The carriage rolled steadily along the dirt path, the only sound outside the soft, rhythmic clop of the horses' hooves.
William leaned against the window; his eyes fixed on the sky. The night here felt… different. Magical, even. Now that his panic had finally died down, he could actually focus on the things he'd missed before.
Those weren't just birds up there.
Shapes—some small, others huge—glided through the air. Some had long tails, some didn't have wings at all. William stared in awe for a moment before reality punched him again.
This shouldn't exist. None of this made sense. And yet… he was here.
"So… when can we go home?" Brie asked, scooting closer to Mina.
Mina didn't answer right away. She watched the dark landscape pass by her window, then finally said, "I don't think you'll be home anytime soon."
"What do you mean?" Leo leaned forward.
"I mean exactly that." Mina turned to face them. "I've been trying to tell you guys since the forest—you're from Earth. What do they call you? Earthians?"
"Or humans," Alliah pointed with a sigh.
"Ah, right." Mina nodded. "So, you Earthians… there's no known way to return to your home. Not unless you have a magic portal. Like the one you used to get here."
"But we don't even know how we got here," Alliah replied. She nudged William's arm who was Infront of her. "William, tell her what you did." William groaned and ran a hand down his face. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. It was… an accident."
He took a breath. "I found a hidden wall behind my father's office. It had these strange carvings—like they were part of the lab, but older… ancient. And at the center was a missing piece."
He pulled out his notebook, flipping to a page filled with sketches—schematics, notes, half-finished inventions… including a rough drawing of the crest.
"I had the missing piece. A relic. A crest. It looked like this," he said, holding up the sketch. "And the wall looked like this—at least what I could remember before everything went crazy."
Mina squinted at the drawing. "Hmmm… nope. I have absolutely no idea what that is."
William, Leo, Brie, and Alliah all groaned in perfect unison.
Somehow… Mina had disappointed them more than being helpful. Mina just laughed—bright, cheerful, completely unbothered—and the group couldn't even bring themselves to shut her up.
"So… what are you guys?" Leo asked, leaning forward. "Since you clearly don't call yourselves humans, what are you called?"
Mina's smile faded the moment the question left his mouth. She turned back to the window, her reflection dim against the glass—as if a memory had hit her like a cold wind.
"I'm a Stelarian," she said quietly. "The soldiers out there are Wilowians. But everyone who lives in this realm are called magicans." There was a faint pain in her voice. Small, but impossible to miss.
"Magicans..." Alliah grinned, it was kinda funny to her how they took the name magicians and removed the letter 'I'. Brie tapped her hands "rude..." she whisppered to her.
"Wait—Stelarian? And Wilowians?" Leo repeated. "So, you're not the same as them?"
Mina shook her head. "No. I'm not from here… my unc—" She stopped, correcting herself. "—the king of Wilowink took me in when I was an infant. " The group exchanged glances. She almost said uncle. "So where are you from?" Brie asked softly. The shift in Mina's mood was impossible to ignore. Her glow was gone. Even her cheerful aura felt muted, hollow.
Mina inhaled deeply, then forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She pointed out the window, toward the mist-filled horizon. At first, the group saw nothing, but as the fog slowly thinned, a silhouette emerged—a fractured, jagged outline of what once must've been a grand castle. Now it stood in ruins, dark and dead, swallowed by age and tragedy. Around it, barely visible in the distance, tiny flickering lights glowed.
Not lanterns. Not magic. Campfires. Dozens of them.
"Those lights… are they—?" William stopped mid-sentence, already knowing the answer.
"Yes." Mina's voice trembled. "Those are the remaining Stelarian people. My people…"
Her starry eyes—usually bright and shimmering—looked drained now, dimmed to a quiet gray. The others watched her, suddenly understanding: Mina wasn't just from somewhere else. She was from a place that barely existed anymore. And she was carrying that sadness alone. "So why don't you just go there?" Leo asked, tilting his head toward the ruins in the distance. "What happened?" Brie added. "Aren't you a princess? Can't you do something about it?"
Mina puffed her cheeks for a moment, then sighed.
"Hmmm… the King of Wilowink says it's not the right time. I wouldn't just be putting myself in danger—I'd be putting them in danger too. I'm already causing enough trouble, so… I follow that one rule."
Despite the heavy topic, she gave them a proud little smile. Her starry eyes regained a bit of their glow.
Leo raised both eyebrows. "Wow. Seems to me like you guys are in one of those serious crises—like 'the kingdom is falling apart and we're two tax increases away from chaos' type crisis."
Alliah and Brie tugged on both his arms at the same time—one from the left, one from the right. "LEO!"
"What!?" he whispered loudly. "I'm just stating the obvious!"
Mina giggled—quick, small, but real.
"Yeah… we definitely are. But no matter! Once the true king finally returns, they'll finally be saved!" She paused. "Not that I actually know."
Her cute, confident smile returned. Her star eyes were fully bright again—glowing yellow.
Leo felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward—just a tiny smile he tried to hide. He stared at her a second too long… but no one seemed to notice.
"Wait—when you say king… do you mean a different king? Or your dad?"
Mina's smile vanished instantly.
"The king said I was his daughter, he ran away from home to save us." she replied.
The whole carriage went silent. Mina stared out the window once more and the group became silent. It took about an hour for them to reach their destination along the way they chatted and chatted they even played games that the 4 teenagers taught her; their trip was far from being boring even though hard personal questions were asked. Mina continued to be the happiest girl they have ever seen. Then finally the carriage stopped.
A loud knock followed.
"We have returned!" a knight announced from outside.
Mina took a breath, shook off the mood, and slid the door open. She hopped out, dusted off her dress, and spun around with a bright grin. "WELCOME TO WILOWINK!"
One by one, the gang climbed out of the carriage.
And their jaws dropped.
Before them stood a kingdom straight out of a fairy tale—except this wasn't Disney, CGI, or any theme park. It was real.
A towering crystal-white castle glimmered under the evening sky, surrounded by elegant spires that curved like enchanted trees. Behind it lay a sprawling, luminous city with floating lanterns, shimmering bridges, and streets that stretched far into the horizon.
The air felt alive with magic.
Brie forgot her worries. Alliah completely froze. Leo whispered, "Bro…" William stepped forward, wide-eyed, his brain already racing with thoughts of his parents.
What would Dad think of this place? this was his ultimate goal.
For once… his tech-filled, logical mind simply surrendered to awe.
Mina was greeted instantly.
Servants, guards, even random castle workers waved and smiled as she passed. Some bowed. Some offered flowers. Some just beamed at her like she was the sun itself.
It was obvious—they adored her.
At the entrance of the castle stood a young man around their age. He looked like he stepped straight out of a royal portrait. A tailored red suit trimmed with gold. Sharp black trousers. Red polished shoes that practically glowed. Under his eyes are perfectly symmetrical two scars. And hair—silver, soft, perfectly brushed—that framed his face like he was born for spotlight. He was gorgeous. Elegant. Intimidatingly perfect.
The moment Mina saw him—
"SIERIIIUS!!"
She sprinted and slammed into him with a tight hug.
The group expected him to push her off instantly… but instead, they caught him freezing like a statue—then slowly turning bright red like a malfunctioning heater.
He pretended not to care. But his ears betrayed him. They were on fire.
"Mina! G–Get off!" Sierius said stiffly as he tried to detach her from him. He failed for a moment… and they all saw him smile a little.
When Mina let go, Sierius coughed aggressively, brushing invisible dust off his clothes, trying to restore his prince-like dignity.
"Ahem. Welcome! I am—"
But Mina jumped in front of him dramatically.
"This is Sierius Ristandor the Fifth!" she announced with both hands pointing at him like a magician revealing her assistant. "Heir to the throne! The future king of Wilowink! Ta-daaaa!"
Sierius's entire soul left his body from embarrassment. He gently shoved her aside in the most princely way possible.
"Yes… well… I am Sierius Ristandor V," he said, clearing his throat. "And I welcome you, travelers, to our home."
He bowed politely. "The King wishes to meet you at the throne room."
Mina's entire body vibrated with excitement. She literally bounced in place—tiny hops, like her feet couldn't keep her on the ground. The group exchanged glances. They were overwhelmed, terrified, confused—but they followed anyway.
Mina didn't walk with them. She bolted past all of them.
She dashed through the hallway, nearly slipping on the polished floor as she vanished through a pair of giant doors.
Two guards held the doors open for the group but didn't follow inside.
Only one did.
The elder knight—the same one who scolded Mina in the forest—stepped in behind them. He removed his helmet, revealing his stern expression and a neatly trimmed beard.
The group walked deeper into the castle, unable to hide their awe. Everything felt impossible.
Walls painted in shimmering white and gold, polished so perfectly that the glow of the chandeliers danced across them like stars. The floors were spotless—so shiny that they hesitated to take another step, afraid they'd dirty something sacred.
Massive chandeliers, bigger than trees, hung above them. Curtains of deep, royal red draped from the ceiling to the floor, reflecting onto the marble and giving the hallway a warm glow. The air smelled faintly of flowers—sweet, fresh, and calming.
Sierius walked ahead with elegant, perfect posture—each step so smooth it almost looked like he was gliding.
"I heard Princess Wihelmina saved you from a monster," Sierius said, still not looking back, his voice echoing in the vast hall.
The group didn't bother explaining.
They all agreed with one exhausted, unified:
"Yeah…"
"Lucky you," Sierius continued. "If Princess Wihelmina hadn't sensed that enormous magical disturbance in the forest, none of you would be standing here right now."
The group froze.
"What do you mean!?" William asked, worry building in his voice. The others turned sharply to Sierius.
Sierius finally glanced back at them, his silver hair catching the chandelier's light.
"Father forbade anyone from going near that area," he said. "All of us felt something… wrong. Violent. But Wihelmina sensed it first—naturally, given her… unique power."
They entered a long hall lined with towering pillars. Each pillar held a framed portrait—kings, queens, warriors—ancestors of Wilowink. Their eyes seemed to follow the group as they walked.
"Father told her not to go," Sierius continued, his eyes drifting across the portraits. "But—well—you've seen how she is."
They all made the same face.
Yeah… they know exactly how she is.
"So, she ran off. Before anyone could stop her, she declared she would slay whatever was causing that magical uproar." Sierius sighed, rubbing his temple. "Typical."
Leo raised a brow. "She told us she does that all the time. She looked pretty… uh… professional."
"She does," Sierius replied. "But whatever she fought in that forest was not a typical beast. We all felt its magic. It was different." His voice dropped lower "Something about it shouldn't exist in these woods."
The group exchanged looks. They stopped before a massive double door—so huge it looked like it could fit six people floating on it in the middle of the ocean, Titanic-style, with Jack and Rose arguing about space.
Two armored guards stood beside it. At Sierius' nod, both guards pushed the door open at the same time. The doors groaned deeply, shaking dust from their hinges. A thin, bright line of light spilled out from the growing gap.
Brighter…
Brighter…
Until finally—
The throne room revealed itself.
It was even more elegant than anything they'd seen in the castle so far.
Massive pillars carved with golden vines, banners of red and maroon hanging like rivers on the walls, a polished floor so reflective it was like looking at another world beneath their feet.
In the center of the room sat two thrones—but only one was occupied.
On the main throne sat a massive man, silver hair tied back, a thick red cape draped across his huge frame. His crown wasn't gold, but a shining maroon, glowing faintly like embers.
Beside him, standing a few steps down the stairs, was Wihelmina—waiting for them, swaying on her heels, hands behind her back like she was trying not to look too excited.
The group took one look at the throne room—so red, so regal, so dramatic—and agreed without saying a word
This is their king. King Ristandor.
They walked forward, but the guards immediately crossed their spears, stopping them at a respectful distance—close enough to hear the king but far enough that brushing past him was impossible.
Sierius continued alone, each step echoing through the vast chamber. He bowed the moment he reached the king, straightened up, then moved to stand beside Mina.
The king's lips curled into a proud smile. Then—slowly—he stood.
As he rose from the throne, the massive red cape slid off his shoulders, revealing heavy copper armor underneath, shining like polished sunset metal.
He wasn't just big. He was monstrous.
William stared.
His brain immediately played a 1v1 fantasy battle between King Ristandor and his own father. He didn't even mean to, but he smirked imagining the two titans punching mountains for fun.
The king stepped down from the throne and made a smooth gesture toward the guards—one elegant wave saying Stand down.
But before he could speak—
CLICK.
A sharp, echoing sound.
Then another.
CLICK.
CLICK.
CLICK.
Something behind the throne.
The knights stiffened. Sierius' eyes narrowed. Mina perked up like she was waiting for a surprise birthday gift.
A dark silhouette crawled forward from behind the throne.
Slowly…
Slowly…
Emerging from the shadows—
An impossibly tall woman with a long white silky-straight hair emerged—but not just any woman. She was beautiful… overwhelmingly so. Her eyes were sharp, seductive, almost sinful. Beneath them, six scars ran perfectly symmetrical across her face, like markings carved with precision.
Above her head sat a smaller maroon crown, gleaming just like the king's.
She was easily the most elegant entity in the room. The group stared in awe—
Until awe turned into fear.
Because she wasn't entirely humanoid.
The scars beneath her eyes twitched. Then one by one— they opened.
Four more eyes—glowing red—stared back at them.
She stepped fully into the light, revealing the rest of her form.
Half woman. Half spider. The Queen of Wilowink.