They arrived at the kingdom in no time. It was hot—just as they expected from the Kingdom of Fire. The place was quiet, perhaps because it was at peace, unaware of the chaos that was about to come.
"So peaceful…" she whispered into the air.
Their mission was to steal the Gem of Fire. It was part of a greater goal: to gather all five elemental gems and awaken the leader of black magic. They believed that once their leader rose, no one could belittle them again. The kingdoms would finally see them—acknowledge them—and they would reclaim their place among the realms.
"This mission's gonna be easy-peasy…" Jex said boastfully, staring at the kingdom from afar.
Lioraen inhaled deeply, then exhaled, closing her eyes to peer into the palace. It was a magic she learned from the Black Magic Book. Though she had practiced countless times, she still couldn't fully control it. Even so, she could see—just not as far or as clearly as the spell was meant to allow.
She opened her eyes and smiled at her friends. "Guards are patrolling the area. And…" she said with a sly smile.
Her friends frowned at her unfinished sentence.
"And? What is it, Lior?" Kaelric asked in his usual strict tone.
She smiled shyly at what she had seen.
"Enough with that prince, Lior," Thorne said in a warning tone.
"Someone's jealous…" Kira teased.
"Who?" Lior asked, genuinely confused.
Kira simply rolled her eyes at her friend's innocence. She knew Lior well—her mind was full of positivity, just like her nature. If Kira were to describe her, she'd call her 'a lost star'
Because Lior was like a lost star in the midst of darkness—so bright, so peaceful, so full of hope. People said she was the hope sent by the goddess to help them rise again.
"Enough teasing, Kira…" Jex said in his usual scary-joking voice, then turned to Lior, who still looked confused.
"Lior, where is the gem hidden?"
Lior made a face that said it all.
"I can't see where it is. But there's a specific part of the kingdom I can't reach with my sight," she said.
As usual, her friends took charge of the search. Lior would stay behind as lookout—she was easily distracted. They left her in the tree where they always stayed. But she couldn't sit still, especially knowing the man she liked was in a room full of books.
She snuck to a window where she had a clear view of him. She watched the young man dressed in a red robe with a silver lining. It was open, revealing his sleepwear—a silk blue pajama.
He was reading a book. Using her light magic, she transformed into a long, shining white dress and let her hair down. She had the ability to change her hair color—white was her original shade. To match her outfit, she returned it to white and let it flow freely.
She floated through the thin air, approaching the man seated and reading. He quickly summoned fire when he saw her standing before him. She was startled by his reaction, but laughed at his surprise.
"What are you reading, dear prince?" she asked, while the young man remained shocked and afraid.
Seeing his reaction, she quickly introduced herself. "You can call me Dewyn. Sorry for startling you. I just couldn't stay in place—I wanted to know what you were doing," she said, sitting in the chair beside him.
She read the open book.
"How to Control Fire Blazing…" she looked at the still-stunned man.
"I saw you practicing. You're good at it. What's the catch—why study it more?"
Instead of answering, he asked her a question. "What are you?"
She blinked, surprised by the question.
It was the same question she asked herself. What was she? She wasn't from Gravenvale, not born of black magic, yet she could wield it. Not a light sorcerer—just a child of light with light magic. Not a goddess, not a falling star, not even human. It was complicated, even for her to describe.
She faced him and smiled.
"Just someone admiring you from afar," she answered honestly, leaving him confused.
He looked at her from head to face, then back again.
"You're a goddess…" It wasn't a question or a statement—just an uncertain judgment.
She shook her head.
"I'm not. Just a living one," she smiled.
He stepped closer, each movement slow and deliberate, eyes sharp.
"How did you get in?" he asked, voice low but piercing.
She glanced at the open window and smiled slightly "Well, obviously," she replied, winking.
But he didn't laugh.
"But how? There are guards everywhere," he said, clearly unconvinced.
"I float…" she answered, like a shadow slipping through the night—not walking, but gliding between breaths of darkness.
The man was even more puzzled by her answer and quickly looked out the window. It was high—impossible for anyone to climb.
"Just don't mind how I got here," she said, making him shake his head and turn back to her.
He seemed to want to ask more, but she simply smiled. She was about to walk over and grab a book when she heard a voice.
'Come now, Lior. We need to flee. Someone saw us.' It was Kaelric's voice.
Using black magic, they could send messages through the air. Her gentle expression shifted to fear and worry—this was their first mission, and someone had spotted them.
She turned to the young man, who had returned to his reading. She used her light magic and vanished without a trace. But before she disappeared, a whisper brushed the prince's skin—cold as a kiss.
"I will flee now, Your Highness. See you at the Academia," she whispered, leaving the prince puzzled.
He recalled every face in the Academia. He recognized everyone there, but her face—he couldn't remember ever seeing it.
Though he wasn't particularly interested in the girl who had suddenly appeared in his study, he found himself whispering to himself:
"I will know who you are."