The next few days leading up to Alana's twenty second birthday was very busy in Lylas' realm. To celebrate it, everyone—the people whom stayed in the palace—decorated the palace in pink and gold. They also arranged for a birthday party, inviting every known creature in Lylas's realm into the palace for celebration.

Although, they were celebrating her birthday, there was a sombre mood deep in their eyes and hearts. Alana couldn't describe it, however, it felt as if they were in mourning.

She was the centre of the party. In the huge hall where the party was held, Alana was seated high above in view of everyone. The new faces she saw looked upon her with eyes filled with curiosity and admiration.

Alana was astonished at the mixture of creatures in the Hall. Some had come in their human form, others had come in their original skin. It was a walking nightmare and Alana felt as if she had went to hell and was put into a pedestal for everyone to view. However, instead of being frightening, these creatures partied and talked with one another similar to how anyone back home in the mortal realm would.

It was their idleness that made Alana feel calm about their unnatural appearances. Zenos explained to her that those in human form were in higher ranking than those that weren't. Some were immortal and some were on that road to immortality. Those powerful enough could change to their human form, compared to those whom were still practicing the art of mastering human form.

And thus, Alana began viewing everyone in awe and respect. It did occur to her that they were very much powerful than her, but their serenity made her aware that they would not at all harm her.

They had come wanting a glimpse of this mortal whose birthday they were celebrating. Because only a few had known about her relationship with Lylas, the rest were curious as to why she was so important to him.

Only the people who stayed in Lylas' palace knew about her carrying Lylas's heir. Alana planned to keep it that way. She didn't want anyone else involved when it came to her death.

Throughout the night, with the help of Mena and Zenos, Alana had greeted many human faces and monstrous faces of people wanting to congratulate her on her birthday. There were also little demons and goblins children wanting to glimpse a mortal as they have never been close to one.

After the greetings, everyone then partied and mingled in the hall, showing off their tricks and skills. Alana and Mena had sat at the balcony to watch this intriguing commotion down them. After a while, Alana got bored and wanted to excuse herself for fresh air.

Alana wandered outside the palace which were filled with all these different species. There was a curiosity she wanted to figure out; why all of Lylas's disciples had a hidden sombre expression on their faces?

It didn't fail her notice earlier that even though Mena had been attentive toward her the whole day. There has also been a constant look of sadness in her eyes that was hidden deep.

"It's the anniversary of her death. Master Lylas' wife, Naala." She heard one woman speaking to her companion.

"Ah, is that why Dessim is so dim tonight?" The other asked.

Alana skidded to a stop and hid around the corner from detection. She began to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two demon women in human form.

So it turns out it was the death anniversaries of that woman. It now made sense to her why sadness filled the air of Lylas' disciples. And why Lylas had disappeared since last night.

Although the past few day leading up to her birthday, he had slept with her in her room. Alana held him tight each night, never wanting to let go. She knew fully well that in the upcoming months she wouldn't get this privilege any longer. It would become pointless for him to spend time with her.

Last night, he had left her a note bearing his wishes to enjoy her birthday and that he was sorry he wouldn't be there, because there was something important he had to do. Alana had woken up to the feeling of disappointment that he couldn't be there to celebrate her birthday.

However, seeing as Mena and Zenos didn't divulge further information of his whereabouts and seeing how they treated his disappearance as a habitual occurrence. She decided not to question further and to simple let it go.

What right did she have anyway? Technically she wasn't his and he wasn't hers. It was a realisation and a wake up call at how these past few months she had deluded herself into thinking, somehow, there was piece of her in his heart.

Alana had decided to enjoy her birthday even without him. She had never had this scale of people wanting to celebrate her birth before. Usually, back on earth, Jake and Pam would take her out or give her either a cupcake or a small cake.

This scale of a party astounded her. And for the sake of everyone that contributed into creating this day for her, she decided to relish their efforts.

"Yes, Dessim is dim today because of it." The women speaking brought Alana out of her reverie.

"It's rumoured that Dessim would dim during evening of this day, however around midnight she would bloom brightly along with the shower of stars. According to the rumour, the showering of stars are what remained of her highness, Naala's sentiments." The woman informed her companion.

Alana drank up this new information like she's been trekking on barren dessert for days without water.

"Oh." The other woman exclaimed in awe.

"Yes, I once heard that her highness, Naala was born a silver immortal fairie responsible for balancing plant life in the fairie realms. When she died, her soul incinerated from existence, but her sentiments still lived on."

"My husband said it was a rumour, but since no one actually knows how the moon Dessim really works in keeping this place alive, there's been many stories that Dessim is also important to Master Lylas in other ways."

"What other way?" The other woman asked anxiously, mirroring Alana's curiosity.

"One way Dessim is important, is because she catches those showering stars, those sentiments into her core. No one knows exactly how Master Lylas extracts those stars with his bare hands. But once my husband said his friend of a friend had witnessed him refining the stars into shiny spherical marbles, where inside it looked like thousand stars were compressed into one."

"Wow. Master's skills are really remarkable, one cannot simply imagine how he does it. I've never heard of such thing as refining stars. Surely only the Star God knows how." The other commented.

The woman with the information laughed at the remark. "We mere demons can only admire and wonder, my dear friend. To be able to reach Master's Lylas's level is unimaginable in our lives."

"What do you think those marble stars are for?" The woman asked.

"No one knows, only master knows. My husband and I debate everyday what he could use them for. My husband has a theory that they're not really stars and that they're just Naala's sentiments refined into dream portals."

As soon as that woman said the last part, Alana's heart missed a beat twice before accelerating in faster pace. She stumbled out of ear shot of their conversation, her head swimming with this new information.

She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, her mind was whirring and her heart aching for some reason.

She only knew the ache aroused from the fact that Lylas would go to extreme lengths for that woman. Zenos had once told her he created Dessim for the one he missed deep in his heart.

Alana stared up at this very moon. Although dim compared to yesterday, with new fresh knowledgeable eyes, that moon seemed to be looking down on her as if mocking her.

Even if that information was merely rumour and speculation, deep down, Alana knew all of this was fact. Lylas had based his realm around her. Dessim wasn't just created for him to expand the foundations of his realm, but to also catch all of her sentiments.

What did he accuse her once in that strange dream she had? That she kept invading the dream portal which was filled with sentiments of his past?

So it turns out, her mind had subconsciously entered his dream portals in form of marble stars. How could that have happened? It was still a mystery. Everything relating to her experience so far has been a mystery. She would not be able to articulate a proper viable explanation as to how it happened, if someone asked. Alana had no magical powers. The only surreal thing she had was only an immortal womb. Even that was mystery.

Alana subconsciously cradled her belly while looking up at the moon, Dessim. There were some clouds casting around the moon, as if waiting to submerge it into darkness. As Alana looked around her she realised she had wandered toward his forbidden garden.

Perplexed, she was about to turn away when something caught her peripheral vision. It was a shadow adorned in all black. Since there were many people in the palace, for a stranger to wander wasn't unusual. However, the people in this realm knew the rules and knew where not to wander.

This shadow's movements were suspicious and didn't seem to belong.

"Who's there?" Alana's voice called out.

Stupid! Why are you letting them know you're here? What if they kill you in the spot! You're defenceless!

Surely this was the safest place in all existence. Alana was confident in this. Lylas was very powerful, no one will be able to slip into his tightly guarded and restricted realm.

This stranger suddenly gasped and turned around. Alana recognised this man instantly. It was the fairie king, Natan. Alana would recognise that striking silver hair and those mesmerising silver eyes anywhere.

"You!" Alana exclaimed in shock.

He exclaimed something in a language she didn't understand, however judging the expression and tone, Alana knew it was an expletive.

"How did you emerge from that garden!" Alana was stupefied.

"Little demoness, I know my entrance is unseemly but respect your elder. I'm the fairie king and also Naala's twin brother. I am your master's brother in law."

Alana stared at him lamely. The man frowned detestingly seeing as she wasn't going to pay homage to him.

His hands were in fists on either side and he stared at her as if she had highly offended him.

"I betted my chances that he has a place here with her favourite plants and so I used gilowa grass to enable me to bypass his seals." He then began answering her initial question.

"Gilowa grass?" Alana asked confusedly.

"Gilowa grass has only ever been created by Naala. The flaw to the plant is that when separated from its mother plant, it will always be connected no matter where it goes. I used this flaw to my advantage and manipulated it to enable me access into his realm. I wouldn't have thunk that he has a garden sorely filled with Naala's powers. Although an imitation. It surprises how close this garden is to her essence." The last part was said in faint amusement as he stared at the entrance of the garden. Where he had emerged from.

Alana was even more confused. She bagged it for her uncultivated mind, that's why she couldn't understand what he was talking about. Anyway, all of this was besides the point.

"You're not suppose to be here." She told him, using a firm tone.

The man smiled mischievously at her. "Little demoness, I'm a fairie king. I go wherever I please and no one can say otherwise. Besides, I need to speak with your Master, it's a matter of high importance."

"He's not here. And if you needed to speak to him. Why didn't you request for him through a messenger."

The smirk further increased. "And where's the fun in that? I've requested for him many times these several millennia and I'm tired of getting no reply."

Alana pouted stubbornly, however it was that look she made that made him lose the smirk and began to regard her deeply.

He frowned to himself and studied her suspiciously up and down. His silver eyes were searching deep within her soul, as if he recognised her from somewhere but couldn't pinpoint where.

"Little demoness, I can see that you're with child, but why is it that I can sense fairie essence in this child you carry?" His question was an accusation.

Alana snapped her head up, wondering how he could have known she was pregnant. Before she could ask what he meant by the last part—

"Alana!" Mena's voice, heard from a distance, sidetracked her.

It only took her voice for the man to disappear out of Alana's sight in a quick silver flash. When she heard Mena's surprised screech, she knew he had remerged in front of unsuspecting Mena.

Alana gently made her way to the angry hissing voice of Mena whom was reprimanding the fairie king for his intrusion.

When she finally reached them, she gasped in surprise at what she saw. Mena was in his arms...being kissed by him. They were suspended in this lip-lock embrace when Alana reached them.

Her gasp broke them apart. Mena was blustering in mortification and her hazy expression looked as if she had lost her senses momentarily. Natan, on the other hand looked down at Mena with a smug expression.

When he saw Alana, he frowned once again.

"Mena, who is that mortal and why does she carry a child with fairie essence?"

Mena frowned at him. "She's none of your business, my question is why are you here? Are you so daring now as to break the rules?"

"The rules are unspoken, technically I didn't break anything since they don't exist."

Mena stared at him in stupefication.

"Are you looking for your death so soon? The minute Master finds out you intruded his realm, he's going to kill you!" Mena shouted.

However it seemed as if her anger highly amused him. "Do you care for my well-being that much? Since you care so much about me, why don't you return to the fairie realms?"

Mena glared at him.

Natan laughed amusedly. "Relax. He won't kill me. He will try and fail. And besides he won't risk offending the fairie realms. In the past, it had been his home once. Plus, I'm the brother of the one he holds dear in this heart."

"Natan!" Mena screeched.

"Ah you finally call me by my given name! Mena, surely you still love me." He exclaimed in an excited gleam.

Mena bit her lips in response as if to reprimand herself for her slip.

"Your majesty, please, don't cause trouble. Return to where you belong." She quietened her tone.

"Today, I won't return without you! Even if you say no I will persist and stay here until you tell me you will come back with me."

"Do you think I will let that happen!" The booming voice that spoke behind Alana startled her so much she almost fell on her behind.

Lylas steadied her in quick succession. Although his kind hands were holding her arm, his eyes, however were a glaring mass that shot daggers toward the fairie king.

It was a surprise to see the slightly frightened look placating Natan's face. Just moments ago he had look so confident in his arrogance. To see him suddenly so submissive was truly an enlightenment.

"I would not have thought the fairie realm were so comfortable now as to let their king willingly break entry to his death." The menance and threat in Lylas' voice even made the hairs on Alana's arms stand with attention.

Natan swallowed, closing his eyes briefly as if to coach himself to be courageous. When he opened them his eyes were smiling.

"Brother in law! Long time!" Natan greeted him cheerily as he made his way toward them.

"You have the nerve—"

"Oh come on, Lylas. It's been fifteen thousand years now. Surely we can let the past deteriorate and give birth to new foundations. We used to be brothers in war! We used to train together!" That cheerily voice hadn't subsided.

"Do you even know what day it is!" Lylas glared at him.

This sobered Natan's smiling expression. Seeing as this approach won't get anywhere, he sighed deeply.

"I know very well. That is why I betted my chance for this day. I knew that today, you will not bare your sword."

"You!" Lylas was shocked.

"Listen, father is unwell. Every year around this time it takes a toll on him. I heard you have a lotus spring that can cure any disease...if you—"

"No!" Lylas refused instantly.

"But—"

"I said, no!" And the finality in his voice was clear.

Alana wondered how the fairie king would persuade Lylas.

"No matter what you say, my answer is final." Lylas told him.

"He's her father." Natan spoke in a soft tone that was barely coherent. However this reminder had an effect.

Alana bit her lips, feeling that effect and hiding how much she despised that woman.

"And am I supposed to wield just because of this fact?" Lylas questioned angrily.

"He's her father, yes. But what kind father would punish his daughter because he hates the man she loves? What kind of father would neglect his daughter in the most pivotal moment of her life." As he spoke each sentence, the place in her arm where he held her seemed to be getting hotter.

At first, Alana thought the sensation was because he was gripping her tightly. However, as she looked down, she saw how deeply golden red his form was getting. The tint surrounding him in a deadly glow.

Seeing Lylas's reaction and sensing that he had crossed the line, Natan started apologising quickly. The look in his eyes seemed haunted. The fear so great, as if he once experienced Lylas's true wrath. It was like if continued provoking Lylas then he would end up regretting causing harm to more than his own life.

Lylas simmered down quickly when he looked down at Alana. The glow disappeared and he sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. When he saw the mark he left on her arm, his jaw tightened.

Before Natan could speak anymore, Lylas quickly transported Alana back in her room. He bypassed the people partying down the hallway and quickly shut the door behind him.

He leaned his head against the door for a brief moment. Alana watched him, wondering what he could be possibly thinking and feeling at that moment.

Thinking back, Mena had mentioned twice how the royal fairie family were also one of the cause that led to Naala's demise. Seeing his tortured expression, Alana could only imagine how painful it was for him to encounter one of the people that more or less caused his loved one to die.

She touched his arm and it seemed to be his awakening. As he looked at Alana, he seemed to be grounding himself in her eyes. As if to remind himself of present and what was important in this present.

He prised her arm and gently rubbed the spot with the red mark.

"I'm so sorry." His eyes seemed to say.

Alana smiled at him, and cupped his face in her hands.

"I'm fine." She reassured him.

He sighed deeply once again.

"It's too dangerous here right now, how about I take you back to the island until I sort everything out?" He offered.

There was something about being alone in that island that didn't sit well with Alana. And so she shook her head in refusal.

"I'd rather be back in London, at least there I have work to distract me from worrying about you."

Lylas smiled but he then frowned with concern.