Chapter 3: The Elaris Tree And Aeris Nyelle

As the DDD brothers arrived, the girl gently withdrew her glowing hands, the light fading from her fingertips.

They didn't say a word—just stared at the odd sight, confused but silent.

Scene change: DDDs' house

Arthur lay in bed, covered in a warm cloth. The girl sat quietly beside him, watching over him and uttering some mantra with very low voice, her hands now hidden beneath her sleeves.

Outside the room, the DDD brothers sneaking by the half-open door, trying to peek.

Zin said. "Why is she in our house again?"

Rin whispered, "She said she'd heal him. Told us not to come in."

Fin added, "Yeah, but… she doesn't have any medicine. Not even herbs or tools. Just… sitting there."

Zin crossed his arms. "Exactly. Didn't you guys Notice? Her hands? In that forest? They were glowing. I'm telling you—she's a freak. Maybe a witch!"

They kept bickering in whispers—until a low sound came from the room.

Arthur slowly opened his eyes. His head felt heavy.

He turned slightly—seeing a girl sitting beside him. 

Before he could speak, the door creaked and all three DDD brothers rushed in.

Zin screamed. "Arthur! You're up!"

Rin said, "You okay, man? We thought that thing turned you into forest jam."

Fin added, "Seriously, how the hell did you even beat that thing? It was wrecked."

Arthur blinked at them, still groggy. "I… beat it?"

Zin leaned in, "Yeah. You don't remember?"

Arthur shook his head slowly, then glanced at the girl beside him. "...Who is she?"

The girl looking down, hesitant. "…I'm Aeris Nyelle. From the kingdom of Drakoria."

All three brothers froze.

"Drakoria?" Rin added. "What are you doing here in the outskirts of Valoria?"

She nodded. "Yes. But I'm just here looking for a specific herb. It only grows near dense forests like this. I happened to be there when I saw that bull crashing in the forest."

"You saw the whole thing?" Fin asked.

"I didn't know what I was looking at at first," she said quietly. "When the bull was about to finish him… he transformed into something huge—dark and reddish, like something not of this world. He completely overpowered the bull. But then… he noticed my presence. Just as he was about to strike—he collapsed and became normal. He was heavily bleeding out from the earlier fight, So, I couldn't just leave him."

Zin muttered, "So you are a witch? how did you healed him, the injuries seems to vanish leaving only scars"

Fin looked at Arthur, confused. "Wait… huge reddish figure? Arthur, what's she talking about? You really don't remember anything?"

Arthur shook his head slowly. "No. When I try to remember… my head starts aching. All I see is some kind of void. Everything's just black and filled with these reddish fumes. There's this… creepy chuckling too. Like a voice hiding in the shadows. But nothing about fighting the bull. Or attacking her."

Zin leaned forward, suspicious. "Okay, but what about her? Is she a witch or something? How did she heal him? those injuries are vanished leaving just scars."

Nyelle flinched slightly, then muttered, "I'm not a witch… I just learned some basic magic. It's used for healing minor injuries in Drakoria."

Zin whispered, "That's exactly what a witch would say."

Rin shushes Zin, Then he turned to Nyelle. "Wait—Drakoria teaches magic? I thought that kingdom was all about knowledge and spirituality. Are we even living in the same world? I always thought that stuff—magic, the Great War in ancient books are all just myths."

Fin, "I mean, we saw that bull grow in size, its horns changing and all… and it came from the forest in the direction of Drakoria. I kind of get where she's coming from."

Nyelle, quiet but firm, added, "It's not what you think. Only a few nobles with pure bloodline and high scholars can use some basic magic. Not everyone can learn it. But there are scholars and nobles who can use some magic in Valoria and other kingdoms too"

She paused, then glanced at Arthur.

"You all read ancient holy books—after the Great War, the world's main mana source, The Elaris Tree, was completely sealed. That tree used to spread mana across the world, but now... there's barely any left. Even if someone's born with the talent or bloodline for magic, it's useless without mana to draw from."

She looked down at her hands.

"There's just enough left in the world for simple things… like healing. That's what I used."

"But what I saw in the forest with him… that was different. That reddish figure—it wasn't using mana. It felt like it was producing its own. Like it was overflowing with something unnatural. That's probably why it didn't last long. It burned out fast… and he collapsed from exhaustion."

Arthur nodded slowly. "Makes sense." DDD brothers nodded.

Nyelle glanced toward the window. The sky had darkened completely.

"I should go," she said softly, standing up and dusting off her robes.

Just then, a voice rang from downstairs—loud and warm.

"Dinner's ready! Come down, kids!", It was the DDDs' mother.

Rin, "Definitely need some of that"

Fin looked at Nyelle. "You should stay the night. It's too dark to head back now."

Zin added, "Yeah, who knows what other cursed bulls are out there."

Nyelle shook her head with a polite smile. "Thank you, but I shouldn't. I've already stayed longer than I planned."

Arthur spoke up, slowly stood up. "I'm heading south tomorrow anyway, you helped me a lot, let me return some of it. Please stay, I'll drop you tomorrow in Drakoria"

She hesitated for a moment—then gave a small nod.

"Ok," she said quietly.

The DDD brothers whooped and left the room first, racing down the stairs for dinner.

Nyelle turned to follow, but Arthur called out just before she stepped through the doorway.

"By the way… thanks for saving me."

She paused—then turned slightly, giving him a quick glance.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks as she looked down and gave a small, silent nod—and walked out without another word.

Downstairs, the wooden dining table was set—simple plates, steaming food, and a warm, inviting aroma filling the air.

The DDD brothers led the way in, still bickering about who was hungriest.

Their mother, a cheerful woman with a gentle face and strong hands, turned from the kitchen corner, wiping her hands on her apron. 

She looked over at Arthur and Nyelle.

Rin waved them forward. "This is Arthur—our roommate I told you about."

Fin added, "And this is Nyelle. She, uh… healed him. From Drakoria."

Zin leaned in. "I think she might be witch. Not sure."

Their mother gave him a look. "Zin."

"Sorry."

She smiled at the two of them, warmly. "Well, any friend of these three is welcome at my table. Come, sit."

As they all settled down, the table filled with clattering dishes, clumsy scooping, and loud stories. Rin talked over Fin, Fin tried to correct Zin's version of what happened in the forest, and Arthur just sat back, quiet, watching the warmth unfold around him.

Nyelle, sitting across from him, gave a small smile as she listened.

Laughter bubbled at the table, mouths full, arguments over who took the last piece of roasted meat. Arthur felt home.

Out of nowhere, Rin asked Nyelle,"Hey, by the way… how'd you get that royal-limited chain?"

Nyelle glanced down at the golden pendant around her neck."Oh, this? I'm the fourth heir of Drakoria."

The room froze.

Zin, sprayed food across the table out of shock.

Arthur blinked. DDD's mom opened her eyes wide open.

Then—all three brothers shouted in unison:

"THE PRINCESS?!"