The moment I step outside, a blinding light swallows me whole. I squint against its intensity, my heart pounding as I try to understand what's happening. Before I can fully grasp the situation, the house—Lumera's house—vanishes. There are no walls, no furniture, no warmth from the fire, no lingering scent of soup. It's as if the house, and Lumera herself, are erased from existence.
A chill crawls down my spine.
Is this how they keep paradise spotless? By erasing anything messy? The thought makes my skin crawl.
Scarlette is out there somewhere, and if they can do this to Lumera, what's stopping them from doing the same to her? What if she's already gone? If anyone stands out, it's her—too wild, too untamed to blend in. And I wasn't there to help her.
"Rogue Love Fairy, where are you?" I whisper, gripping the emerald tightly. The smooth stone digs into my palm, a sharp reminder of everything at stake. I can't lose her—not when this place is clearly capable of hiding far more than I can imagine.
With renewed urgency, I turn down the road. The path ahead is unclear, steeped in uncertainty, but there's no turning back. I have to find Scarlette—and uncover who is really pulling the strings behind all this.
The town around me appears untouched, serene. People walk past, their faces bright with smiles, humming cheerfully as if nothing could possibly disrupt their peace. It's eerie—too peaceful, too perfect.
"Good day, sir!" a group of Light Fairy children chirps as they pass, their voices sweet and innocent, as if the air itself glows around them.
Too innocent. Too well-behaved.
Then I spot them: the Love Fairies. Scarlette wouldn't be caught dead with them—she hates her own kind for some reason. Still, I watch as one of them—a woman with delicate wings—approaches a group of Light Fairies.
Her voice is sickly sweet as she offers, "Hey, want some Love Fairy Herbs? They're great for healing."
Harmless enough, maybe.
But before the Light Fairies can even respond, another Love Fairy—standing slightly behind—lifts a wand. Its tip shimmers faintly, and with a subtle flick, a thin stream of magic unfurls. The effect is immediate.
The Light Fairies, once chatting innocently in a small group, suddenly pair off. Their movements shift from friendly to intimate. They move like puppets, their mouths colliding without hesitation. The innocence is gone—replaced by something cold and controlled, like affection on a leash.
It's madness.
I step back, my mind struggling to process what I'm seeing. Is this the kind of magic Scarlette warned me about? The manipulation she fears? Is this even legal, or just a twisted abuse of power?
"Alright, your turn, fellow Love Fairy," comes a smug voice from behind me.
Fellow Love Fairy. Of course—I'm still disguised as Ravos.
I spin around to face the Love Fairy, his smirk thick with satisfaction, pleased with the chaos he's caused.
Is this really what Scarlette has been warning me about?
"So much for free will… shared experiences, strife, communication," a familiar voice calls out behind me.
It's Scarlette.
Relief rushes through me—but doubt follows right behind it. I want to pull her into a hug, but I hold back. I'm not sure whether I should be relieved… or worried.
"Sorry for not believing you," I mutter, the words heavy with guilt.
"So you do know how to apologize?" She raises an eyebrow, lips curling into a half-amused smirk. "That must be a lot for you," she teases.
The Love Fairy behind us scrambles off, whispering to his peers about Scarlette.
No matter. I turn to face her fully, meeting her gaze. "I—" My words falter under the weight of what I need to say. Apologizing is foreign to me, but with her here… everything feels different. Scarlette carries danger in every word, every move—and I can't ignore it anymore.
"Something's very wrong with this place," she says, her voice serious as her eyes scan the unnervingly perfect town.
"Yeah, no kidding," I reply, bitterness edging my tone.
We're both trapped in this lie—the illusion of perfection. She sees it too.
"Where do you think Lumera's house went?" Scarlette asks.
I blink. I've been asking myself the same thing.
"Notice how they've wiped out everything unpleasant in town? No trash, no bad news, no deaths. Even the place we stayed in is gone," she says, a dangerous gleam in her eye.
She's right. Everything ugly has been erased. No mess. No sorrow. No truth. Just a hollow paradise dressed in smiles.
"What if we create bad news? What if we become the thing that ruins this perfect illusion?" Scarlette muses, voice low and dangerous.
I pause, her idea settling into me.
"That's brilliant," I say before I can stop myself.
"Now it's time to make a scene," Scarlette grins, her voice cutting straight through me with purpose.
Of course—one of her wild, unhinged ideas.
"Scar… what exactly are you planning?" My heart races. I can't stop watching her.
"Want to find out where Lumera's house went?" she asks, mischief lighting her expression.
She doesn't wait for an answer—she just smirks and walks off.
No. No way. What if we can't get back?
"Scar… wait. Are you saying we could go wherever they send the… problems?" I ask, my voice faltering as the implications hit me. The tension between us thickens.
She smirks—that smirk that twists my stomach.
"Scarlette… what if we don't come back?" I whisper. "We need a plan."
"Hush. We'll figure it out later," she says, waving me off. "Stop being a coward."
I'm not a coward. But I'm not reckless either.
"Scarlette, you're being reckless," I hiss, glancing around the crowd. "People might hear—"
"Charlotte!" I call out instinctively, louder than I mean to. "Get back here!"
Her name slips out with urgency, and embarrassment hits me as Light Fairy children glance over.
"Please," I add, softer, a note of desperation slipping through.
I sigh, hesitating—but I follow her anyway. I'm not letting her walk into whatever comes next alone.
Ugh, Scarlette… What are you up to now?