Ethan's heart sank. He felt it instantly—a powerful spatial force had silently sealed off their path forward. No way through.

He frowned, turning to Auri and Idra. "Auri, Idra, something's locking down this space. We'll need to break through it somehow."

Auri's expression tightened. She didn't speak, but the tension in her brow and the pale cast to her face said enough—she felt it too, that crushing pressure in the air.

She knew as well as he did: if they couldn't shake this force, they might never reach the valley. Never find the answers they were chasing.

"I'll try," she said quietly, her voice steady. Then, without hesitation, she rose into the air, light as a breath.

Up above, she spread her arms. A soft glow bloomed in her palms, like she was calling to the space around her.

Her fingers twitched, and the energy in the air stirred—twisting, rippling, as if something unseen had heard her and was answering the call.

Ethan watched her, tense, worry etched across his face. "Careful!" he called up. "The spatial energy here is too strong. If you take in too much—"

But Auri didn't flinch. She smiled, calm and sure, though her eyes burned with fierce resolve.

She focused, drawing in the energy around her. The light surrounding her grew brighter, wrapping her in a radiant halo that pulsed with power.

Ethan stood frozen, barely breathing. The glow pouring off her seemed to tug at the edges of his sanity, like it was rewriting the rules of the world.

She was a Fairy God—her power unlike any other elemental force—but this was space itself she was touching. Too much of it, and her small frame might not hold. The consequences could be catastrophic.

He wanted to rush to her, to pull her back—but he didn't dare interrupt. If he broke her concentration now, it might be worse.

Then, suddenly, she stopped.

The light faded. She hovered in the air, smiling as if she'd just finished a pleasant stroll.

"It's done," she said, brushing her hands together like she'd just dusted off a chore. "I've absorbed most of the spatial force. We can move on now—let's head to the valley!"

Ethan exhaled, the tension in his chest finally easing.

He hadn't expected her to handle it so effortlessly. The complexity of that force had been beyond anything he'd imagined.

Still, unease lingered. Even if Auri could manage it now, how long could her body withstand that kind of strain? No one could say for sure.

The air around them settled. The pressure vanished, like it had never been there at all.

Without wasting another moment, Ethan, Auri, and Idra summoned their power and launched toward the valley.

But when they arrived, Ethan's unease returned—sharper this time.

The valley wasn't what they'd expected. Not even close.

It wasn't mysterious or majestic. It was barren. Lifeless. Not a trace of Fairy energy in the air. The ground was dry and cracked, the plants withered to dust.

Ethan turned to Auri, his brow furrowed deep. "This isn't right," he said. "Auri, this place… it doesn't feel like where Fairies would live."

Auri's face remained calm, unreadable. She floated forward a few paces, then reached out and gave the air a gentle flick with her fingers.

A moment later, a deafening roar split the silence.

BOOM—

The earth cracked open with a thunderous groan, like something ancient had just awakened. From the fissure, a frail old man clawed his way up—his body bent like a dry branch, skin cracked and weathered, as if he hadn't seen sunlight in decades. The wind and dust clung to him like a second skin, and Ethan felt a pang of pity just looking at him.

"Incredible…" the old man murmured, voice rough with age and disbelief. "There really is another Fairy God."

There was awe in his tone—but something darker, too. A shadow beneath the wonder.

"But… what a shame," he muttered, eyes narrowing as they fixed on Auri. "She hasn't fully awakened yet…"

Then his expression shifted. His voice dropped, low and grave. "If she could awaken completely… perhaps the Fairy race might finally be saved."

Auri didn't flinch. She flew forward, calm as ever, and gently touched a fingertip to the old man's forehead.

What happened next was nothing short of miraculous.

His cracked, withered skin plumped with life in an instant. Color rushed back into his face, and his breath deepened, steadier. Even the energy within him surged, as if a dam had broken and power was flooding back in.

"I may not be strong yet," Auri said softly, her voice steady, "but my father is. And with him, the Fairy race will rise again." Her gaze locked onto the old man's, unwavering. "Tell us what happened here. Show us."

The old man gave a slow nod, then followed her gaze toward the horizon. After a moment, his eyes landed on Ethan.

Ethan stood a short distance away, smiling faintly, his expression calm—like he'd seen all this coming.

But before the old man could speak, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

RUMBLE. RUMBLE. RUMBLE.

Cracks split the earth in every direction, jagged and deep. And from those fissures, Fairies began to emerge—dozens, then hundreds.

They were small, their power modest, but each one radiated a fierce, unyielding spirit. It was in their eyes, in the way they moved—like every drop of blood in their bodies had been forged in the fight for survival.

They weren't warriors in the traditional sense, but there was something indomitable about them. The very air seemed to pulse with their quiet defiance, as if they'd been waiting for this moment their entire lives.

"It really is a Fairy God!"

The cry went up all at once, a thunderous chorus that shook the valley.

It wasn't just awe—it was hope. Raw, desperate hope. And as the echoes faded, the Fairies dropped to their knees, one after another, bowing low in reverence.

Auri stared at them, overwhelmed. She'd never seen anything like this—so many lives, so many eyes filled with reverence and longing, all turned to her. It was too much. She took a step back, then another, until she found herself behind Ethan.

And then—

The air split open again.

A jagged tear in space, followed by a voice—sharp, cold, and laced with cruel delight.

"Hahaha! So this is where you've been hiding all these little Fairies. I have to admit, I didn't expect this many. Looks like I'm in for a feast today!"

Ethan's eyes flew wide. His heart slammed against his ribs.

That voice…

The bat-winged demon.

The same one he'd fought before—but now, its presence was even more vicious. The power rolling off it was wild, unrestrained, like a storm that had broken free of its chains.

Its wings beat once, and golden energy rippled outward in violent waves. The very air warped around it, space bending under the weight of its power.

"What? He followed us?!" Ethan's voice was tight with disbelief. He hadn't expected the demon to recover so quickly—let alone grow stronger.

He'd barely escaped their last encounter, and now the thing was back, more dangerous than ever.

He turned sharply to Auri and Idra. They'd already sensed it too. No time to hesitate.

The three of them moved as one.

Ethan rose into the air, hovering. Auri and Idra joined him without a word, their energies merging in a flash of light.

The fusion was instant—three forces snapping together like puzzle pieces. The air around them cracked, energy surging outward in a shockwave that made the ground tremble.

BOOM.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—

The Fairies below stared, wide-eyed. None of them had ever seen anything like it.

A Fairy God, fusing with humans—becoming something more.

Before they could even process what they were witnessing, the battle erupted.

...