The sky was covered with gray clouds.
In the darkness of the mountains, Shadow and Elryia were quietly preparing in front of the cave where they had been hiding for the past few days.
They had set up a small living area:
A stone hearth, a shaded rack made of tree branches, water bags warmed by Elryia's magic…
They were tired, but being together made everything easier.
Elryia squinted her eyes.
"We ate our last meal last night… today we need to gather food."
Shadow nodded.
"You're right. Let's go into the forest together."
The two of them silently slipped between the trees.
A light breeze rustled the leaves, and deep in the forest, the sound of birds could be heard.
Then—
"A-aaah! Let me go!"
A thin, trembling scream tore through the air.
Elryia flinched.
"That… that's a child's voice!"
Shadow narrowed his eyes.
They immediately ran toward the sound.
Pushing through the underbrush, the sight before them made their blood boil.
Five of the Duke's soldiers, dressed in dark uniforms, completely surrounded a small girl.
The girl was a fairy with waist-length light pink hair and tiny wings.
Her timid eyes were filled with tears, and she shivered.
She wrapped her arms around herself and cowered back.
One of the soldiers spoke mockingly:
"A magic-filled fairy… just what the Duke wants."
Another soldier laughed.
"If we take this girl, we'll get a bonus. Don't run, little fairy."
The small fairy crouched down, tears in her eyes.
"Please… leave me… my mother… she's waiting for me…"
The sinister shadows within Shadow stirred as if growling.
Elryia whispered:
"Shadow… stop them."
Shadow took a step forward.
Black tendrils rose into the air.
The soldiers turned to see him.
"Traitor Shadow…"
"The Duke was looking for you!"
"The reward isn't bad either."
Shadow didn't react.
He just raised his hand.
The shadow tendrils moved with sudden violence.
Black tendrils burst up from the ground, throwing two soldiers into the air.
They slammed into the trees and collapsed to the ground.
Another soldier shouted:
"Call for backup! Now!"
One soldier fired a flare into the sky.
The girl screamed in fear and crouched down.
Elryia immediately ran forward, wrapping the fairy girl in her arms.
"Don't be afraid… we're here. You're safe now."
The little fairy hiccuped as she spoke:
"Please… don't take me…"
Shadow turned his gaze toward the soldiers.
His voice was cold as death, filled with rage.
"Anyone who lays a hand on a child… I'll rip their arm off."
The soldier sneered:
"You talk too much, Shadow. The whole country sees you as a traitor anyway! The Duke wants you alive, but I don't care."
Shadow narrowed his eyes.
"I don't care about you either."
A shadow tendril grabbed one soldier by the legs and slammed him side to side.
"Le-let me go—!"
The soldier's head hit a tree, and he passed out. Shadow turned, using his tendrils to pull the last soldier toward him by the wrists.
The soldier struggled, shouting:
"Reinforcements are coming… you can't escape!"
As backup approached from the depths of the forest, Shadow turned to Elryia.
"Elryia. We're taking the girl back to the cave."
Elryia carried the fairy girl on her back. The little fairy was shy, barely able to speak.
"Sh… Shadow…" she whispered.
"Th-thank you…"
Shadow looked at her sideways, but his voice was soft:
"You're safe. Just hold on tight."
The three ran together, leaving the forest behind.
The soldiers' shouts echoed among the trees.
When they returned, the girl was still trembling with fear.
Shadow knelt down.
"What's your name, little one?"
The girl shyly tugged at the ends of her hair.
"L-Lila…"
Elryia smiled.
"What a sweet name."
Lila averted her eyes, shyly asking:
"You're not bad people, right?"
Elryia stroked her head.
"No, sweetie. We're protecting you."
Shadow asked:
"Lila, where's your family?"
The girl pointed toward the depths of the forest.
"My mother and I live… in our village… very deep… the fairies hide there…"
Elryia's eyes lit up.
"Shadow, let's take her!"
Shadow looked back. "Risky."
Tears filled Lila's eyes.
"Shadow… can I go to my mother…? I don't want to see those soldiers ever again…"
Elryia suddenly melted. Who could resist those innocent eyes?
"Shadow…" she said softly.
"Please…"
Shadow sighed.
"Alright. But we'll be careful."
Lila's face lit up immediately.
They moved through the deep forest.
The trees thickened, mist rose, and the bird songs grew faint.
After an hour of walking—
Blue lights began to glow among the trees.
Through a circle of trees that opened like a door, they stepped inside.
The Fairy Village.
Tree houses, floating lights, flower-lined paths…
The air carried a sweet scent of strawberries.
The fairies were shocked to see them.
"Humans?!"
"How did they get in here?"
"This girl… Lila!"
The fairies quickly surrounded them, but not aggressively—only with surprise.
Lila ran to a woman and hugged her.
A fairy with delicate wings and hair of the same color.
"Mother!!"
Her mother cried as she embraced her daughter.
"Lila! My Lila… who brought you here?!"
She looked at Shadow and Elryia.
"You saved my child…?"
Elryia smiled.
"Yes. Some soldiers of a bad man named the Duke were trying to capture her."
Everyone in the village flinched.
The fairy leader, an old but strong woman, stepped forward.
"The Duke is after our magic…"
Shadow stepped forward.
"I know he has raised a magical army. He's preparing something dark."
The leader bowed her head.
"You are Shadow… the warrior known as the Shadow of Terror. The hero with purple eyes."
Shadow smiled.
The leader continued:
"You have saved our child. This… is a debt. And fairies always repay their debts."
Shadow said nothing, but his eyes grew serious.
The leader tapped her staff.
"If the Duke has targeted us—and you—then we will cooperate with you."
Elryia was surprised.
"Really?"
The leader smiled.
"We need brave young people like you… and a warrior who walks courageously."
Lila clung to Shadow's arm, her voice shy:
"Shadow… am I safe?"
Shadow closed his eyes.
"Yes, as long as I'm with you."
For the first time, the little girl's face relaxed.
Amid the lights of the fairy village, the duo had perhaps found their first true allies.
As the Duke's army grew…
Shadow's side was quietly growing stronger too…
And high above, in the shadowed towers of his distant fortress, the Duke's eyes gleamed with a cruel light, watching, waiting…
Chapter 14 – THE END