Her consciousness floated within the darkness as Titania slowly awakened.

  A bright glow caught her attention, and she felt a tremendous source of power flooding through her.

  If I keep it like that, my body will not hold.

  Feeling her core grow stronger by the second, she frowned.

  Lifting her hand, she aimed at the opening.

  Her wrist slowly turned, as if shutting off a faucet. The light diminished greatly until only half of its radiance remained.

  Orion's power far surpasses anything I have ever seen. But alone, even the strongest cannot survive.

  Pain flickered in her eyes.

  That is the reason we Remnants have lost our guardians. The Valkyries were alone, powerless against the Devourers.

  Closing her eyes, she released a quiet sigh.

  ...

  "Hng..."

  Titania opened her eyes, the light blinding her for a split second.

  "She's awake." Karteira's voice, along with the blue threads of her hair, filled her senses.

  As she sat upright, she heard footsteps approaching.

  "Titania." Nia knelt next to her. "How are you doing?"

  Mia stood behind her sister, a worried look painting her face.

  "I am doing better." Her complexion indeed looked far better than before.

  Looking down at her body, she noticed that all of her wounds had healed, not a scar left behind.

  Lifting her hand, she placed it atop Karteira's head.

  "Thank you, Karteira." Those simple words, along with the gentle caress of her hair, eased the worry in her daughter's heart.

  "I did everything I could," she said, lowering her gaze in quiet frustration.

  Titania glanced over her shoulder.

  Her wings were badly damaged, her left wing almost entirely burned away.

  "..."

  Closing her eyes, a green glow enveloped her body.

  Branches sprouted from her back, weaving through the damaged structures.

  Under the awe-struck gaze of the three fairies, her wings reformed, small buds emerging along the branches.

  They quickly bloomed, forming new leaves, healthier than before.

  Titania opened her eyes, her wings twitching slightly in rhythm with her breathing.

  "That is nothing I cannot deal with," she said, smiling at her daughter.

  She stood up, still feeling unsteady.

  "Did something happen after I fell unconscious?" she asked, gently shifting the mood.

  The three women exchanged a quick glance.

  "No. Nothing happened afterward," said Karteira, shaking her head.

  The twins appeared relaxed, confirming her words.

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  "I see." Titania gave a firm nod.

  "Did you find anything while exploring?" she asked next, glancing briefly toward Lucensia, who still appeared asleep.

  Relieved for a moment, she quickly returned her focus to the conversation.

  Karteira began after Mia subtly motioned for her to speak.

  "At first, there was nothing of interest," she said. "As I moved around the sphere, I realized that gravity worked differently the closer I got to it."

  "The closer you are, the stronger the pull becomes. But it also exerts a downward pressure at the same time, which is strange." She crossed her arms, glancing aside.

  "Then there were those large trees with the blue fire." This was the most intriguing part, and everyone listened intently.

  "I came as close as I could, but as advised, I avoided going too near for now." Seeing Titania's relieved expression, she continued.

  "The heat is on another level. We'll need to prepare extensively if we want to conquer them." Her brows furrowed. "That's also where I encountered those strange minions."

  The four of them recalled the small monsters of ash, their eyes glowing with pure madness.

  Like sentinels who had lost all reason, they attacked with relentless rage.

  "..."

  As a brief silence settled over them, the twins seized the moment to speak.

  "We've noticed a few things too," Mia began.

  "What we've chosen to observe was that strange ball of fire, more than likely the source of every problem around here." She turned her gaze away, resting a finger under her chin.

  "Not only does it seem to climb higher as we speak, it feels... alive." Frowning slightly, she struggled to describe it. "That's the only way I can put it."

  Nia nodded.

  "That's right. From what we've seen, 'something' was created near the ground. There are signs of melted and vitrified rocks."

  Titania's eyebrow lifted slightly.

  "Are you trying to imply that the sphere itself is..."

  "No."

  "No."

  In a rare show of synchronicity, the twins interjected at the same time.

  Watching them shake their heads, Titania tilted her own.

  "Then..." She paused, searching for an answer. "I am sorry. I do not know what it could be."

  Scratching her temple, she revealed a resigned smile.

  "We don't know either, really," Nia replied.

  "All we can assume is that this might be some sort of container," Mia continued.

  "We may have to deal with those four towers before unraveling the mystery of the sphere."

  "There are too many unknowns. We need to focus on one thing at a time, and those towers should be our priority."

  Mia turned toward Karteira.

  "What do you think?"

  The two stared into each other's eyes.

  "..."

  Karteira remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

  "What would Orion do?"

  The question made the twins freeze in place, hesitation tightening in their chests.

  "What... would he do?" Nia murmured, lifting her gaze toward the ceiling.

  The twins exchanged a quick glance, their fingers twitching against their thighs.

  "It's obvious." Mia stepped forward, looking straight into Karteira's eyes.

  Clenching her right hand in front of her chest, she smiled.

  "He would already be exploring those towers. His thirst for knowledge is insatiable."

  Karteira simply smiled.

  Uncrossing her arms, she turned and began walking away.

  "We've got our answer. Let's move."

  Heading toward the exit, she left the room.

  "What an impatient woman. Who made her this way, I wonder?" Smirking, Mia shrugged and glanced at Titania.

  "Do not ask me." The Progenitor of all fairies closed her eyes, a faint smile escaping her lips.

  Yet her heart felt lighter.

  Lighter, but ready to strike at her enemy's throat.

  Sensing her resolve, the twins paused.

  "Titania."

  "Hm~?"

  "..."

  Finding it difficult to ask, they hesitated.

  "Do you perhaps..." Nia began, her words faltering.

  "Want to deal with the Devourer yourself?" Mia asked plainly.

  The Remnant of Life paused, her fingers pressing against her chest.

  "I..." Recalling the destruction it had caused, she nodded. "I would like to deal with Viknod myself."

  "Am I selfish for wishing that?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

  The twins smiled.

  "Perhaps. Nevertheless, who would blame you?" the older twin said softly.

  "We'll just have to make sure you get to finish it off, right?" the younger twin beamed.

  Both lifted their hands toward Titania.

  "Let's go. We'll deal with everything standing in your path."

  "We owe you that much."

  Titania's lips trembled.

  "..."

  She stepped forward and took their hands, her eyes moist with tears.

  "Thank you," she said, lowering her head.

  "Hey, it's too early to cry. Wait until we're out of here," Nia said with a bright grin.

  "Actually, I'd rather we wait until we regroup with Orion," Titania replied, catching them off guard.

  "..."

  Mia and Nia looked at each other before laughter escaped them.

  "You're right. Let's do that."

  Dragging Titania toward the entrance, where Karteira waited with her back against the wall and a faint smile on her face, the twins steeled their resolve.

  You've grown, Titania thought.

  Nia, who could never allow herself to show weakness. Everyone mistakenly believed you were simply an odd girl—always cheerful, yet hiding the deepest pains in your heart.

  Her eyes drifted to Nia, who was waving at Karteira.

  Mia... You might have gone through the greatest change. The girl who once struggled to show compassion. The one everyone considered heartless. Yet your heart softened.

  She looked at Mia, who was sighing at her sister's carefree attitude.

  Who would have thought that one man could turn your entire world around?

  Her thoughts stilled.

  A small smile formed on her lips as another realization surfaced.

  I am in no position to talk.

  Joining her daughter, Titania followed the fairies deeper into the underground forest and the dangers lurking within.