Broken and Elaine stood facing each other, and she bowed slightly to him. “Would you mind if I asked to ride with you on the nine-tailed fox spirit?” she asked softly.
Broken paused for a moment, considering her request. “Do you want to discuss this further outside?” he asked. “Even though you invited the others to step out?”
A playful giggle escaped Elaine’s lips as she lowered her head slightly. “Does this make me seem even more selfish?”
“Not really, I don’t mind. Let’s go,” Broken replied.
“Please, follow me,” Elaine said with a soft smile.
They walked through the back door, arriving at a serene backyard filled with vibrant flower gardens. Polly appeared nearby, gracefully transforming into her larger form, her four tails swaying.
“She is so beautiful…” Elaine whispered.
“Her name is Polly.”
Elaine smiled warmly. “Hi Polly, may I ride with you?”
Polly remained silent but lowered her head respectfully. Broken gave her a gentle pat on the back, and she lowered her body further to allow them to climb on. Broken mounted first, then extended his hand to help Elaine up behind him.
“Let’s go, Polly,” he commanded.
Polly flapped her wings, taking a few strides before launching into the sky with incredible speed.
“Woah… this is so fun!” Elaine exclaimed, her earlier seriousness replaced by a lighthearted joy.
“Are you enjoying it, Elaine?” Broken asked, turning his head slightly.
“Yes…” she giggled. “This is wonderful!”
Polly soared higher into the sky, gliding gracefully past the towering ancient trees. A gust of wind swirled around them, and Broken felt Elaine’s arms tighten around him in a protective embrace. The sun cast its radiant light, illuminating the stunning landscape below.
“Is this your first time flying, Elaine?”
“Not quite,” Elaine replied with a soft smile. “I can fly, but never this high.”
“Ah, I see. The faeries can run and leap through the forest with such agility, so I imagine you can do even more than that?”
Elaine giggled. “Yes, but as I said, it’s more like floating just above the ground-nothing as spectacular as this.”
Broken nodded, taking in the beauty around him. “I really like this place. It’s so peaceful and serene, and the natural beauty is incredible.”
Elaine smiled warmly. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “But I’m not sure you’d feel the same way if you knew more about the history of this land.”
“Really? Why don’t you tell me more about it?”
Elaine pointed toward a steep, towering hill in the distance. “Would you like to go there?” “Sure.”
Polly glided through the air, her wings flapping steadily as they approached the hilltop. As they neared the peak, Polly flapped more rapidly, descending gracefully until her paws touched down on the cliff.
Broken helped Elaine dismount, his hand holding hers. Surprisingly, Elaine’s body floated briefly before touching the ground with elegant grace, making her giggle.
“That’s so cool,” Broken said.
Elaine shook her head with a smile. “Really? But I think riding a majestic spirit that can fly is just as extraordinary.”
Broken chuckled, then dismounted from Polly as well.
Elaine walked over to a cluster of rocks and sat down gracefully. “Would you like to sit here with me?” she offered.
Broken followed her lead, sitting by her side. Polly, having reverted to her smaller form, hopped into his lap and curled up, looking as though she were ready to fall into a peaceful slumber.
For a moment, silence filled the air as Elaine gazed off into the distance. Broken, sensing the shift in her demeanor, followed her gaze to the horizon.
Elaine took a deep breath, her voice soft but steady. “This land holds a heavy burden, Mr.
Broken. It may seem peaceful, but its past is anything but.”
Broken remained silent, waiting for Elaine to continue. He watched her expression, which was calm but seemed to carry the weight of memories hidden deep within.
“Have you ever heard of the Eternal Flame Faebeast?”
Broken felt Polly’s ears twitch slightly against his fingers, signaling that even she was paying close attention to the conversation.
“Actually, I ventured into this forest to hunt that creature. I need something from it to craft an item.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Am I being too straightforward? I don’t see a reason to hide it. Besides, you have Cecilia, who seems capable of peeking into people’s status and knowing more than most should.”
Elaine gave him a faint smile in return, still gazing into the distance. She nodded slowly. “Do you know the origin of the Eternal Flame Faebeast?”
“No,” Broken admitted. “I’ve never even seen one.”
Elaine’s eyes softened as she continued, “It was a long time ago, when I was much younger…” Her voice trailed off.
Broken frowned, reflecting on the vast difference between a faery’s long lifespan and a human’s relatively brief one. To him, Elaine still looked like a child, yet she had lived for
centuries.
“I had a friend once—a human,” Elaine continued, her voice soft. “We shared stories, explored the forest together, and learned about magic. Those were the happiest moments of my life.”
Broken nodded slowly, still listening, trying to understand the weight of her words.
“Time passed, and he grew older, became an adult,” she said, her voice faltering as though she was reluctant to share what came next.
She paused, as if holding back something painful. “He asked me to form a bond with him.” Broken noticed the tension in her voice, the emotion she was trying to suppress.
“I was hesitant,” Elaine continued, her voice now quieter. “Because… he had changed. From the friend I cherished, he became someone who wanted to control me, manipulate me. He even threatened to harm my friends if I refused to bond with him.”
Elaine swallowed hard, her eyes reflecting the hurt of a long-buried memory. “In my disappointment, I left him, which I now realize was a mistake I deeply regret.”
Broken listened intently, his focus entirely on her story.
“He cursed me,” Elaine continued, her voice trembling, “until his dying breath. And this was
no ordinary curse-it brought disaster to my entire tribe for hundreds of years and continues
to this day.”
“A curse?” Broken muttered softly, trying to grasp the gravity of it. “A curse lasting this long must have been cast by someone with extraordinary power… Someone special.”
Elaine’s response came slowly. “Yes… He was a king from a distant kingdom.”
Broken nodded, sensing the weight of her words, as she paused before revealing the truth.
“Since that time, every full moon, I transform into a monster-the wild Eternal Flame
Faebeast. That is my cursed form.”
Broken froze. “What?”
“Elaine…” he spoke more firmly, seeking confirmation. She turned to look at him.
“The Eternal Flame… is you?”
Elaine lowered her gaze, remaining silent for a moment. “Not just me,” she whispered. “Every Eternal Flame that roams this forest is a faery-a member of the Moonlight Fae.” Broken was stunned, his mind racing. The revelation hit him like a shockwave.
No way… The Eternal Flame beasts that he had planned to hunt were actually the cursed faeries? Hadn’t Maylock told him the Eternal Flame was just a beast? How had things turned
so terribly wrong?
“I want to know more, Elaine,” Broken murmured softly.