By the time Atheline and Lilith finally emerged from the depths of the cave, the sun had already begun its descent toward the horizon.
The forest surrounding the sanctuary was bathed in warm orange light. Long shadows stretched between the enormous trees, and the evening breeze carried the familiar scent of leaves and flowers through the air. After spending so many hours underground, the open sky felt almost unreal.
Atheline stopped just outside the cave entrance and took a deep breath.
"Fresh air."
Lilith stood beside him, looking toward the distant settlement.
"It feels different after what we saw."
Atheline nodded.
The sanctuary had seemed peaceful when they first arrived; now they understood what that peace had cost.
The fairies living here had inherited a paradise without knowing how many of their ancestors had sacrificed themselves to create it.
Neither of them spoke much as they began walking back. They had decided not to tell the fairies everything. Some secrets were better left buried.
The orb, of course, was one of them.
Whatever power had been sealed inside Atheline had already chosen him. There was no reason to reopen that subject with Lyria or anyone else. The identity of the person who had left it behind was equally uncertain.
They could describe the memories, the sacrifice, and explain the origin of the sanctuary, but the orb itself would remain their secret.
They saw no need to hide a lot of things since it was also connected to the ancestry of how they had come to live the life they did, and telling the truth would not change much.
Atheline and Lilith were confident they could take on the sanctuary if everything went south.
The journey back was peaceful; they both wanted to enjoy that small nature walk instead of teleporting.
The deeper forests gradually gave way to the familiar paths surrounding the fairy settlement. Lights began appearing between the trees as evening approached. Small homes illuminated by magical lamps created a warm glow beneath the enormous branches.
The sight was strangely comforting.
After witnessing a world consumed by war, seeing children playing outside their homes and hearing distant laughter felt almost precious.
Atheline glanced toward Lilith. She noticed his expression.
"You are thinking about the memory."
"Yes." He looked toward the village. "Seeing them like this..." He paused. "It makes the sacrifice feel even heavier than it was in the cave."
Lilith’s expression softened.
"They survived, and that was the whole point."
Atheline nodded.
"You’re right."
They continued walking. By the time they reached the village center, several fairies had already noticed them.
A few looked surprised, others waved, and one of the younger fairies immediately ran toward them; the little fox followed right behind her.
"You came back!"
Atheline smiled; he lightly scratched the fox between her ears. She walked away a few seconds later.
"We said we’d return."
The child looked curiously toward the direction of the cave behind them.
"Did you find anything?"
Atheline glanced at Lilith.
"We found quite a lot."
Before the child could ask another question, an older fairy gently pulled them away.
"Let them rest; you’ll get your curiosity filled tomorrow."
Atheline chuckled. It seemed news of their return had already spread. They were escorted toward the central building where Lyria usually received visitors.
The fairy leader was already waiting for them; she stood near the entrance with several elders. Her expression was calm at first, then she noticed the book in Lilith’s hands.
Her eyes widened.
"What’s that?"
Lilith held the preserved book carefully.
"We found it beneath the sanctuary."
Lyria stepped forward.
"That..." Her voice became quieter. "I’ve never seen it before."
"It belonged to your ancestors."
The words immediately silenced the surrounding fairies. Lyria stared at the book.
"Where did you find it?"
"Inside a sealed chamber beneath the cave," Atheline answered. "The chamber opened after we reached the deeper section."
Lyria’s expression became complicated.
"A chamber, there was something like that..."
She looked toward the elders. None of them seemed to know what he was talking about.
Atheline gently extended the book, and Lyria accepted it with both hands. The moment she touched the cover, her expression changed.
For a moment she simply stared at it, then she carefully opened the first page. The ancient script shimmered faintly.
Lyria’s eyes widened.
"I can read it."
Atheline smiled.
"The archive seems to have preserved more than just the book."
She began reading. The elders gathered around her; at first, they seemed merely curious, then their expressions gradually changed. From shock to disbelief, then sadness. Several began whispering among themselves.
Lyria turned another page, then another. The further she read, the slower her movements became; eventually, she closed the book.
Her fingers remained tightly wrapped around its cover.
"Our ancestors..." Her voice trembled. "They sacrificed themselves, I know they didn’t, but not... like this."
Atheline nodded.
"To create such a barrier, the sacrifice will naturally be larger."
Lyria looked up.
"Why did no one tell us? They could have just..."
Lilith answered gently.
"Perhaps there was no one left who knew."
The explanation was simple. The fairies who had performed the ritual had died long ago; their descendants had inherited the sanctuary, not the memory of its creation. The truth had been buried with those who had sacrificed themselves.
Lyria lowered her head. For several moments, she said nothing, then she looked toward the other fairies.
"We have lived beneath this protection for generations." Her voice was quiet. "And we never knew the price."
One of the elders reached out and placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"We know now."
Lyria nodded.
"Yes." She looked down at the book again. "We know now."
Atheline allowed them time to absorb the information. He didn’t rush them because the history belonged to them; they deserved to mourn in their own way.
After several minutes, Lyria looked toward him.
"You said there was more."
Atheline exchanged a glance with Lilith.
"There was."
He began explaining everything they had discovered. Lyria listened to every word. When Atheline mentioned the wings, several fairies lowered their heads.
Their wings were one of the most important parts of their identity. To willingly surrender them and have them taken for the sake of everyone else; the weight of that sacrifice was difficult to imagine.