

  The girl puffed out her cheeks at the nickname, which only gave Leona a reason to giggle and keep calling her that, and before they knew it, the royal title seemed long forgotten, and with each subsequent meeting, social differences faded away as they enjoyed each other's closeness. Weeks turned into months, and they began to meet more and more often. Sometimes, when he was free from royal duties, Leona would go to her village, and sometimes she would visit him at the palace, where he would show her around with a touch of bitterness.

  Time passed peacefully, and their feelings grew with every meeting, until eventually the line between friendship and love began to blur; yet neither of them seemed willing to broach the subject, as if afraid of rejection. And yet there they lay together on the bed in his quiet room, enjoying their freedom and each other's company. As she recounted recent events from her village, he simply listened, holding her in his arms and occasionally muttering something as if uninterested, though in truth he was absorbing every word of hers just as deeply as the warmth of her body pressed against him.

  "Hey, Leona?" the girl murmured suddenly, turning slightly in his embrace.

  "What do you want, herbivore?" Leona sighed, and if she didn't know him better, she might have taken his tone as irritated or disinterested, but she knew that in reality, she had his full attention.

  "I'm worried about my home. The recent droughts have been incredibly devastating. I'm afraid that if this keeps up, it will lead to disaster..."

  Hearing her concerns, Leona murmured into her hair and hugged her tighter, intertwining her tail with his as if to offer her at least a little comfort, then sighed and spoke up.

  "Move here."

  "W-what? You can't be serious, can you?" the girl began, surprised and slightly worried at the same time.

  "I am. You can stay with me if you want. Or we could just buy an apartment in the city."

  "It's not that simple. You may be a prince, but my village and the people there aren't as well-off as you are."

  "Money isn't a problem. I'll take care of it."

  "Leona, you can't possibly—"

  "I can. And I will."

  "But why would you do that...?" the girl muttered after a moment of silence, to which the green-eyed man simply pulled her close.

  "I like your company, you stupid herbivore," Leona growled, not looking at her and cursing himself inwardly for how harsh his words sounded, even though that wasn't his intention at all.

  The young woman's eyes widened, and a delicate blush spread across her cheeks. Her sudden stillness brought a satisfied smile to the prince's lips as he murmured once more, burying his face in her neck. And yet his momentary happiness was cut short when her words contradicted his confident thoughts about her acceptance.

  "I... appreciate that. I really do. But... I don't know if I can leave the other residents to fend for themselves."

  Her words drew an exasperated sigh from him, but he felt no anger, only resignation, as if he had already been mentally prepared for such words.

  "You won't help them by sitting there. Stay with me, and together we'll help them," Leona said seriously.

  "But how? The problem is water," the girl sighed, nestling against him in quiet despair.

  "We need to build water networks so that small villages have plenty of it. Is it really that hard to use your head, herbivore?"

  "But... if that would solve the problem, why hasn't anyone done it before...? So many people are suffering."

  Leona just muttered about the injustice of this world, still holding her safely in his arms and rejoicing that she'd agreed to move closer to him. At last, he tasted the sweetness of victory, as if he'd never been merely the second prince of Sunset Savanna, but a hero who, through his hard work, had finally found happiness. And yet, that feeling was fleeting.

  Leona was on the verge of arranging a quick move for his beloved family to the capital, but then a miracle—supposedly sent from the heavens themselves—was announced on a grand scale, according to which the water problem had been solved in the village he knew all too well. The second prince hurried to the scene, his heart bursting with quiet joy mixed with anxiety at the news. After all, this meant that either his beloved would leave without a guilty conscience, or she would want to stay in her hometown, where the problem had finally been solved.

  And yet his heart sank when he reached the usually peaceful village, where a large crowd had gathered in the main square; despite everything, they made way for the prince, allowing him to see an all-too-familiar figure in the center. But instead of looking happy, she looked terrified and cornered, so with his heart pounding, he quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him.

  Before he even had a chance to ask her what had happened, the villagers quickly began telling him about the extraordinary miracle that had befallen the girl. It turned out that her newly discovered, unique magic allowed her to create the water so desperately needed by the villagers. In their ecstasy, everyone thought Leona would be pleased with the news, but the joyful shouts died down when they saw, for the first time in their lives, the shock, terror, and disbelief etched on his face. The silence was painful, but at first no one could break the tension between them, until suddenly she spoke in a quiet, breaking voice.

  "I'm sorry..."

  "..."

  "Leona, I... I've found a way to save the people."

  "..."

  "Please. Say something..."

  "You're not coming with me, are you?"

  She, however, was at a loss for words and opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, but that seemed to be answer enough for Leona, who growled in frustration, running his fingers through his hair, then strode quickly toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if expecting a blow, but it never came; instead, his warm hand cupped her cheek, allowing her to look into his beautiful green eyes once more.

  "They wouldn't have let you leave anyway," Leona growled softly. "They would have kept you here, even if you didn't want to. People always do that."

  His words were filled with frustration as he looked into her eyes, and for the first time in a long while, his own green eyes welled up with salty tears. At first, he wanted to believe it wasn't an obstacle, but he quickly realized that reconciling their worlds would be nothing short of a miracle. He might have been only the second prince, but at the same time, he was still the second prince, who in the future would have even more responsibilities at the royal court than he did now.

  "Damn you, herbivore," Leona muttered, but his words weren't filled with his usual irritation, but with hurt.

  "Ah... what's wrong with you...?" she tried to joke, but her voice cracked.

  "I guess now you're going to play the savior of Sunset Savanna, huh? They're making you travel to deliver water to various villages," he sighed, and when he received no verbal response from her—only a glance at the letter from the authorities with specific instructions—he continued. "But if things ever get better. If you ever come back... you don't have to say anything. Just come back to me."

 "What if I will not be able...?" the girl asked, on the verge of tears, torn between her love for him and the chance to help so many beings.

  "Then just remember me," Leona whispered so that only she could hear him, then pressed his lips to her forehead in a tender kiss. "But I'll still do everything in my power to improve the fate of others, so that you can come back to me."

  "Thank you."

  The girl's faint whisper was muffled as he pulled her to his chest, blissfully melting into her and ignoring the intrusive stares of the shocked villagers. Yet their moment of farewell could not be prolonged indefinitely and had to come to an end. As soon as Leona crossed the threshold of his chamber, a frustrated scream tore from his throat, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. He was always second. Even when he finally felt like a winner, his world collapsed again and bitter disappointment flooded his senses.

  But despite everything, he couldn't be angry with her. The rage bubbling inside him was directed at the injustice and at all those who, for years, had done nothing to help others, and now were forcing her to clean up the mess, simply because she possessed such a rare gift related to water.

  After that incident, he couldn't bring himself to look at the people of his kingdom, and his nephew's arrival was the final straw that led Leona to accept the letter from Night Raven College more than a year after he'd first received it. He hoped it would help him escape the heart-wrenching sense of hopelessness, but then he met Ruggie, whom he figured out very quickly.

  It was unusual to see high-ranking individuals mingling with those of a lower class, but Leona took a particular liking to him. Everyone thought the reason was Ruggie's willingness to perform tasks in exchange for payment, but the real reason was that the Second Prince understood the misery of life all too well, having seen it with his own eyes, so he had no problem providing financial assistance to the boy, even if he didn't do so openly. Besides, Ruggie helped the children from his village just as she had done many times.

  Since the dawn of time, humankind has been characterized by a deeply rooted desire for power and wealth, which has often led them to wage bloody conflicts that ultimately brought them, at best, material goods—things that, however, seemed to have no value whatsoever when compared to something as simple yet incredible as life itself. After all, if one believes in the afterlife, they would not be able to take a single one of those things with them to the other side. And yet, these arguments seemed to fall on deaf ears among people whose hearts looked to beat only for money. As a result, the world was often shrouded in the darkness of bloody wars, during which the unimaginable losses suffered apparently failed to reach the hearts or minds of humans, who dismissed them as a necessary evil.

  While members of that species were destroying one another, the inhabitants of the peaceful land of Brair Valley used those years to refine their culture and support one another—a fact that did not go unnoticed by humans, whose hearts were consumed by a desire to achieve what the fae had accomplished over the centuries. War seemed inevitable, and the final straw was the betrayal committed by the future human king against the future fae queen.

  The Great War between the fae and humans extinguished the sparks of life in thousands of innocent people, so that their souls might leave this earthly realm and find peace in the afterlife. And yet all these deaths seemed as insignificant as single drops in an ocean, so the bloody skirmishes carried on, dragging more lives down with them.

  Soldiers and civilians passed away, and the memory of them faded with the passage of time, some being erased forever, while others remained in the hearts and memories of their loved ones. And yet, the name of Lilia Vanrouge was likely known not only to all the armed participants in the war, but also to the civilians caught up in this cruel conflict. He was the most distinguished general of the Briar Valley army, whose contributions had secured victory for the fae on more than one occasion. The fae admired and respected him, while humans trembled with fear at the mere mention of the Great General, whose appearance on the battlefield often tipped the scales of victory.

  He was known, however, for his cruelty and for his hands stained with the blood of those who now rested in eternal peace. Yet this seemingly merciless and ruthless general, who served the queen alone, had a certain weakness that few knew about. Namely, General Lilia's heart rested in the hands of a certain beautiful woman, who always waited longingly for him in their small home in a quiet village and, with a heavy heart, wiped away the blood staining the young man with her delicate hands.

  Whenever the battle subsided or the queen herself saw the weariness in Lilia's crimson eyes, she would send him back to his beloved for a few days so he could rest and recharge, enabling him to finally lead the army to the long-awaited victory. And so the long-haired man trudged through the kingdom's forests to reach the cottage adorned with white flowers, but as soon as he arrived, he froze in place, holding his breath, as he saw his beloved quietly tending to the plants around her.

  Slowly straightening up, a quiet sigh escaped the girl's lips as she looked with satisfaction at the work she had done. She was already ready to tackle another section of her little garden, but suddenly her eyes caught the familiar glint of greenish armor, so she quickly turned toward Lilia, who was standing among the trees. Slowly, her eyes widened in shock while her heart pounded at the sight of her beloved, but at first she made no move to approach him. That moment seemed to last as long as if they had spent hours there simply gazing at each other, though in reality not even a minute had passed. Dropping her gardening tools, the woman took unsteady steps toward the general, who stretched out his armored arms to pull her tightly into his embrace.

  "I missed you so much," the woman whispered, sniffling and nestling against the metal torso of the greenish armor.

  "Me too... but I'm back," the red-eyed man sighed softly, pulling her to his chest and burying his face in her hair, slightly soiled from work, so he could once again smell her honey-sweet scent. "I always come back."

  "And I always wait, because I know you'll come back to me."

  With each other in their arms, the cruel world and political troubles seemed like a distant, hazy memory that had no bearing on the present moment, when what mattered most was the warmth and closeness of their partner. It was precisely those days, when they could be together, that gave Lilia the strength to fight and win. After all, if they won, their small, peaceful world in this quiet village would be safe and untainted by the evil of this world, and the exhausted general could finally stay there permanently, holding his beloved in his arms every day and every night.

  And yet the cruelty of war decided not to spare even her. News of the human attack on a village all too familiar to the general reached the Briar Valley forces after the fact, but that did not stop them from rushing immediately to the battlefield. With a heavy heart, Lilia fought his way through the rubble and thorns, shouting orders to the soldiers, thanks to which they managed to successfully repel the attack and kill some of the enemy troops. Red-eyed was torn between issuing orders and staying with his men and rushing to his beloved's home. His heavy, rapid breathing as he thought amidst the heat of battle, however, did not seem to go unnoticed by his faithful battle companion, Baur, who, drawing his weapon, placed a hand on the general's shoulder.

  "Go," the simple word was all the green-haired warrior said, putting his mask back on and rushing into battle as soon as Lilia gave a graceful nod of agreement.

  With anxiety gripping his heart, the long-haired man rushed toward the hut, and his eyes widened in silent horror when he saw the ruined white flowers withering on the smoldering walls of the stone hut. He rushed inside, shouting his beloved's name, his voice occasionally interrupted by a cough from the lingering smog, which he was only able to dispel after a moment using his magic.

  Yet the general's desperate cries met only with deafening silence as he hurried through the quiet in his mind corridors of the cottage, until suddenly he spotted a familiar figure sitting against the wall with her head bowed. He quickly removed his battle mask, and a momentary sense of relief washed over the red-eyed man's body, but as soon as he ran up to her and grabbed her head, a raw fear quickly gripped his body. Her name shattered the apparent silence as Lilia shouted loudly, shaking the girl's limp shoulders in a pleading gesture for her to wake up and laugh at him. So that all of this would turn out to be nothing more than a bad joke.

  "Wake up! Please open your eyes! I know, I know. You've lost a lot of blood, but we'll get you better! The Princess will definitely help us. Just open your eyes! You promised you'd always wait for me! I'm back, see?! You can't leave when you were supposed to wait for me!"

  Yet Lilla's pleading cries were met with deafening silence once again, broken only by the sporadic sounds of fighting coming from the village. He held her cooling body tightly, and salty tears—so rarely shed—streamed down his face as he cursed in his heart those who had decided to take her away from him. 

  The brutal taking of her away served as a reminder to Lilia of the world's cruelty he had to face. He usually derived at least some pleasure from fighting alongside his friends and comrades, but when his beloved was taken from him, everything lost its meaning, and the battles became pointless. After all, what was the point of winning if, upon returning to his so-called home, there was no one waiting for him who could surround him with love?

  The long war, like everything else in this world, eventually came to an end, and the two kingdoms signed a peace treaty, putting an end to the senseless bloodshed. The general had to find a new calling, though the hollow left by his loss in the heart and soul remained unfilled. But despite everything, he did not give up and got back on his feet, helping to raise the prince and the children of his dear comrade-in-arms, and even adopted a human boy he had once found. Yet amidst so many new responsibilities, he never forgot her. And the best proof of this was a beautiful white flower, identical to those growing in their home, which had magically flourished for centuries in a pot in his chamber.

  After all, there was a legend in Briar Valley that if ones lover died, leaving the other behind in this world, their soul would not depart for the afterlife but would watch over their beloved in the form of a flower. So when, shortly after his beloved's death, a white rose appeared out of nowhere outside Lilia's window—so strikingly similar to those that had once surrounded their shared home—he did not hesitate, quickly and gently transplanting it into a pot in his room. And the fact that this flower bloomed eternally despite the passing of centuries gave the former general quiet solace, as he believed that it was in fact his beloved, watching over him and waiting for him.

  "Father? If I may ask, why do you always wear that ring?" asked Lilla's adopted son, Silver, one day. He had often wondered about the reason behind his father's habit of guarding like a haw the small circle. 

  "That's actually quite an interesting point, Silver," the crown prince admitted thoughtfully, "but if I'm not mistaken, it's a token of remembrance of Lilia's beloved," he said, gazing at his guardian with a silent plea for confirmation or denial.

  "That's right, Malleus!" Lilia giggled, his short hair now slightly tousled from joyful head movements.

  "My Liege is so wise!" Sebek exclaimed proudly, drawing a sigh from Silver, who decided to ignore the green-haired half-fae's flattery and turned back to his father.

  "She's dead, isn't she, Father? Why do you still wear that ring?"

  "Well... I don't intend to marry again! And by wearing the ring, I'll protect myself from the advances of other fae. After all, I'm so cute that someone might want to court me," Lilia chuckled playfully, causing the rest to shake their heads in amusement at his explanation.

  The cheerful conversation continued, but Lilia's heart tightened slightly, and his finger instinctively brushed against the ring before he carefully put on his Night Raven College uniform gloves again to prepare for the upcoming lessons he was to take with his new family. However, before leaving the dormitory, the red-eyed boy turned one last time to look at the delicate petals of the white flower he had brought with him from Briar Valley.