The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the kingdom of Eden. The bustling city below was alive with activity, but within the walls of the royal castle, a different kind of energy stirred—one of quiet determination and unspoken struggles.
Luna, the moon elf witch and headmaster of Eden's Mage Academy, navigated the castle's twisting halls with practiced ease. Her silver hair caught the light, glimmering faintly as she walked, her steps brisk but heavy with purpose. She had her own task to tend to—one that had gone unexpectedly awry earlier that day.
Her destination loomed ahead: **Truth's laboratory**, a place notorious for its brilliant inventions... and catastrophic accidents.
She raised her hand to knock, but before her knuckles touched the wood—
BOOM!
The door rattled violently. A cloud of black smoke curled out from the cracks.
Luna's eyes widened. "Oh no," she muttered, and without hesitation, shoved the door open. Smoke poured out, making her cough and wave her hand frantically to summon a gentle gust of wind.
Inside, chaos reigned. Papers scattered like autumn leaves. Broken glass crunched underfoot. The heavy smell of scorched magic clung to everything.
"Truth!" Luna called out, coughing. "Are you alive?!"
From within the smoke, a soot-covered hand lifted up like a flag of surrender. Then a voice:
"Mostly..."
Luna ventured deeper, finally spotting **Truth**, the iron dragon girl and brilliant (if slightly mad) scientist. Her once-pristine lab coat was scorched and tattered, her short silver hair sticking out in wild directions. Soot smudged her cheeks, and her diamond-like eyes looked unusually teary.
"Uh, heh... surprise?" Truth croaked out, grinning sheepishly.
Luna dropped to one knee beside her. "What happened?! I thought the castle was under attack!"
Truth grimaced. "I, uh... might've miscalculated... just a little."
Luna followed her gaze to what remained of their artifact—a melted, charred hunk of metal and stone.
"I ruined it..." Truth said quietly, looking utterly crushed. "I ruined everything. The light artifact for the kingdom... our big breakthrough... all gone because I couldn't double-check one stupid mana calculation!"
Truth buried her face in her knees. "I'm the worst assistant ever... they should revoke my 'mad genius' license..."
Luna shook her head firmly and placed a hand on Truth's shoulder. "Truth. It's not your fault. Experiments fail. That's how we learn."
Truth mumbled through her knees, "I'd rather learn without setting my own hair on fire next time."
Luna chuckled despite herself. "Well, at least you're stylishly singed."
Truth sniffed, then giggled a little.
After a beat, she said, "Maybe... we should ask Lito for help."
Luna's smile faltered. "I don't know, Truth. He's swamped already. I don't want to bury him under more problems."
Truth nodded solemnly. "I know... but if it's for the kingdom, he'd want to know. Besides..." she smirked, "it might be fun watching him panic a little."
Luna laughed softly. "Alright. We'll ask him. But if he looks like he's about to cry, we back off."
Truth gave a mock salute. "Deal."
---
Later that afternoon, Luna and Truth stood outside **Lito's office**. The door was slightly ajar.
Inside, they heard a low, muttering voice.
"...Another report about a squabble between farmers and merchants... and here I thought founding a kingdom would make me look cool."
Luna and Truth peeked in. **Lito** sat behind a mountain of papers, looking like he was about to be swallowed alive. His hair was messy, his royal coat half-fallen from his shoulders, and there were bags under his eyes big enough to carry groceries.
"And here I am..." Lito continued dramatically, "Lito the Great... Slayer of Injustice, Protector of the Orphans, King of—paperwork."
He threw a paper airplane made from a report across the room. It flopped sadly onto the floor.
Luna and Truth clamped their hands over their mouths to stifle giggles.
"But no," Lito said, raising a finger in grand proclamation to the empty room. "Fear not, citizens! For even though I am but a humble, weak, incredibly handsome human, cursed with too much responsibility—" he sniffled melodramatically, "—I shall endure!"
Truth leaned closer to Luna and whispered, "Is he... giving a tragic monologue to himself?"
"Apparently," Luna whispered back, her shoulders shaking.
Then, more quietly, Lito murmured, "Even if I'm not as strong or brilliant as my friends... I still have to keep trying. I owe it to them... and to the Lito who once dreamed of a better home for everyone."
The joke faded from Luna and Truth's hearts as they heard that. It wasn't just self-deprecating humor. It was genuine.
Luna's hand tightened into a fist. *You're not weak, Lito... you're the strongest one here...*
She knocked softly.
"Enter! Or save yourself while you still can!" Lito called.
Luna pushed the door open, Truth trailing behind her.
The moment Lito saw them, his weary face lit up slightly. "Hey, what brings you two troublemakers here?"
"We, uh... might need a little help," Luna said, offering a sheepish smile.
"And by 'little,' she means 'a massive catastrophe,'" Truth added helpfully.
Lito groaned in exaggerated agony. "Please tell me you didn't set the kitchen on fire again."
Truth crossed her arms. "That was one time, and technically it was a *controlled* fire."
Luna giggled and shook her head. "Not the kitchen. It's about the artifact project."
Lito sat up straighter. His joking mood vanished in an instant. "Is Truth okay?"
Truth beamed. "A little crispier than before, but alive."
"And the artifact?"
Both girls winced.
"Charred," Truth said.
"Vaporized," Luna added.
"...Exploded," they said together.
Lito rubbed his face tiredly. "I leave you two alone for one afternoon..."
"We tried!" Truth said. "But apparently my brilliant idea of *tripling* the mana input was 'slightly unstable.'"
Lito cracked a smile. "Slightly unstable? Truth, the whole castle felt that blast."
Truth puffed up proudly. "That means it worked! Sort of!"
Luna elbowed her playfully.
Lito finally laughed, a deep, genuine sound. "Alright, alright. Let's fix this mess."
He stood up, ruffling both their heads much to their protests.
"We'll rebuild it. Stronger. Smarter," he said. Then, softer, he added, "We'll build something that will light up Eden... just like we dreamed."
Luna felt her heart clench. *You always say the right things... even when you're exhausted.*
Truth wiped soot from her cheek, looking determined. "No more crispy accidents. I promise."
"And no more solo experiments without backup," Lito warned, smiling warmly.
"Yes, dad," Truth grumbled under her breath.
Luna laughed, and for a brief moment, the heavy weight of their responsibilities lifted, replaced by something lighter: the strength they found in each other.
To be Continued....