We walked in complete silence for hours. Caelian seemed distracted and solemn as we were winding our way through frankly verdant and untouched woodland. I was wondering if there even was a blight. I had not seen a single hint of anything dead or any other creature apart from those shadow wolves during this whole journey.

We eventually ended up on top of a hill, with a view of the magnificent sprawling greenery all around us, open and spacious. What must it look like from above? I wondered and glanced at Caelian. Must have been horrible, being cooped up in that dark subterranean space when you were made for the skies. Maybe I should ask him to take me flying. When else would I get the chance? And I’m sure the stupid BL logic would love it and treat it as a ‘bonding’ moment or whatnot.

“We’re here.” Caelian gestured to the centre of the hill where a large green bulb was protruding from the ground. As we neared closer to it, I saw a similar dark red sigil hover in the air above it, chains clinging to the stalk and roots of it.

“Heart of the Forest is a flower, of course,” I stated, matter-of-factly, as I circled the thing.

“So, we found the thing. How do we, I don’t know, purify it?”

Caelian levelled me with a long stare. I knew what that usually meant, so I kept an ear out for the dreaded saxophone and my guard up. It didn’t come, however. Caelian looked uncomfortable.

“Erm… well…”

“What is it?”

“Remember when I told you that the bond would give you my power and magic?”

“Yeah. Kinda got overshadowed by the side effect of a heart attack, though.”

“Well…” he kept hesitating, looking away from me or down. It was infuriating.

“That happens when the bond has been… completed.”

“Okay.” I drawled, questioning brow raised. “How do we complete it then?”

He looked at me then, a flush making its way to his cheeks. I heard the literal gulp sound his throat made as he was… too shy to answer.

Yeah, nope. None of that.

“Hold on a sec.” I squatted in front of the Heart and studied the sigil again. Still had no idea what it meant, but now I was sure it was the same as the one that bound Caelian back in the cave. Could be recycled assets. Could be the same thing. Might as well try.

I pulled out the dagger from my backpack. Before Caelian managed to stop me, I grabbed it in my left palm and pulled, drawing blood. I’ve seen it done in movies a lot. It was cool as hell. No one told me it hurt like a bitch, though.

“Motherfu….” I groaned, cradling my injured palm, as a trickle of blood hit the leaves of the Heart of the Forest and the sigil lit up as it did in the cave. The chains dispersed, and the flower bloomed in front of our eyes, all colours of the rainbow spouting from it like a Pride Parade fountain and shooting into the sky.

“Are you insane!” Caelian yelped and grabbed my wrist. He brought it to his mouth to lick the wound shut, and I let him, because it hurt like hell and because that one phrase has haunted every single one of the stories I have seen in my short time perusing the catalogue. It was like a tell-tale sign that the story was AI. Almost like ChatGPT’s em dash thing.

Suddenly, an evil laugh resonated through the clearing, and a hot woman clad in black robes emerged from the treeline. She walked with a confident strut, a gnarled staff in her hand. The plot thickened.

“I see you have solved my riddle, little elf.” Wasn’t really a riddle, but whatever. “But was it worth it?”

I gestured to her with my healed hand and shrugged.

“Not too bad, honestly. And you are?”

“I am The Spirit of Vengeance!” She spoke, and lightning streaked through the cloudless sky around her. Oh, great. The dramatic villain monologue was here.