CHAPTER 31: CH 31: PLANT THIEVES - PART 4

The fairies clung to the bars of their prison, their glow dim but restless. They pressed forward, their voices overlapping like chimes in a storm.

"Let us out!"

"We must return!"

"We don’t have much time!"

Their tiny faces were flushed with urgency, wings flickering faster and faster.

Mira crouched down beside them. Her expression softened, but she shook her head.

"I’m sorry. We can’t let you go. Not without Lucian’s permission."

She said gently, causing the fairies to cry out in protest.

Mira held firm.

"Lucian will only agree to release you if you promise to leave the plants alone."

The fairies froze. Their glowing eyes darted toward each other, panic flashing across their faces. They huddled together, whispering in frantic tones.

Finally, one stepped forward.

"We... cannot make that promise."

Berry tilted his head. His brows furrowed.

"Why not? If you leave the plants alone, Lucian won’t harm you. Isn’t that simple?"

He asked.

The fairies exchanged another look, wings flickering like nervous fireflies. One of them opened its mouth, blurting—

"It’s because of the queen—"

"Stop!"

Another hissed, yanking the speaker back. They turned to Mira and Berry, shaking their heads quickly.

"We cannot say."

"It’s a secret."

"Please... don’t ask again."

Berry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So you won’t tell us, and you won’t promise to stay away from the plants either. That puts us in a hard spot."

Mira’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"I’m sorry. But if that’s the case, we really can’t let you go."

She whispered.

The fairies slumped, their glow dimming further. They clutched the bars of the cage but made no sound this time.

---

Evening fell faster than any of them expected.

The air grew colder, the shadows stretched longer, and the little prisoners grew restless. Their soft glows pulsed in uneven rhythms, betraying their stress.

They tugged at the bars, whispered among themselves, their voices pitched high with desperation.

Berry’s heart ached at the sight.

He found Lucian by the fire, his hands busy with tools.

"Lucian...Do you think... we should let them go?"

Berry began hesitantly.

Lucian didn’t even look up.

"No."

Berry shifted uncomfortably.

"But... they’ve been suffering all day. They look like they’re about to break. Keeping them here—"

Lucian cut him off sharply.

"I can’t risk it, Berry. Those plants are the foundation of my work. If they’re damaged again, everything I’ve built could be ruined."

Berry flinched at his tone.

"I understand that. I agree with you. Really, I do. But... it still doesn’t feel right."

He murmured.

Lucian finally raised his gaze, his eyes sharp.

"Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t feel right."

Berry fell silent, his chest heavy.

He couldn’t argue.

But he also couldn’t shake the unease twisting inside him.

---

While the two argued, Mira had gone to check on the cage.

The moment she approached, her steps slowed.

Something was wrong.

The fairies weren’t just restless anymore. Their movements were erratic, frantic. Their wings thrashed wildly, beating against the bars with bursts of light. Their voices had risen to shrill tones, almost painful to hear.

Mira’s stomach tightened.

Her instincts screamed at her.

Trouble is coming.

Even the pups sensed it. They padded closer, growling low, their fur bristling. Their teeth bared at the cage as though facing an enemy far greater than the tiny prisoners.

"Calm down. Please, calm down..."

Mira whispered, crouching.

But the fairies didn’t listen.

Their panic grew worse. Their lights flickered uncontrollably, sparks bursting into the air. The air itself began to hum, trembling with a strange pressure.

The pups barked and snarled, snapping their jaws.

"Lucian!"

Mira shouted suddenly, fear gripping her throat.

He turned immediately, reading the urgency in her voice.

"What is it?"

"The fairies! Something’s happening to them!"

Mira cried.

Berry rushed beside her, his eyes widening as he saw the scene.

The fairies clutched the bars so hard their tiny fingers bled light. Their wings blurred, their glow brightened to a painful glare. Their power was spilling out, wild and uncontrolled.

And then—

They began to grow.

Their small forms stretched, lengthening, warping, filling the cage until the wood groaned and snapped beneath the pressure.

Berry’s breath caught in his throat.

"They’re... increasing in size..."

The cage splintered.

The fairies’ shrill cries filled the night, echoing like bells cracked in madness.

Lucian rose to his feet slowly, eyes narrowing.

"So this is what you were hiding."

He muttered darkly.

The cage finally shattered, wood splintering across the snow.

The fairies no longer looked like delicate little creatures.

Their wings, once small and translucent, now spread wide like shards of crystal. Their glow had deepened into a fierce radiance, and their faces carried a sharpness that hadn’t been there before.

They didn’t glance at Lucian, or Berry, or Mira.

Their eyes were fixed in a single direction—toward the darkened forest beyond the glacier.

It was clear.

They had only one goal.

To return.

To go back to where their queen slept.

To make sure their queen stayed alive.

Mira’s instincts screamed at her to act. She stepped forward, her hand reaching for the dagger at her waist.

"We can’t let them leave! If they regroup, they could attack us again—"

She shouted.

But a hand caught her wrist.

Lucian’s.

"Wait."

He said, his voice calm but commanding.

Mira froze, meeting his gaze.

Lucian’s lips curled into a thin smile, sharp as a blade.

"Let them go."

"What? But—"

Mira’s eyes widened.

"They’re showing us the path. We’ve been wondering what their secret is, what’s driving them to attack the plants. If we follow them, we’ll find the answer."

Lucian interrupted.

The mutated fairies had already begun to rise, their wings beating with heavy force. One after another, they flew toward the trees, their glowing trails piercing the darkness.

Berry frowned but didn’t argue. He could see it too—the fairies weren’t thinking about them anymore. Their desperation was entirely focused elsewhere.

Mira bit her lip, lowering her dagger reluctantly.

Lucian’s eyes gleamed as he watched the radiant swarm vanish into the distance.

"Now, they’ll lead us straight to what they’ve been hiding."

He said softly.