Chapter 8
782 Words
Ava's POV :
Around the pond soft green grass and delicate flowers fluttered gently in the breeze.
Butterflies danced over the blossoms their wings glowing in the golden light.
Sunbeams reflected on the water making it sparkle like liquid crystal.
The water was so clear that I could see colorful fish swimming gracefully inside,fish more beautiful than anything I had ever seen before.
Everything looked so unreal so magical...that for a moment I truly believed I was dreaming.
“Wow…” I breathed in pure amazement.“I’ve never seen such a beautiful place before.
It feels like I’m dreaming.”
Fairy Eli smiled at my reaction.
“It seems amazing to you because you’re seeing all this for the first time.
But our world is naturally this beautiful.”
I nodded slowly still unable to take my eyes off the view.
“Yes… you’re right.I’m seeing all of this for the first time.I’ve never seen such a beautiful place with my own eyes.”
That was when I noticed a huge tree standing beside the pond.
Its trunk was thick and ancient its branches stretching wide as if guarding the land.
The moment I looked at it,a strange feeling stirred inside my chest.
“This tree…” I murmured.“It looks so strange and beautiful.It feels like it’s very ancient.”
Fairy Yumi flew to my side and followed my gaze.
“Yes,” she said softly.“This tree is very old.
But it seems we have never come to this place before.”
Exhaustion finally crept into my body.My legs felt heavy and my head was spinning from everything that had happened.
I looked at the three fairies and gave a small tired smile.
“Alright…” I said quietly.
“Let’s go and sit under the tree.
I’m feeling very tired.”
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I was so exhausted that my legs felt like they might give up at any moment.
All I wanted was to sit down and rest.
Slowly,I walked toward the tree.
But the instant I stood in front of it a strange sensation rushed through my body,as if something unseen was pulling me toward it like a magnet.
My feet stopped moving, yet my eyes refused to look away.
The tree was huge…ancient… and overwhelming. Its thick twisted trunk looked as though it had existed for centuries.
The pink-golden leaves shimmered softly under the sunlight and the rays slipped through the branches dancing gently on the ground.
The air around it felt calm magical,almost alive. For a moment,everything inside me went quiet.
“Ava…” Yumi’s soft voice reached my ears.
“Yes?”
I replied without fully tearing my gaze away.
“Why are you staring at this tree like that?” she asked.
Still a little dazed I turned toward her. “N...No, it’s just that this tree looks very beautiful and strange. That’s why I was looking at it.
Anyway… forget it.”
I moved closer and sat down on one of the large branches near the base of the tree.
As soon as I rested beneath it and looked up the tree seemed even bigger than before.
The leaves shimmered gently in the sunlight swaying softly in the mild breeze.That quiet motion filled my heart with a deep unfamiliar peace.
For the first time since coming to this strange world,my chest felt light.
“I really love this place,” I whispered.“I feel like I could stay here forever.”
Miri and Eli exchanged glances before speaking.
“You can stay here if you want,”
they said,
“but not at night.”
My eyes widened instantly.“Why?” I asked. “What happens at night?”
Yumi’s voice turned serious.“At night a terrifying demon appears.
It spares no one,animals,birds, fairies or humans.
Very few have ever seen it closely…and none of them returned alive.
It is said to be enormous and its shape is like a mix between a fox and a human.”
A cold shiver crawled up my spine.A creature that looks like both a human and a fox…? My heart pounded violently.
But then I forced myself to think,Fairies exist right in front of me.
Then maybe such a monster can exist too.
The next thought terrified me even more.
If I stay here and night falls…
I might die too.
“Ava…” Miri called softly noticing my expression. “What are you thinking?”
I startled and forced a quick reply. “N...No nothing. I was just imagining what that demon might look like.”
I gave a small shaky smile,trying to hide the fear tightening in my chest.
- Writer
