'You came to write the end to your fairy tale?' The male voice asked.

'Yes, Gabe, I'm ready to face my destiny and write myself a happy ending.'

He, whom I had now identified as a certain “Gabe”, began to laugh. 'You fairies are all the same. Soon as you threaten their loved ones, they'll come for you.'

Upon which was added by another voice: 'Not that it will make a difference. In this world, fairy tales don’t get happy endings.'

This “Gabe” had apparently brought some company: Some guy with an odd hat was with him, a second “Hunter”, I presumed, whatever that may be.

And not only he was there, another, hooded one came from out of the shadows behind me.

I swallowed and set foot out of the magical barrier protecting the house. I slowly recited their names: ‘Gabe, Raff, Yuri.’

I would’ve almost bowed to them had I not known any better.

Instead, I turned to the first one again. ‘Couldn’t you take me on by yourself?’ I inquired, not sure I wanted to know the answer to that question.

‘Watch your mouth, we could rip your wings off in less than a second, fairy.’

“Wings?”

'I wouldn't be too sure if I were you.' I told them before firing a spell at Yuri, something I didn't even know I was capable of doing. I ended up thoroughly wishing I could take back the words I had so confidently said, as my attempt at an incantation probably would’ve been more convincing had I not completely missed.

An evil laugh sounded, vibrating through my bones until I shuddered. ‘Even if you could hit us, and I’m not saying you can, fairy, Magic doesn't work on us.'

I shook my head slightly. 'No, Magic doesn't, but I’m sure this does.’

Instead of hitting Yuri, my spell had hit one of the lanterns in the street. It fell and brought down the Hunter in just one strike, leaving the other two gnashing their teeth and swearing with words I had never even heard before.

'That was a mistake, fairy!'

The Hunters started closing in on me like predators do with their prey. 

I couldn’t pay attention to all three of the Hunters at once, which gave one of them the time he needed to sneak up on me and grab both my arms. He brutally held my hands against my back and brought my knees to the ground.

He wrenched my arms until I exclaimed in pain.

'Good job, Raff.' Gabe praised his companion. He came closer and lifted my chin for me to look him in the eyes, his hairy face so close to mine that I could feel his breath.

Gabe moved his hand to my back and was about to rip away the Magic inside of me when a sudden rush of adrenaline went through my body, causing me to do something most would describe as thorougly stupid; I gave Raff a kick.

He was forced to let go of me and by doing so, allowed me to take it for a run. Yet, I didn’t make it far before a cape wrapped itself around my arm. And it wasn’t just any cape, it was Yuri’s.

'That little pixie!' Raff shouted, holding on to his hurting knee. His face was wrangled in a painful expression. It told me enough, he would’ve loved to use a hex on me, maybe conjure enough waves of dark energy for my ears to start bleeding, or worse, but Gabe stopped him.

'She has to be alive for our incantation to work, remember?'

The emphasis on the word alive caused a shiver to run down my spine. I swivelled my head as he came closer again, but he lifted it with ease.

It seemed my attempt to flee had failed.

'How does it feel to be helpless?' He spat in my face.

I looked him straight in the eyes, fighting to keep my tears back. I wasn’t going to show him how scared I truly was.

Though, before he could make another attempt at taking my Magic, he was forced to turn around and dodge a sword attack with his arm.

’What was that?!' He hissed angrily.

The sparks in my eyes lit up once again as I saw a familiar face for the first time in way too long. It belonged to a boy, an estimated two years younger than I was, who was leaning on his sword and smiling vaguely.

‘Just in time, ‘Rhynn.’ He announced with a tone of amusement in his voice. His smile briefly changed when he looked at me, that half-smile I remember so well amongst the blur of memories from those days. And I smiled back with more gratitude than I had ever felt in my life.

But although his entrance was great, his attack hadn’t actually caused any damage to the Hunter, who seemed to have absorbed the pain just to turn it into more strength. While the boy, my brother, managed to fight him off, I was startled when I saw Raff up on his feet again and sneaking up on him. ‘Len! Watch out!’

All of my hopes got lost when I saw him getting shot against the wall by that Hunter. 

'Just another little bug.' He spat out the words in sheer disgust.

He fully rose from the ground, brushed off his shoulder like he hadn’t just been crushed by a lantern or had blown away a boy with nothing but his Magic, and took my brother’s sword from the ground. He walked up to him, kneeled down and grinned.

‘Time to get rid of the little bug, now, shall we?’.

'No!' I shouted.

Raff froze, though it didn’t seem like he really wanted to, and Gabe smirked.

'You can stop this, Ehrynn, just hand yourself over to the Legion and we'll let your brother and your family go.'

A shock came over me as I realized something; the people inside had been my family and I hadn’t even seen it. It was only now that I had fully registered how this major clue had been right in front of me all this time without me noticing. Repeating again and again, calling out for me to finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Tears came welling up in my eyes. I made a rather futile effort to hold them back. This was a nightmare, a true nightmare!

'I... I...'

'No, Ehrynn! Don't do it!' My brother shouted.

'Shut up, friend.' Raff pressed the sword to my brother’s throat.

'No! Stop!’ I couldn’t keep the tears from falling anymore. They came out and fell down my cheeks.

I wanted to wake up, tell myself this was just a dream. And it was. I knew that. It just came back to haunt me over and over and over again.

‘I'll go! But leave my family alone!' I shouted, breaking at last.

'As you wish.' Gabe rejoined.

Raff immediately dropped the sword, muttering how he would’ve loved to slice my brother’s throat, and the three Hunters came together to press their hands against each other’s.

My knees gave in and I let myself down to the ground. In a moment of pain and numbness I could make out nothing but the silent whispers of an incantation.

A portal was opened, black and purple whirling around in circles, going up higher and higher to form a whirlwind of dark energy. They were calling upon the Dark Forces of the Legion.

Lightning came from the ever fastening whirlwind alongside a horrifying sound. I tried not to think about what would happen once I’d enter, but it was hard not to.

Yuri lifted my arms and dragged me to the portal.

‘No tricks, fairy. Or he’ll die.’ He assured me unnecessarily.

‘No…! Eh-rynn...’ My brother brought out in a last attempt to pick himself up and come to my aid. He failed to do so and had to watch as I strode toward the whirlwind, when…