We see endless fields of fairies working under the harsh sun, their frail bodies looking skeletal, drained of all life and energy. Their eyes are hollow, and their movements slow, as though they’re dragging the weight of their despair behind them. My heart clenches at the sight, fury simmering beneath the surface. How could anyone do this to them?
As I scan the scene, I spot a fairy woman weakly reaching for a berry, her hand trembling as she attempts to taste it. Before she can even lift it to her lips, a raven henchman flicks her wand, and the woman is thrown violently into the air by a blast of dark magic. She hits the ground hard, writhing in agony. The raven screeches at her like a banshee, her voice shrill with cruelty, “How dare you steal food, you wretch!”
I’ve seen enough.
With a surge of power, I teleport directly into the scene, my rage barely contained. Without hesitation, I use my water magic to encase the poor woman in a protective bubble, shielding her from further harm. My focus shifts to the raven, her face twisted with malice as she locks eyes with me.
“Who are you to interfere?” she screams, venom dripping from her words as she raises her wand to cast another spell.
But I’m faster. I slow time around us, moving effortlessly through the thickened air. With a single motion, I pluck her wand from her hand, rendering her powerless. Time resumes its normal flow, and the raven looks at her empty hand in shock before turning back to me, her face filled with impotent rage.
“What gives you any right to treat this woman like this?” I ask, my voice cold, laced with contempt.
The raven snarls, her sharp eyes narrowing. “I am a servant of the dark sorcerer! You best show me respect before I punish you!”
I laugh, a humorless sound. “You? Punishing me?” My amusement fades, replaced by icy determination as I step closer. “You won’t be harming another fairy ever again.”
My hands glow black as I channel my magic. I point at her forehead, and a curse mark forms on her skin, glowing ominously. Her eyes widen in terror as she feels the magic course through her. “Your magic is gone now. Don’t even bother trying. You have three months to redeem yourself, or the curse will take your life.”
The raven screams in fury, a guttural sound that echoes through the field. In a last act of desperation, she charges at me, pulling a dagger from her cloak and aiming straight for my heart. Instinct takes over, and before she can reach me, spiked icicles shoot from my torso, impaling her mid-charge. Her blade stops just inches from my eye, trembling in her grip. She gasps for air, her final breath rattling in her chest as the life drains from her eyes.
I release my magic, the icicles melting away as her limp body falls to the ground with a sickening thud. My heart races, and my breath comes in short, sharp bursts. No, no, I didn’t want to kill her.
I stumble back, horror creeping into my bones as I stare at her lifeless form. Am I just as bad as them? My mind spirals, drowning in guilt. My knees give way, and I collapse to the ground, numb to everything around me.
A figure looms behind me, large and imposing. I can feel his presence but can’t summon the strength to react. My heart pounds in my ears, drowning out the chaos around me. I killed her. I killed someone. I feel his hands grip my arms, but I don’t move. The only thing I can focus on is the body in front of me.
Suddenly, I’m aware of ravens appearing out of nowhere, their dark magic filling the air. Bolts of lightning flash across the battlefield, and I see Daisy summoning vines from the earth to capture the raven henchmen. Marco stands protectively in front of me, wielding his sword as he charges toward the figure holding me. The ravens are relentless, throwing spells wildly. My eyes widen in horror as a fiery blast strikes Maya, knocking her to the ground.
Snapping back to reality, I surge to my feet, and with a sweep of my hands, I freeze the entire battlefield, trapping the ravens from the neck down in solid ice. I rush to Maya’s side, healing her burns with a gentle touch of magic.
Glancing around, I see the battlefield quiet, the ravens immobilized in their icy prisons. Slowly, I melt the ice, freeing everyone except the captured ravens. The fairy woman I saved earlier drifts gently to the ground as I lower the protective bubble. I turn to face the ravens, guilt heavy in my chest.
“I did not mean for your raven to die,” I say quietly, my voice trembling. “I apologize for that. But I am here to free the fairies. They are not the property of the ravens or the dark sorcerer. No one is to harm fairies ever again.”
The frozen ravens glare at me, but I can see fear in their eyes. “Leave now,” I warn, “or I will strip you of your power and sentence you to death.”
I unfreeze the ravens, watching them as they process their options. Six of them bolt without hesitation, vanishing into the distance. The remaining eight clutch their wands, defiance burning in their eyes.
I sigh, rolling my eyes. “You’ve made the wrong choice.” My hands glow with dark energy, and the curse mark reappears, this time on their foreheads. “Your magic is sealed. You have three months to redeem yourselves, or your own power will consume you.”
Panic sets in as the ravens try to use their wands, but nothing happens. Their screams echo in the fields as they realize the weight of their fate. I snap my fingers, sending them to the location where the first raven met his end.
With a final wave of my hand, I summon a series of large buffet tables, laden with food, all around the fields where the fairies are spread out. “Eat as much as you’d like,” I call out to them. “Then come and talk to me.”
A roar of cheers and applause fills the air as the starving villagers flock to the tables, their despair momentarily replaced by hope.