Nightfall Realm

Riz thought that the sneaky fairy would finally jump at the Deadly Barrier, but it did not. It ran away. He was fast but Riz already memorized his aura. Wherever he went, he would leave a trace. No matter how faint it is, she would find him.

Riz, where are you? It was Thea and she sounded worried.

"I'm chasing the sneaky fairy," she replied. "I lost him for a while, but I am closing in on him again."

Don't do anything reckless. Thea strictly commanded. I will be there. Let's fight him together.

"Okay," Riz agreed and cut the connection then found the sneaky fairy standing near the Deadly Barrier once more.

"Stop chasing me," the sneaky fairy had spoken. His voice was deep and commanding. "Persist and you will die."

He turned to the Deadly Barrier, spread his wings, and crossed it.

For a moment, Riz was hesitant. The sneaky fairy could pass through the Deadly Barrier unscathed. She, on the other hand, would end up like those fairies that dared to cross it. They were all burned to ashes.

Riz took a deep breath. Losing the seal bearer was more dreadful than dying. They spent hundreds of years trailing all possible traces. Only now had she seen a seal bearer. She could not waste such an opportunity. She vowed to destroy even just one seal. She was ready to die for it.

Riz took another deep breath, spread her wings, and soared towards the Deadly Barrier. She could feel her body burning but the sight of the sneaky fairy just a few meters away had given her strength. She ignored the scorching wind and soared faster. She grabbed the sneaky fairy by the hem of his black cloak, but it had been ripped by his wind blades and he soared faster, out of sight.

Riz tried to fly faster but her body could no longer cooperate. The scorching wind was burning her to ashes.

She closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "Is this where it all ends?"

A warm hand had grabbed her waist and the scorching pain all over her body had somehow lessened. Riz opened her eyes and was horrified. Thea was tightly holding onto her despite being covered with flames and smoke. Riz tried to turn back. She should be the one protecting the princess. But the scorching wind blew stronger and hurled them fast towards the other side of the Deadly Barrier.

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Thea was terrified when she saw Riz fearlessly pursue the seal bearer into the deadly barrier.

"RIZ! YOU FOOL!!!" Thea bellowed as she zoomed into the barrier. Thick fog clouded her sight. Scorching wind burned her skin and set her wings aflame, but she ignored the pain. She focused on reaching her friend that was only a few meters away. She kept on flapping her wings until she was close enough to grab Riz.

She wrapped her arms around the waist of her friend and tried soaring back to Daybreak Realm, but the scorching wind suddenly blew stronger and hurled them fast towards the Nightfall Realm.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, Thea and Riz were burning. In the next second, they were rolling fast against the grass-covered ground. Riz hit a tree while Thea got entangled with a male fairy crouching over a dead and bloody creature. The two of them rolled over the ground before hitting a tree. Thea nearly blacked out while the male fairy scrambled away from her. He raised the wind daggers that he was tightly gripping.

Both the male fairy and his wind blades were drenched in blood. His dark green eyes were chillingly cold. Thea should feel threatened but there was something in the eyes of the blood-soaked fairy that stopped her from drawing her blades or summoning wind gusts. She had seen him before.

"You…"

"You came from the Deadly Barrier, yet you are still alive," the male fairy pointed a wind dagger at her throat. "You are a seal bearer."

"We're not," Riz pointed her flaming spear at the nape of the blood-soaked stranger. She had burns all over her body. Her wings were badly damaged. Her hands and knees were trembling, but she remained standing. "We are chasing a sneaky seal bearer."

"That's a lie," the blood-soaked fairy moved to pierce Thea's throat while Riz shifted her flaming spear to stab the stranger at the back of his neck.

"RIZ! NO!" Thea stopped the flaming spear and the wind blade with her wind gusts as another voice bellowed, "STOP!"

From the shadows of the trees, another male fairy with bright blue eyes had emerged and grabbed the weapon hand of the blood-soaked stranger.

"Asuren, they are not our enemies," the blue-eyed fairy pulled the green-eyed stranger away from Thea and Riz.

"Do you know them?" Asuren snapped at his companion.

"I don't," the blue-eyed fairy honestly and patiently replied. "But seal bearers should be unscathed each time they pass through the Deadly Barrier. Look at them. They are seriously injured. What they need is help. Let's bring them home."

"Do what you want," Asuren willed his wind blades to vanish. "I'll look for our friends."

"They will be fine," the blue-eyed fairy tightened the grip on his comrade. "Have faith in them."

Asuren glared at the blue-eyed fairy but did not say another word.

"I'm Ayhan," the blue-eyed fairy introduced himself then glanced at his companion. "This is my friend, Asuren. My mother can treat your wounds. Let us carry you to our home."

"I can walk," Riz said but her knees buckled and she had to lean on a nearby tree to remain standing.

"I know you can still walk," Ayhan smiled kindly. "But carrying you on our back will be faster. This place is dangerous for wounded fairies like you. We need to get to a safe place as soon as we can."

"Thank you," Thea weakly smiled.

Ayhan carried Riz while Asuren knelt in front of Thea and motioned for her to hop on his back.

"Do you remember seeing someone coming out of a chrysanthemum bud?" Thea whispered at Asuren while she was on his back.

Asuren looked at her with shock.

Thea smiled and said, "That's me. I was the one who tried to help you back there at Daybreak Realm. Then that extraordinary mortal came out of that black slit and took you away. I'm glad that you're okay now."

"Asuren, you can talk later," Ayhan tapped him on the shoulder. "We should head home."

Asuren nodded, tightened the grip on Thea, and quietly followed his friend.

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