Soon enough, breakfast was over, which meant it was time to leave the hall. But the girls had other plans — one that, unbeknownst to them, would work out in their favour.
"Hey," Lilith called out to Sam, who had just stood up. He turned to her, his soft expression showing that even he did not want to leave yet. She raised her voice so the others could hear. "Why don't we hang out for a bit? Do you guys have a garden or something? We could chill there?" she suggested, prompting the rest to murmur their agreement.
"Alright, come on," Felix, who had overheard, chimed in, pulling Ash along with him. The rest followed close behind, while Lilith stayed near the nearest person, who happened to be Sam — to avoid any more… coincidences.
Felix led them down a wide, open path until they reached a beautiful meadow. Colourful flowers of all kinds lined the ground: baby's breath, lilies, daisies, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and so many more. A neat strip of short grass led toward a large circular grass clearing, making the spot look perfect for a date. The morning sun they had seen in the dining hall felt far away; the sky here glowed with a bright blend of orange, neon pink, and lavender, dotted with stars. It was ethereal. Lilith wondered if she was actually dreaming, yet everything felt far too real to be one.
Christopher spoke, snapping Lilith out of her trance. "Ok–" He cut himself off, eyes narrowing toward the path they had just taken. "What was that?" The rest appeared to have noticed it too, and everyone except Lilith began to glance at one another.
Then, for the first time since she had arrived, Christopher's eyes darkened with an intensity sharp enough to kill a fly — or maybe Lilith, who was now terrified out of her wits. Everyone — the pack, the girls, and the dragons — wore that same dark look, as if they had all sensed the exact same thing, which they apparently had.
Sam immediately pulled Lilith behind him. "Stay behind me."
Oh shit, am I gonna die now? Of all times? Universe, why?? Lilith thought frantically, her heart hammering in her chest. She had never seen them act like this before, and it terrified her.
Before she could ask what was wrong, Christopher's voice cut through the sudden commotion. "Lilith, go with Lucian!" he yelled. She was instantly tugged by the omega. "Run!" he ordered, pulling her up a large tree in the meadow — far enough to stay safe, but close enough to see everything that unfolded clearly.
Rogues.
Creatures from another zone surged forward, teeth and claws tearing through everything in their path. The wolves and the girls shifted to face them.
Christopher, whom Lilith assumed was a huge black wolf since he was the leader, attacked with feral speed, his claws slicing through the opposing creatures with a sickening squelch.
Ash's wolf form was grey, smaller than Christopher's but still massive, and he fought relentlessly, taking on multiple rogues with his sharp teeth and claws.
Then there were the girls.
Stella fired magic balls, her eyes sharp and focused. She darted through the air like a bee; she glowed with a deep shade of green, and she had short curly black hair, sparkling green eyes, green boots, a green dress, and a nearly transparent pair of wings on her back.
Candice wore a baby pink dress, her bright pink hair tied in a high bun, paired with baby blue boots and pale blue, transparent wings.
Catherine had nearly golden hair, warm brown doe eyes, a gold dress, sparkling golden boots, and a pair of pale golden, transparent wings.
Sabrina glowed orange; she had long orange hair, bright brown eyes, a short orange dress, matching boots, and orange, transparent wings.
Felix and Sam stood back‑to‑back, staying in their human forms. They were far from weak, fighting with careful precision — ruthless, yet calm.
And then there was Keira. She glowed yellow, with long, glowing blonde hair, yellow eyes, green boots, a short yellow dress, and yellow, transparent wings. She looked so soft, yet fierce… but she was not attacking. Instead, she looked shaken, struggling to block the blows of another fairy standing before her.
Lucien, beside her, gasped, as if he had spotted the attacker as well, but Lilith paid him no mind. She watched, holding her breath, as the group fought until the opposing zone's forces retreated.
It was bloody.
The once‑beautiful meadow felt cold and ruined, bodies lying limp across the grass, the air thick with the stench of blood and dirt. It was repulsive.
This was their very first attack from another zone. They were the type to rely on negotiations and dialogue, not whatever this chaos was.
Lucien helped Lilith climb down once he confirmed the area was safe. They all formed a circle, the fighters gasping for breath. The fairies shifted back to their human forms, while the wolves kept their current forms to keep the scene kid‑friendly.
They checked on one another, almost as if doing a headcount, when Lilith frowned, scanning the group. She spoke, and her words froze everyone where they stood.
"Wait… where's Keira?"