Not outside—
Inside Dyn.
She was not herself.
She was not calm.
She was not the playful, easy-going, sharp-tongued Sattira anymore.
She was betrayed.
By herself.
By her own senses.
By the Elysia she thought was innocent.
And now, she was furious.
"She was right there! Right before my eyes!"
A vase.
Slammed against the floor.
Fragments of ceramic scattered.
"I should have known!
I should have kept my eyes on her!"
She slammed her fist against the wall.
A dull ache shot up her knuckles—
She welcomed the pain.
She deserved it.
"Why didn’t I suspect her?
Why was she so clean?"
And then—
She stopped.
She stood still.
Breathing.
Thinking.
Replaying everything.
Her mind racing.
Her hands shaking.
And then—
It hit her.
Like lightning striking her core.
"Dohi."
The memory flashed.
Elysia's voice, soft yet firm:
"Dohi Mand. That’s where I’m from."
Dyn's lips curled into a slow, dark smile.
She had her destination.
She had her next move.
And Elysia…
She had nowhere left to run.
"She’s there. Or if she isn’t—
Her mother will be."
With a swift blur, she was gone.
The hunt had begun.
Dohi Mand.
Home.
Safe.
Warm.
But to Elysia…
It had never felt so cold.
She sat in the familiar room of her childhood, feeling both comforted and terrified.
Her mother, Aiaris, stood by the table.
Silent.
She had not spoken since Elysia arrived.
And that silence was heavier than any words could ever be.
"Mum! You still have these…!"
Aiaris turned slowly.
Her face soft.
Her eyes unreadable.
"These were yours."
Elysia’s heart tightened.
Her hands trembled.
She tried to smile.
Tried to laugh.
Tried to make things normal.
But deep down—
She knew.
She knew what this meant.
"We used to sew together. Remember?"
Aiaris smiled.
A small, sad smile.
And it broke Elysia inside.
Because that smile wasn’t warm.
It was knowing.
It was accepting.
It was goodbye.
Fiesa stood in the shadows, arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
She said nothing.
She knew Elysia wouldn’t listen to her right now.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
So she watched.
Waited.
Elysia glanced at Fiesa.
Ignored her.
Took a deep breath.
And then—
She spoke the words she had been terrified to say.
- "Mum…
I’m sorry.
But I really wanted to see you.
I didn’t do it.
It wasn’t me."*
Aiaris didn’t flinch.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
She only stared.
Then, she spoke softly.
Almost too softly.
- "I have one Elysia.
My Aul.
Not two."*
Elysia froze.
Her breath hitched.
Her chest tightened.
Because—
That meant one thing.
Her mother had seen the news.
"So… you saw it.
Didn’t you?"
Aiaris stopped.
Mid-motion.
Didn’t answer.
And in that moment—
Elysia knew.
Her mother had already decided.
Already judged.
Already chosen what to believe.
And Elysia…
Was not her daughter anymore
Elysia wanted to scream.
Wanted to shout.
Wanted to tell her mother the truth.
That it wasn’t her.
That she didn’t kill her friends.
That the fairy they were hunting across all ten realms wasn’t Elysia—
It was Fiesa.
But how could she even begin to explain it?
She glanced sideways.
Fiesa.
Standing in the corner, leaning against the wall.
Watching.
Waiting.
She knew exactly what needed to happen—
But she was waiting for Elysia to break.
Waiting for her to give in.
Waiting for her to say, "Take over. Show her."
But Elysia wouldn’t.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
"Mum… I know what you’re thinking. But please—Please. Just listen to me."
"What is there to listen to, my Aul?"
"That it wasn’t me! It’s—
It’s… complicated."
Aiaris stepped closer.
She cupped Elysia’s face.
Her hands were warm.
Her voice was soothing.
But what she said next—
It nearly broke Elysia completely.
"I know."
Elysia froze.
Her heart pounded.
She searched her mother’s face, eyes wide.
Did she know?
Did she already understand?
Did she know about Fiesa?
Did she know what Elysia had become?
But then—
Aiaris kept speaking.
And it shattered everything.
- "I know that you’re still just a Bych in school.
I know it takes time to become a Rashily."*
Elysia’s breath caught.
Her mind spun.
What?
What did she just say?
Did Aiaris not know?
Did she really believe Elysia was still just a student?
Still normal?
Still her daughter?
Elysia couldn’t respond.
Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Her thoughts raced.
Had her mother…
Had she not seen the news?
Did she not know she was a fugitive?
A murderer?
A betrayer?
"You… don’t know?"
"I know everything.
That you’re preparing to be a Rashily.
Aren’t you?"*
Elysia exhaled sharply.
Her mind raced.
She could tell the truth.
Right now.
She could end the lie before it even began.
Or…
She could play along.
Just for a while.
Until she figured out what to do next.
"Oh—Yes!
Yes, I am! I was… preparing for it."
Aiaris beamed.
Her smile was so genuine.
So trusting.
So loving.
It nearly destroyed Elysia.
"Then go freshen up, hmm?"
"Yeah. Okay."
Inside the bathroom, Elysia splashed cold water onto her face.
Trying to breathe.
Trying to calm herself.
But the moment she looked up at the mirror—
Fiesa was already there.
Arms crossed.
Staring.
Waiting.
"Tell her the truth."
- "I… I can’t.
She doesn’t know right now."*
"Better hurt her now than stab her later."
Elysia froze.
Her grip on the sink tightened.
She took a long, shaky breath.
"No."
She turned away, grabbed a towel.
Fiesa was there again.
Sitting on the bed.
Waiting.
Always waiting.
"You know you have to show me."
- "No. I won’t.
I should have never created you."*
Fiesa didn’t react.
Not to the anger.
Not to the blame.
Because she had heard it all before.
- "You didn’t create me.
Your anger did.
Your ambition did.
I only took another form."*
- "What does it even matter now?
My life is a mess.
Thanks to you."*
Fiesa exhaled.
She didn’t argue.
She didn’t fight.
She just watched.
And for once—
She looked almost sad.
Because deep down, Fiesa knew the truth.
Elysia could hate her all she wanted.
But in the end—
They were one and the same.
Inside the Asheer’s Office…
Dyn was not having it.
She leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of Asheer Veyin’s desk, eyes blazing with determination and frustration.
"I know where she is!"
Asheer Veyin—calm, collected, infuriatingly unreadable—arched an eyebrow.
She tilted her head slightly, fingers laced together as she leaned back in her chair.
"Okay… And?"
"She’s in Dohi Mand. It’s her home. Where else would she go?"
Veyin studied her.
Unmoved.
Unimpressed.
Unconvinced.
She let Dyn ramble on.
- "And even if she’s not there, her mother will be.
Her only family.
If she’s gone, I can at least find out where she’s heading."*
Another long pause.
Veyin's eyes flickered with thought, but her face remained unreadable.
Then, finally—
- "Fine. I’ll send a search team.
Thank you, Dyn."*
What?
Dyn’s breath caught.
That’s not why she was here.
She wanted to go herself—not have some bureaucratic team comb through Dohi Mand like mindless drones.
This was her case.
Her hunt.
Her failure to fix.
- "No. That’s not enough.
I need to go. I know her. I understand her. I—"
(Veyin cuts her off)
- "You can dismiss now, Dyn.
We’ll take it from here."*
No. No way.
Veyin had no idea who she was dealing with.
Dyn never backed down.
Her jaw tightened.
Her fingers curled into fists.
She took a step back, rubbing her temples in exasperation.
She knew Asheer Veyin—
Once she made a decision, she wouldn’t budge.
But Dyn wasn’t leaving without a fight.
- "Fine. Fine. I get it. But… at least let me go with the search team.
Come on, please."*
Veyin’s gaze was ice cold.
She stared at Dyn like she was the most exhausting fairy in the world.
Her silence?
The final rejection.
Request denied.
Again.
Dyn threw her hands up.
This was pointless.
"Great. Just great."
She stormed out of the office, letting the door shut behind her with more force than necessary.
But she wasn’t done.
Not even close.
Standing outside, she planted her hands on her hips, her mind racing.
They weren’t going to let her go.
But she was going anyway.
"I’m coming, Fiesa."
And this time, nothing was going to stop her