This is just... wow.

Niu stood awestruck in front of the window. Even in her mind she couldn’t think of any eloquent way to describe the scenery. Majestic, divine, marvelous, overwhelming, sublime, magnificent… only such trite adjectives rose to her mind as she observed Kalden.

There were, obviously, many trees. And just like they’ve been told before, these trees were much larger than anything Niu had ever seen, but it wasn’t just that; the trees themselves looked different than what she expected. In her mind Kalden was going to be a city ruled by the colors of green and brown, but it was so much more than that. There were trees loaded with fruits and flowers of all colors, and their trunks exhibited even such colors as crimson and gold.

They really were huge, though. Extremely and unbelievably so. And the largest of them all was the tree in the dead center, towering toward the heavens and over most of Kalden—which was apparently also the tree’s name.

Niu doubted even Queen Levia’s spires back in her world were so tall, despite having never seen them. Another amazing trait was that despite seemingly blocking the sun, many of Kalden’s green leaves radiated faint light instead of casting a shadow, so that the surroundings were never truly dark.

It was much too unreal. Especially since she could also view the Ruler of Kalden’s castle from afar as well. Was it built on or in the colossal tree? It was hard to tell because it blended perfectly with the trunk. She was too far to fully appreciate the architecture, regardless, but she could notice certain windows and hatches or doors.

Niu sighed. The scenery was truly breathtaking, but this only served as a temporary distraction from her worries—their worries, since Shaya was also standing near the window. During the last couple of hours, she was gloomy and untalkative, and for a good reason: they knew nothing about what was going on.

Niu had been shocked to hear of their safe arrival to Kalden, but that only brought to mind other questions—what exactly happened ever since she lost consciousness? She hurriedly looked around the room but only Shaya was there with her; there was no sign of the boys.

She cast a questioning glance at the other girl.

“We… umm,” she spoke hesitatingly, “they saved us and then took us here.”

But what about Gen? And Roah? Niu’s gaze implored her to answer, but there were certain things that mere gestures couldn’t convey. Even so, Shaya looked like she knew her friend’s questions but hesitated to answer.

Did that mean what she thought it did?

“I-I don’t know what happened.” Shaya’s eyes turned misty and she hung her head. “I saw them take Gen away but he… and… I don’t,” At this point it turned into an incoherent mumble, then into sobbing, and finally she started crying. The shocked Niu embraced her into a hug, feeling tears stream down her face as well.

Once Shaya calmed down a bit, Niu got a few more details: apparently reinforcements from Kalden appeared immediately after Gen was injured. Niu had lost her consciousness and was taken away with Shaya. In all the chaos and turmoil, she didn’t get to see where the others went to; everything in those moments was a blur for her. Finally, she found herself inside this room along with Niu, leading them to the present.

There were guards stationed outside the small shack, but none of them were able to converse with the girls and indicated for them to stay inside. They were left with nothing to do but think, worry and stare outside the window.

Gen and Roah’s states were unknown, but there were also Seele and TriX. Seele might have possibly gotten away—they hadn’t seen them since the very start of the attack—but TriX seemed to fall right in front of them. Not to mention DuA who’d fought against their assailants until the very end. Niu clasped her shaking hands and prayed for all of them to have survived, somehow.

If only she could have done something at the time.

It was still light outside when something finally happened. Both girls jumped when the shack’s door creaked open and they saw two familiar faces.

“Roah! Seele!” Shaya yelped.

Roah wore his usual aloof expression. There were a few bandages wrapped around his arm but he seemed otherwise unhurt. Seele, meanwhile, smiled as always, yet that smile also looked strained. Of course, Niu noticed a certain missing person and bit her lips. She cast eager and fearful eyes at the pair.

“How are you two?” Seele asked them.

“We’re fine,” Shaya answered and Niu nodded as well. “What about you? And… and w-what about Gen…?” she shook while asking this.

Seele hesitated for a moment, but then spoke. “He’s alive.”

Niu and Shaya both breathed in relief—although she realized that the situation wasn’t as simple as that, her worst fears had not been realized. For now, at least.

“And what about you?” Shaya turned to Roah. “Where were you?”

“They treated me as well,” he explained, sitting on the grassy bed nearby. “When they’d rescued me there was a bit of a struggle and I was hurt. Nothing serious, though.”

“Oh, that’s good,” said Shaya. “Did you, umm, did you see…”

“Gen?” Roah guessed. “Yeah, briefly. He’s still there. It’s… not good.”

A heavy silence followed this exchange. While the worst had yet to happen, Gen wasn’t out of danger yet. This new information melted their anxiety only for a brief moment, but transformed it into another kind of tension.

“D-don’t worry!” Seele finally broke the silence. “We’ll take care of him really good!”

Niu forced a smile and nodded. Thinking negatively wouldn’t help and she had no control over the matter anyway. She should simply trust them and hope.

“Well, ah," Seele continued, “I just bring Roah here, but there’s actually much to do… I believe we’ll do something with you soon. Just wait here, right?”

Niu nodded listlessly, softly biting her lip.

“Where are we now, anyway?” Roah asked, his eye darting around the small and nearly empty shack. “I thought we’d be taken straight to the palace.”

“Oh, we’re on Sorben, which is, ah… I think there was a plan to build houses here but it didn’t happen,” Seele explained hesitatingly. Niu recalled that it had been a long time since Seele was in Kalden, so it made sense for them to not know the exact details.

“Hmm,” Roah made a noncommittal comment.

“So, sorry but I have to go,” Seele said and flashed an apologetic smile. “I’ll definitely see you soon, though! I think they’re making me your guide for all time! Good bye!” And just like that they left all of them behind.

Thinking back, it was both like and unlike their time in the underground base. Once again they spent all of their time waiting fruitlessly. However, now they were not in the darkness under the ground, but in the light and way above the surface.

A crucial difference, though, was the absence of Gen.

In a sense he could be called their little group’s pillar. He was rash and honest to a fault but also positive and energetic. Since Niu was silent, Shaya was meek and Roah was cold, they all obviously sank into a depressing atmosphere. Worrying and fretting.

At times Niu even felt somewhat angry at Roah. He was the one who’d said their enemies probably intended to capture them and not hurt them, so why did this thing happen? But it was silly; none of it was his fault and he couldn’t do anything either. If nothing else he was actually extremely helpful that night. Without him they might have been taken away, or worse. At the very least, he was much more useful than Niu was, and that was perhaps another source of anguish for her.

Several other dangerously dark emotions threatened to rear their heads like the flying tentacles that took them there, so Niu held them down as best as she could. She couldn’t allow herself to break down, especially not now.

Seele never came back that day, but they were delivered two meals. Surprisingly they were much humbler (and less tasty) than what they’d eaten until now with the exception of the recent trip. Just when they started getting used to the different world’s cuisine, yet another style of food was presented to them.

When sunset came it felt hard to believe that almost a full day passed since that horrible night, yet Niu welcomed it; it was very mentally exhausting, so despite all of her anxiety she fell asleep quite easily and had a surprisingly pleasant sleep.

With their first daily meal the next day came a message in form of a piece of paper.

“’You will be picked up later’, huh.” Roah immediately snatched the scrap and read it.

Niu also glanced at it. It was a bit of a clumsy handwriting and unfamiliar to her, so was it perhaps Seele’s? Were they that busy that they had to leave them such a short message like this?

The three looked at the fairy serving their meal, but they made no comment, probably due to their inability to speak their language. Rather inconvenient, that. If they didn’t have Seele they would have been in a lot of trouble. She also recalled Roah’s observation that they still had no idea why Seele could talk to them.

A few hours later, just like the note said, several weapon-carrying fairies came to the shack and gestured for the trio to follow them.

“Are we going to the palace?” asked Roah. However, the fairies merely furrowed their brows, so it was another case of impossible communication. They had only one choice; follow them and find out.

Finally exiting the small shack, they could see it was placed on top of an extremely thick branch, and similar to the palace, it wasn’t obvious at a glance whether the shack was built there or engraved from the tree itself somehow. There were similar branches and houses all around them, which they had also been able to view from the windows. All of those seemed to be empty.

They were then taken across a short bridge that led to the branch of another, slightly shorter tree. Near it was also a wooden, hollow cube hanging from a complex assortment of ropes; Niu herself hadn’t been conscious to experience this, but Shaya and Roah had already told her about this system used in conjunction with the bridges, ropes and ladders to transverse across the forest city.

Going down, up and around, they finally reached the largest tree of all. Its trunk was golden-brown and its person-sized leaves, a fact which both amazed and somewhat scared her, were so vividly and radiantly green that it made the other trees looks gray and sickly. Heading up a set of stairs carefully engraved into the extremely wide branch, they reached what appeared to be the entrance to the palace.

Niu, who had only heard about such places in stories, again wondered how it compared to the Queen’s castle, also supposedly impressive. At the very least the castle was probably less majestic; even the scenery of the great mountains couldn’t compare, in her opinion, to being awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the tree itself, let alone the palace installed on it.

A pair of guards opened the large, ornate double doors with the image of a spindling tree carved on them, leading them inside.

“Whoa,” Shaya softly admired as they stepped inside. Niu had to agree with that simple yet understandable reaction.

The walls and floor were obviously wooden, yet they were so polished and smooth that they almost looked like they were made of marble. Stepping into the bright golden corridor felt like they ended up directly under the sun. There were no carpets, paintings, statues or other such items that would indicate wealth back on their world, but that only made the pure, empty corridor look much longer and dignified.

The only sounds around came from their soft steps on the floor, so Niu felt as if she could almost hear the beatings of her heart. Step by step they approached yet another double door, much greater in size and more elaborate in design than those outside. Those surely led into some crucial place, such as the throne room. First, however, the corridor opened into two separate wings, and glancing around them they could suddenly see—

“G-Gen!” Shaya yelped.

Yes—the boy standing there, being led by other guards, was none other than Gen. His face was pale and his expression was weak, but he was there.

“Uh, hey,” he said somewhat awkwardly.

“Surprise! Or something like that,” said Seele who was also standing next to him. On the other side was yet another figure, taller and thicker than all the rest there, wearing a cloak—TriX.

“How… how are you…?” Shaya mumbled, glancing from Gen to TriX and back to him.

“Haha… honestly, I still feel pretty horrible, but… I’ll probably be fine,” he replied, grinning in front of Shaya’s smile.

Niu couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as well. Everything was bound to improve now that Gen had been saved and would hopefully make a full recovery. TriX also seemed well despite the horrid state it had been left in the last time they saw it. She hoped DuA was fine as well, but for now she was ecstatic.

Roah, however, was as cold as ever. “I think we should save this talk for later,” he said, gesturing with his chin at their impatient guards. They did suddenly stop in the middle of the corridor, after all.

“Yes, we need to get to the Ruler,” Seele agreed, still smiling. “I’m going to be your translator. Exciting!”

Niu, however, was less excited. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she was extremely tense; meeting royalty was exciting in a way, but it was a completely foreign one, and this meeting might set their entire future there. There were still so many uncertainties and questions and not many answers. They were completely at the mercy of Kalden and its Ruler now.

And the worst of all was that Niu herself couldn’t do anything about it.

Finally, the quartet of humans—or faeries, depending on who you asked—reached the throne room. At first, however, it almost seemed as though they stepped outside by accident.

The place was well-illuminated through the use of strategically-placed windows from all angles so it was brimming with light, but that wasn’t the main reason for this impression; it was the fact that several trees were growing in the room. Trees growing inside a tree—what a bizarre thing to observe. They grew straight out of the wooden floor, so if there was any soil there, it had to be underneath it. The trees surrounded the throne, not tall enough to reach the ceiling but short enough to seem about half as tall as the average tree in Plainland. The trees were all of different kinds, much like a microcosm of Kalden.

And the one who symbolized Kalden in various senses sat in the midst of it all.

Acrus Kalden, the Ruler of Kalden, looked quite… bored. If it weren’t for them sitting on the throne, perhaps Niu wouldn’t have recognized them as royalty in the first place. Acrus wore completely plain clothes; they seemed of good quality, but were dull in color and with barely any decoration or flourish whatsoever. There was no cape, scepter or crown, though there were some colored rings holding the Ruler’s wispy, yellow hair at several points on their head. Was that simply fashion or traditional wear on Fairland? Niu expected something much more majestic, but perhaps this was another one of the differences in culture.

In spite of the mundane-looking Ruler and the several uniformed guards there was someone else who was extremely distinctive. Perhaps they would have fit the image of a monarch. The only reason the visitors hadn’t noticed this fairy’s figure was due to them mixing among the soldiers and focusing on the center of the room at first, but now whoever it was now revealed themselves and came to scrutinize them.

Clad in a clash of purity and color, the fairy looked like a walking garden. Their white robe (or dress?) was tight on their lithe figure but much of it was hidden by an assortment of flowers either growing through the fabric or woven into it. Even their short, dirty-brown hair was covered haphazardly with flowers.

In contrast to the fairy’s vivid appearance, their eyes were a deep and cold color of blue. When these eyes suddenly focused on Niu she felt a chill pass through her body. Most fairies at least felt somewhat humanoid, but this one’s unique appearance somehow felt deeply unsettling.

Seele, on the other hand, seemed happy upon seeing the other fairy. Were the two friends, perhaps? Seele’s expression was much more jovial than usual, though there was also still some anxiousness as they turned back toward the Ruler.

The Ruler then started speaking—not that Niu could understand. Although their voice was loud enough to be heard even from the small distance they stood from the throne, the language was as comprehensible as ever.

Niu had the feeling that this was going to be tricky.

“Ah, finally my eyes feast upon the fabled faeries,” said Acrus. Their voice was loud enough to be carried throughout the entire room. “And our interpreter… Seele Sowng, if I am not mistaken?”

“Y-yes!” Seele hurriedly replied. They balled their right arm into a fist and placed it near their chest. “It is my honor to serve you, Kalden.”

Acrus made a small, disinterested nod. “You came here all the way from the Karmil base, am I right? You have done well to bring them all here in one piece. Or so I would have liked to say, but some of these faeries seem to have been injured quite grievously… losing an arm and an eye is a pity, is it not?”

“That is not the case, Kalden," said Seele somewhat hesitatingly after a small pause. “Some have been wounded in the fights, yes, but the injuries you have mentioned were, err, there in the first place.”

“…Oh?” Acrus raised a brow. “They came here already in that condition? How peculiar. Then I rescind my previous comment and do congratulate you on bringing them here alive. But enough of that. Look at those poor faeries, staring at us as if we were foreign creatures from an entirely different world—which we are, to them, of course, but that is beside the point.” They broadened their smile as if their joke was particularly funny. “Pass to them my greetings as the Ruler. Make it sound more dignified, though.” Acrus waved their hand in the air.

Seele furrowed their brows a bit at the last request, but made no comment; they simply turned around to the four faeries and started speaking.

“The Ruler welcomes you all to his kingdom and is happy to see you all managed to arrive safe,” Seele said briefly. The four quietly exchanged glances.

“And now for our real business,” Acrus continued, raising an arm. “Surely the faeries themselves realize they are nothing more than currency for us. The only question is whether we have any use for them; anything that would give them true value.” Once again Seele frowned yet said nothing, waiting for the Ruler to continue. “Ask them this: what can they bring forth to the table? Let them ponder this for a while. And do not play with my words; I want them to fully understand the situation.”

Despite not understanding the language and being unfamiliar with the slight nuances of the fairy culture, Niu did understand something was amiss, whether it was by the tone of Acrus’s voice or the way subtly Seele changed their expression while listening.

“The… the Ruler now asks you what you can be worth to us,” Seele translated weakly.

“Our worth?” Roah repeated, then snorted. “Yeah, I figured as much… we’re only tools for you, right?" Seele seemed surprised at his response.

“…Is that what the king said?” Gen asked.

“Uh… more or less,” Seele confirmed, biting their lips.

“Then tell them that we have no—”

“Calm down, Gen,” Roah interjected at the other boy raising his voice. “Do you really want to lash out at the monarch of this place? Do you want us to get executed?”

“I just want to be treated fairly,” Gen replied angrily. “If they're not going to take us seriously, then we might as well…”

“Why would they take us seriously?” Roah countered yet again. “We’re just… well, kids. Remember that these guys live for hundreds of years. That’s what this is about; they want to know if they’d get anything out of helping us. Did you expect them to act due to kindness? Not everyone’s as silly as you.”

Gen nearly snapped right there and then. Perhaps the only reason he couldn’t rush at the other boy was due his injuries; he looked like he was about to do something, but then winced and stopped.

“Stop this!” Shaya admonished them. “Do you think this is the time?”

Gen averted his gaze. “I guess not. I was just… you know.”

“I’m shocked too,” said Shaya, “b-but we can’t get angry right now. We have a lot at stake here.”

Like our very lives, thought Niu. She glanced at Acrus; the Ruler didn’t seem very pleased with them talking and arguing like this. They probably expected some answer already and were growing impatient.

But what could Niu do? She currently had no slate or any way to write. Much like the four of them were at the mercy of the fairies, she herself was at the mercy of her friends as she couldn’t even help them. She hated that.

“Anyway,” Roah said with a completely calm tone, “what they’re saying is that we have to be somehow useful. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to directly do something for them; it’s about what we can get for them.”

“Like, umm, from our town?” suggested Shaya. Roah nodded.

“Well, I guess my parents are worried sick about me right now,” said Gen, “so they’d definitely agree to some sort of deal.”

Yes, it was best to leave all the politicking to the adults; they couldn’t do anything like that by themselves.

“…If they can afford to, right now,” said Shaya weakly, biting her lips.

Niu knew that all of them had been suppressing their thoughts about this, but they’d have to confront the matter at some point. They were, after all, still completely in the dark about what happened to their town. Their parents might have bigger problems than worrying about their missing children—such as their own wellbeing. Isolated as they were from Plainland, the situation there was unknown.

“Also, you’re assuming we can get in contact with them in the first place,” Roah added grimly.

Niu thought about this as well—they have assumed this premise as if it was natural, but perhaps it wasn’t really so. This impression was likely based on the fact that there were people here who could speak their language and Seele kept the reason for that a secret, so it was easy to suspect or at least hope that there was some method of communication.

“Seele,” Roah turned toward the fairy who was patiently watching them argue without saying a word, “ask your king this—if we prove ourselves worthy, what can you do for us? Is it even possible to bring us back home?”

Seele seemed somewhat hesitant at that, but nodded and turned toward Acrus. Their smile widened, probably glad to finally have the conversation advance, though not by much. The Ruler spoke for a while.

“Well,” Seele said as they turned back to the four of them and spoke, “I have received permission to finally reveal this to you. If we can get you back we don’t know, but we can get in contact with your world.”

Niu was surprised to hear this despite her suspicions, but Roah only mumbled a low I knew it with a smile.

“Is that how you can talk with us?” asked Shaya.

“Yes. We learned your language to speak with your world. It was a big thing; there were many of us working there, including me and TriX.” Seele glanced at the silent laborer. “We communicated for a while, but it… stopped at some point.”

“Why’d it stop?” asked Gen.

“There were, ah…” Seele paused for a while. “Problems with managing the project. We had a new Ruler then. But that doesn’t matter.” This vague explanation caught Niu’s interest, but apparently Seele wasn’t willing to talk about it any further. Perhaps the aforementioned new Ruler was the one right in front of them now?

“Anyway, we have a way to pass messages. If the other side still has their, we should be able to contact them again… probably,” Seele added with a hint of uncertainty.

“Are you sure you could set that up again?” asked Roah.

Once again Seele hesitated. “I don’t actually know how it works. It’s been long. Maybe we can. I’m sorry.”

“You don't need to apologize," said Shaya. “There’s a chance, right?”

“Wait, there’s another important thing we need to know,” Roah interjected. “You say that you have been in communication with Plainland. The question is: with whom? Or where?”

Oh, Niu realized with a start. Right—if it was, for example, the Eastern Frontier of Sacrona, that wouldn’t help them at all, as they were enemy countries. There was also the fact that they’d never heard of anyone getting in contact with Fairland, but that was likely a secret just as it seemed to be for the fairies. Niu wanted to cling to the thread of hope so much that she didn’t realize how close they were standing to the edge.

“It was the, ah… what was the name?” Seele said. “Do you remember, TriX?”

“If I am not mistaken,” said the laborer, “it was the King of Rumdon.”

Rumdon! There was no mistake; this was the very same monarchy that ruled over their area of the Western Frontier. Right now their monarch was Queen Levia-O, but it was obviously one of the previous generations. Their hope was not yet lost, and in fact encouraged.

“I see. That’s good, then,” said Roah.

“Doesn’t solve any of the other problems, though,” said Shaya, hanging her head.

“Hmm… we might not really have anything to offer them, but if our very presence here causes them to reestablish communications with our world, then maybe that’s good enough?” Gen suggested. “I don’t know what’s happened before, exactly, but it sounds like this side cut it off a long time ago, right? So maybe we can still salvage this.”

“Huh. You do have some good ideas once in a while,” said Roah in a deadpan voice.

Gen shot an angry glance at him but no more than that. “Anyway, my parents do have some connections in the capital… I dunno, I think it’s at least worth a try.”

Niu nodded. They were still starved for information about their old world, which they might get even in the worst-case scenario. Whatever that monster attack had been, it had yet to make a reappearance in Fairland, but what about Plainland? Reaching out to the Queen would be a good idea.

“But… can we even, you know,” Shaya hesitated for a second, “go back?” she looked as if she wanted to take back her words, but since she already said them, she decided to go with it. “Talking with the Queen or whatever is fine, but in the end, we want to return home, right?”

“There should be a way,” answered Roah.

“Huh? Rare of you to be so optimistic,” said Gen in surprise.

No, thought Niu, it’s just obvious. We’re living proof that it's possible, after all.

“We somehow came here, so we should be able to somehow get back,” he replied, to which Niu strongly nodded. “Well, it’s extremely vague, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Right… I almost forgot about that.” Gen held his head against his palm and shook it. “There’s too much stuff to think about, lately.”

“Anyway,” Roah turned to Seele. “Tell your Ruler the truth. We can’t promise anything, but we might have some connections on the other side. I don’t know what made you cut off contact the last time, but I’m sure there’ll be something worthwhile for you."

Seele nodded and spoke with Acrus yet again. The Ruler’s expression didn’t seem like a positive sign, though.

“The faeries are speaking only of uncertainties and possibilities,” said Acrus, shaking their head, “I am almost tempted to simply order them thrown out of the window. How utterly disgraceful, an absolute waste of my time… so that is what we get after going through the trouble of bringing them all the way to Kalden?”

Acrus glanced at the quartet staring back. Their fear and apprehension were understandable; they didn’t need to understand the language to realize how foreign they were here. Their very lives were in the hand of Acrus.

Acrus also glanced at Aisbroom, their trusty General, looming nearby. Their expression was as neutral as ever. What did they think of these faeries? Acrus had no idea. They never could read that cold, calculated face. Perhaps Acrus could do something to shock them. Perhaps Acrus could do something with the faeries.

Although their first instincts were to get rid of these children, perhaps they could also be used for something after all. It would be far too hasty to dispose of them so.

Suddenly a smile rose to their lips. They had an idea. Would the faeries agree to such a ludicrous deal? Would they endanger themselves this much for their hosts? It would raise Kalden’s morale for sure. Well, they had the advantage regardless—so the faeries would have to agree.

And so Acrus began to talk.

Almost immediately there was a small stir around the room. Fairies widened their eyes or raised a brow in disbelief, with even Seele muttering something in shock with a low voice that Niu could hear only since she was nearby. What had Ruler Acrus Kalden just said that was so earth-shattering even to their subordinates?

Niu had a bad feeling about this. She momentarily glanced at another fairy—the one dressed in white—and saw their expression was completely blank. Then at least for them it wasn’t a surprise at all. They simply gazed up the Ruler; not even bored-looking, just attentive.

“The, ah,” Seele stuttered, attempting to organize their words, “the Ruler said he’s willing to try to contact your kingdom.” And there came a pause.

Surely that couldn’t be everything, right? Not with that reaction? However, Seele seemed very hesitant on continuing to talk. They glanced at the Ruler again and then back at Niu and the rest.

“But there’s one condition. You need to help us against the… against the second time of the monsters,” Seele spat out, sounding mildly horrified.

Now the scene from before was perfectly clear, and Niu and the rest’s reaction were pretty much a repeat of the fairies’.

“What, what did you just…?” Roah sputtered. “Second time… second coming? You mean, they’re going to attack again?”

The image of the nightmarish scorpion-lizard-thing flashed through Niu’s mind, causing a shudder. She also recalled the dark tentacles dropping them from the skies. She remembered her soul-crushing despair when she’d been cornered by one, helpless and alone—and then the desperate struggle as her friends protected her.

Was all that about to repeat itself now?

Kalden itself seemed intact, but who could tell what had happened there the first time around? Also, since the attack was apparently simultaneous in both Fairland and Plainland, would it still be so? They have yet to find out what happened to Hayden and its surroundings. If it still stood it was going to be attacked yet again… and they couldn’t do anything to stop it?

“No way,” mumbled Gen in disbelief.

“How does,” started Roah, “how do they know this?” He glanced between Seele and Acrus.

“I’m… I’m surprised like you,” said Seele, voice slightly shaking, “I don’t know. But the Ruler wouldn’t just say that. We were caught by complete surprise, and…”

“Perhaps they were able, to see their path in the sky,” suggested TriX.

The shining tentacles did appear in the heavens, dropping those monsters like twisted storm clouds. Those words also sparked a lone memory in Niu’s mind—a memory of a dark sky littered with faint, shining lights. Could it be? She completely forgot about it, but had she seen some omen signifying the incoming attack?

“What is your response, faeries from another world?” Acrus suddenly bellowed. All gazes in the throne room immediately focused on them. Their voice grew louder and louder still. “There have been many legends foretelling your arrival in this world—which will herald the reunification of our worlds and everlasting peace. Although banished by vile beings, we shall be restored to our former glory! Yet none of the legends spoke of this situation. Is it not likely, then, that it is the handiwork of those very Demons themselves? Unsatisfied with our exile and fearing our rise in power, they now seek to eradicate us! By unleashing their monstrosities upon us they think they will vanquish us—but they are wrong, for Kalden is the strongest!”

Acrus rose from their seat, spreading their arms. This whole course of action was not quite planned, yet the Ruler of Kalden was skilled in such performances. Once they got the idea, it was easy to sway the entire audience.

“Kalden!” the guards’ voices echoed. The four faeries stood confused in place, obviously unable to understand the speech and sudden fervor. Acrus continued still.

“I am now convinced; it is no mere chance that brought you here, but destiny itself. Surely you have a role to fulfill here among us. And so, faeries, I ask of you—submit to me! You have to make the choice: perish, or stand up against Kalden’s enemies!”

“KALDEN!” the room was shaken with sound once more.

“This is an ultimatum. I am not a kind Ruler, as you all know, but a fair one. Seele Sowng, you must get an answer out of them! I order you!”

Niu felt a bit better, seeing that even Seele was pretty flustered at this whole situation, even after Acrus seemingly riled everyone up. Seele then started speaking to them again. “I really don’t know how to say this. But I guess you… you have to help us. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not the one who needs to apologize here,” spat Gen, glaring at Acrus.

Roah clicked his tongue. “We don’t have a choice, do we?”

“Gods…” Shaya whispered, shaking. She looked like she was about to cry any second now.

Niu herself was in no better condition. She held no high hopes for this meeting in the first place, but it went both much better and much worse than expected. They found a sliver of hope—and a bottomless abyss of danger. And the worst part? They had to agree to the deal.

Rise today, but be prepared

Tomorrow rest, for you have erred