Daemeryn______
Meli gently shook everyone awake as the early light filtered through the curtains of the carriage.
"Luna… Luna, wake up… Sole, Lira, Sira…" she whispered softly.
One by one, the girls stirred from their sleep. Lunaria rubbed her eyes, still half-dreaming.
"What is it, Meli?" she mumbled, her voice groggy.
"We've reached Daemeryn," Meli whispered.
"What?" Lunaria's eyes flew open.
The other fairies sat up instantly, now fully alert.
"Daemeryn? Isn't this Zeph's birthplace?" Sole asked, blinking in surprise.
Meli nodded.
Luna leaned closer and whispered, "Aza's too".
Crysie ask . "wait… who's that?"
Luna said " Azarion Dreth ".
Crysie gasped dramatically
"OOOOHHHHHH"
Sira tilted her head. "Do you know him?"
Crysie shook her head. "Nope! "
Lira sighed and crossed her arms. "Azarion Dreth is the man who helped us escape and guided us to this point."
Understanding dawned on everyone's face.
"Ohhh, that guy," Vina muttered. "He's kind of handsome."
Meli cleared her throat sharply, silencing them. "Stay serious, everyone. This country is covered in soldiers and silence. It's dangerous."
"What to do now?" asked Lunaria, frowning slightly.
"We only have one way to move forward now," Meli explained. "Through the Forest of Death."
Everyone stared at her in horror.
"The Forest of Death?" Sira echoed, her voice trembling.
Meli nodded gravely. "Even trained soldiers lose their way inside. The forest shifts, rearranging itself. Locals say it's alive. If we're lucky, we'll reach Hexavella safely on the other side."
A chill ran through the group. The once-cheerful fairies were quiet now, their playful energy gone.
But Lunaria straightened her back and said confidently, "Then let's go."
"Go… into that forest?" Vina squeaked.
"I want to test my luck," Lunaria said firmly, looking ahead with determination in her eyes.
Sole leaned toward Lira and whispered, "She's crazy."
Lira replied dryly, "She's our crazy."
The Forest of Death_____
The wheels of the black carriage creaked as it slowly rolled past the towering gates of the Forest of Death.
The moment they entered, a chilling stillness surrounded them.
There was no wind.
No birds.
No rustle of leaves.
Nothing.
It was as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Inside the carriage, even the normally cheerful fairies sat stiff and silent. No one dared to speak.
Finally, Lunaria broke the silence.
"So… which direction should we go?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Meli, seated beside her, looked down at the map spread across her lap. "West. We keep heading west."
Lunaria nodded and turned to the others. "Listen carefully. If, for any reason, we get separated—walk only in the west direction. Do not turn back. Do not take shortcuts. Just west."
The fairies nodded slowly, still nervous.
"Why is it so silent here?" Sira asked, hugging her knees. "It doesn't feel natural…"
"It's not," Lira replied, her voice low. "This place… it's cursed."
Crysie peeked out the carriage window and quickly pulled back. "It feels like the trees are staring at us…"
"They probably are," Vina muttered.
The carriage rattled slightly as it hit a root. Everyone jumped.
Sole leaned forward. "Luna, why can't we travel at night? Wouldn't that be faster?"
Lunaria looked at her seriously. "Because… at night, the Shadow Masters hunt here."
"Shadow Masters?" Vina repeated, eyes wide.
"They come to capture beasts that lurk in this forest," Meli explained. "But they don't care who they catch. If we're seen, we might not live to tell the story."
"Great," Crysie muttered, "so either we get lost, get eaten, or get caught."
"Exactly," said Lira bluntly.
A moment passed in tense silence.
Lunaria took a deep breath and looked around at everyone. "But we'll make it through. We stay quiet, stay alert, and stay together."
The fairies nodded, drawing courage from her words.
"I still don't like this place," Sira whispered.
"No one does," said Meli, gently squeezing her hand. "But we have no choice."
As the carriage gently rolled through the forest, Myra suddenly looked up and frowned.
"Wait," she said, turning to Meli. "If Duskvaria has no sun, how do we even know whether it's day or night?"
Meli gave a small smile and replied calmly,
"In Duskvaria, there's no sun and no stars. So to tell time, we simply look at the moon. If it's glowing blue, it means it's daytime. If it turns white, it means night has fallen."
Floe crossed her arms and sighed.
"Living in Duskvaria sounds so hard…"
Meli nodded thoughtfully.
"It is. Since I was a child, I always dreamed of seeing the world beyond—where the sun actually shines." Her voice turned wistful.
"I've heard it's warm… bright… golden. I can't wait to see it for myself. Soon, that dream will come true."
She moved to the side of the carriage and gently pulled back the curtain. Her eyes widened.
"The moon… it's turning white."
Her voice dropped, tense.
"We should stop and set up camp. Night is coming."
The carriage rolled to a halt, and the group stepped out. They had found the perfect place to rest—near a gentle waterfall surrounded by fruit trees and beautiful black crystal flowers that shimmered under the moonlight.
Meli gestured to the waterfall.
"This will do. Beasts usually avoid areas near water, and Shadow Masters are less likely to come here at night."
Lunaria looked around the peaceful forest clearing and smiled softly.
"Meli, I think we can tie hammocks between these two trees. It'll be more comfortable than sleeping on the ground."
Meli nodded, already pulling out a folded cloth from their supplies.
"Great idea, Luna. We'll use this thick fabric and some strong vine cords. It should hold well through the night."
Together, they tied the ends tightly between two sturdy trees, creating a pair of makeshift hammocks that swayed gently in the breeze.
"Perfect," Meli said, testing hers by sitting on it. "Just like a cradle from the forest."
Lunaria giggled as she climbed into hers.
"Now this feels like real adventure."
Lunaria smiled as she watched her fairies enjoying the peaceful clearing. Some of them were playing in the water, splashing each other and laughing, while others collected glowing black crystal flowers, carefully weaving them into crowns. They all seemed so happy—especially knowing it was for her.
Just as she was about to sit down, Lunaria looked around and realized two were missing.
"Where's Crysie and Sole?" she asked, scanning the trees.
A moment later, her eyes widened in shock.
"HEY! Don't eat that!" she yelled, pointing up.
Everyone turned toward the noise. Crysie and Sole were perched on a tree branch, about to bite into a large, strange-looking fruit.
Startled, they froze.
Crysie blinked. "Whaaat? It looked juicy!"
Myra picked up the fruit and inspected it. "This isn't edible," she explained. "It might be pretty, but it's dangerous."
Sole huffed and tossed the fruit down. "Useless fruit anyway," she muttered, climbing down.
Just then, Meli stepped forward. "True, you shouldn't eat it," she said, taking the fruit gently from Myra's hands. "But it's not completely useless."
Everyone looked at her, puzzled.
Meli plucked two crystal flowers and rubbed them together. As they sparked with tiny specks of light, she held them close to the fruit.
Suddenly, the fruit began to sizzle—and then caught fire, burning steadily.
The fairies gasped in amazement.
"The liquid inside this fruit can be used to make fire," Meli said with a proud smile. "Don't ask me its name—some things are better left to mystery."
The rest of the fairies rushed to bring more fruits, lighting a small, cozy campfire. They all gathered around it, laughter echoing through the forest as they teased each other, cracked jokes, and told silly stories.
Then, someone nudged Lira.
"Soo... Lira," Vina grinned, "Why are you so serious all the time? You're way more mature than the rest of us!"
"Yeah," Crysie added. "You're like a little general, always scolding us."
Even Lunaria tilted her head curiously. "Honestly, I've always wondered that too."
Lira looked down for a moment, then took a deep breath. The crackling fire reflected in her eyes.
"It's because… I lost my parents when I was really young," she said softly.
Everyone grew silent.
"After that, I vowed to give my soul to the Moon," she continued. "I thought maybe… if I offered myself, I'd have purpose. When I woke up, I had been chosen—not just to serve the moon, but to become your fairy."
She looked at Lunaria.
"You were just a baby then—tiny, soft, not even opening your eyes yet. From that day on… I didn't just see you as a princess. You were my little girl."
Lira's voice trembled slightly, but she smiled.
"Other fairies were my friends, but you… you were something more. That's why I cultivated so hard, why I trained when no one else did. Not just to be strong—but to protect you."
She looked around at the others.
"I know I'm not your mother. I'm not even qualified to be. But even though I didn't give birth to you… you're all my children in heart."
Tears welled in everyone's eyes. Lunaria quietly reached out and hugged Lira, burying her face in her chest.
"We love you too, Lira," she whispered.
Meli, watching from the side, smiled warmly. The flickering fire, the bond between them, the peace of the forest—all of it reminded her that even in darkness, love could bloom like the rarest moonflower.