CHAPTER XXXVII
"The Illusion of Light"
After everything they had witnessed, after every tear and battle, Flash finally allowed himself a moment of rest. Quietly, he followed a gentle fairy attendant out of the chamber, agreeing to eat something — to regain his strength.
He had no idea what he was leaving behind.
Because the moment the doors closed behind him…
> The air changed.
The warmth within the sacred chamber dimmed.
And then — from deep within Mother Fairy herself — something stirred.
A darkness, slow and steady, began to rise.
And in the blink of an eye…
> Vorgath emerged.
Not as a violent force this time.
But as a calculated presence.
A shadow with purpose — and control.
Because this was no accident.
This… was her plan.
She hadn't died. She hadn't vanished.
She had simply moved.
Vorgath had used the last of her strength to do something no one expected — she had slipped from Caelum… and entered the one place no one would dare to question.
> Mother Fairy herself.
And now, standing in the heart of the sacred palace, Vorgath wore her face, her voice, her power — cloaked in illusion so perfect, even the stars would bow to her.
But why?
Because she knew Caelum.
She knew what her soul desired most.
> A wish.
A final, desperate wish Caelum would make to Mother Fairy — a plea of the heart so pure that it would reach the ears of the gods themselves.
And Vorgath needed to be there — to hear it, to twist it, to grant it before anyone could stop her.
But there was one truth no one had seen coming…
> Vorgath was Caelum.
She wasn't just a curse or shadow anymore — she had always been a part of Caelum's soul. The rage. The grief. The protection. The love.
And now that her illusion was complete, she returned — slipped silently back into Caelum's body like a whisper finding its voice.
Caelum's eyes opened once more… but something was different.
The light in them wasn't hers alone anymore.
Not truly.
Not fully.
And when Celeste looked at her… she saw it too.
> A glimmer of something dark behind Caelum's gaze. A smile too still. A calm too cold.
It was Caelum, yes — the one she loved, the one she followed…
But it wasn't the same girl who once bled for truth.
Because now, Caelum looked like a Pixie again.
Wings of soft shimmer.
A gentle glow.
A perfect mask.
> But beneath it — the soul of Vorgath lived once more.
And the illusion… was working.
Everyone — except Olivia and Ivory — had fallen into her trap.
They saw what Vorgath wanted them to see.
They believed what she made them believe.
And when the time came…
> The wish would be made. The gods would hear it. And everything would change.
Not with a battle.
Not with blood.
But with a lie dressed as love.
And deep within that lie… Vorgath waited.
Smiling.
"The Door to the Fifth House"
The journey had been long.
Filled with betrayal, heartbreak, battles, and broken truths.
But at last… Caelum and Celeste stood at the final threshold — the place where all paths led, where all hopes rested.
The Giant Heart.
Its pulse was slow and steady, waiting… watching… incomplete.
Behind them, the remaining fairies — tired, wounded, but alive — gathered in silence, their eyes filled with a mix of wonder and fear.
Caelum stepped forward, the five glowing hearts cradled in her hands.
> Each one had cost something. A fight. A loss. A piece of someone's soul.
Now, together, they would bring everything back.
With one breath, one final motion, she fit the hearts into their place within the Giant Heart — and it began to glow.
Brightly.
Powerfully.
As if the very magic of Fairyland had been reignited.
And then, as if by instinct, all the fairies reached forward, placing their hands on the Giant Heart.
They didn't need to be told what to do.
They felt it — deep in their spirits.
> Together, they turned it.
A slow, unifying motion.
The ancient mechanism began to shift.
And then…
> The door to the Fifth House opened.
A rumble echoed through the maze, deep and distant — like the breath of the world exhaling after centuries of holding back.
The door shimmered with golden light, revealing a path that had been sealed for generations.
One by one, the fairies stepped inside.
Hearts pounding.
Wings trembling.
But eyes wide with awe.
Because the Fifth House was nothing like what they had imagined.
It was… breathtaking.
The air was lighter.
The light was softer — not harsh, but welcoming.
Colors danced across the skies as if painted by dreams, and the land stretched with blooming gardens, shimmering lakes, and skies that hummed with forgotten lullabies.
It was peace.
True peace.
The kind that none of them had felt in a very long time.
As they stepped further inside, Caelum gently touched Celeste's arm and nodded toward a different path.
> "I have to go," she said quietly. "Ivory and Olivia are waiting. We need to speak to Mother Fairy."
Celeste didn't stop her.
She only nodded.
> Because she knew — something important was coming.
And so, without another word, Caelum left — her sisters at her side — heading toward the palace where Mother Fairy resided.
But the others… they stayed.
The remaining four fairies stood still, gazing around at this new world, their hearts rising for the first time in what felt like forever.
> "Let's stay for a while," one of them whispered.
> "Let's feel the wind again," another smiled.
They weren't ready to rush forward just yet.
They wanted to breathe.
To exist.
To explore every part of this sacred, beautiful space — a place untouched by darkness, a place where they could remember who they were before the war.
And as the wind danced around them and the Fifth House welcomed them home…
> For the first time, it felt like the end was near.
But so was a beginning.
And they were ready for both.
To be continue....