CHAPTER XXXVI
"The Truth Within"
Celeste was following behind Caelum, unaware that something wasn't quite right.
The way Caelum looked at her… it wasn't the same anymore. There was a strange stillness in her steps, a tension in her posture, and a silence that felt heavier than usual. Inside the ancient Maze, all the other fairies had already gone off in search of the Giant Heart — leaving just the two of them behind, surrounded by the whispering winds and twisting pathways.
Caelum suddenly slowed down.
Then, softly — almost like a plea — she said, "Celeste… wait."
Celeste paused, turning around with gentle confusion in her eyes.
But what she saw in that moment… wasn't Caelum.
Because the very instant Celeste turned, something dark and powerful surged from within Caelum — a shadow, a force, a presence that had been buried deep within her soul.
Vorgath.
The ancient spirit. The darkness Caelum had been fighting against for so long.
It burst forth — not with anger, but with sorrow. With longing. With pain.
From afar, Flash saw it happen. His eyes widened in shock, and he turned quickly to the Mother Fairy.
"Mother," he asked breathlessly, "what's happening? What is that?"
The Mother Fairy didn't flinch. Her voice was calm, ancient, and knowing.
"That… is Vorgath," she said quietly. "And no, Vorgath does not wish to die."
Flash looked at her, confused. "But… isn't she dangerous?"
The Mother Fairy turned to him with soft, solemn eyes.
"She is," she said. "But she also knows who her true enemies are… and who her true heart belongs to."
Flash blinked. "Her… heart?"
"Yes," the Mother Fairy nodded. "What you're seeing is not just a curse or a shadow. Vorgath has been part of Caelum for centuries. And though she was born of darkness… she is not without love."
There was silence for a moment as the Maze wind howled gently through the leaves.
"She knows her time is nearing its end," the Mother Fairy continued, "and she doesn't want to be consumed by hatred anymore. Vorgath has always known who she loves most."
Her eyes met Flash's.
"It's Celeste."
Flash's breath caught.
"She loves Celeste… the most?"
The Mother Fairy nodded. "Yes. Her soul has been tied to Celeste's since the beginning. That's why she's surfacing now. Not to hurt her… but to release herself."
"She wants to tear out the part of her that still clings to pain… to jealousy… to darkness. She wants to protect Celeste — not destroy her."
Flash stepped forward, voice trembling. "Then we have to help Celeste. We have to protect her!"
But the Mother Fairy gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"No," she said firmly but kindly. "Celeste doesn't need saving."
Flash frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
The Mother Fairy looked toward the Maze, where Vorgath now stood, staring at Celeste — not with violence, but with eyes full of a thousand lifetimes of sorrow and love.
"She is the only one who can help Vorgath let go," the Mother Fairy whispered. "And Vorgath… she is not trying to win. She's trying to be free."
And in that moment, Flash finally understood:
This wasn't a battle.
It was a surrender.
A surrender to love — the purest, most dangerous kind. The kind that breaks curses. The kind that sets even the darkest hearts free.
And deep within the Maze, Celeste took a trembling step forward — not away, but toward the shadow that had once terrified the entire realm.
Because maybe… she could feel it too.
That underneath the rage…
Underneath the curse…
There was still something left of Caelum.
And it was still reaching for her.
"Ashes and Echoes"
For the very first time… Celeste saw her.
Vorgath.
Not through someone else's eyes.
Not in ancient warnings or whispered tales.
But standing before her — real, raw, and heartbreakingly silent.
Their eyes met. And in that fragile moment, there was no war, no curse, no fury.
Only recognition.
Only truth.
Then, Vorgath's gaze softened — just slightly — and she turned her head toward the sky.
Her form shimmered.
Cracks of golden dust spread across her body like fading constellations.
And without a single word…
> Vorgath dissolved into sand.
Her shadowy figure crumbled gently to the ground — not in pain, not in terror — but in peace.
As if all the centuries she had carried, all the weight of rage and magic, had finally found rest.
And the wind took her.
Celeste stood frozen, her chest rising and falling unevenly, her hand still half-lifted as though she had meant to reach for her. But now…
She was gone.
And then — behind her — a soft voice broke through the stillness.
> "Celeste…"
It was Caelum.
Awake.
Back.
Breathless, blinking, but free once more.
Celeste turned slowly, her heart still racing.
> "Cael?" she asked, barely believing.
Caelum nodded, stepping forward with exhaustion in her bones and grief in her eyes. Her voice was quiet, but clear.
> "Did… did you find the heart?" she asked.
Celeste shook her head, confused. "No. I— I didn't."
But just then, as the last of Vorgath's sand settled into the cracks of the earth, a soft hum filled the air.
Caelum looked down first.
And there — resting on the ground, barely pulsing with light — were two glowing hearts.
Side by side. As if they had been waiting.
Celeste's breath caught.
Caelum's gaze darkened — not in fear, but in quiet understanding.
Because only she and Vorgath had known the truth.
Only they had understood what was left behind when a curse untangled itself willingly.
> "She gave them up," Caelum whispered. "With everything she had."
The hearts — one shimmering in deep rose and another flickering with violet fire — pulsed like final offerings.
No words were needed.
Celeste bent down, cradling one heart in her palms. Caelum picked up the other, her fingers trembling as they wrapped around it.
The maze didn't speak.
But they heard it, somehow.
> The final pieces were falling into place.
And now… there was only one thing left to do.
Caelum looked at Celeste, and this time, there was no hesitation in her voice.
> "Let's go," she said. "We have to find the Giant Heart."
Celeste nodded.
Side by side — hearts in hand, souls heavy with what they had witnessed — the two of them turned…
And walked deeper into the maze.
Not as cursed.
Not as prey.
But as the only ones left… who could bring the light back.
To be continue....