A/N: This chapter took a while to rework. It was from here that I had trouble continuing in the past. Now things are flowing like this, I believe this book will go long, if there are inconsitencies, sorry about that as I have been busy with work, barely slept for the past 24hours.
Enjoy-
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The night was calm again — or at least, trying to be.
Pixie Hollow shimmered beneath the soft glow of the moon, its trees whispering in quiet amazement after what they had just witnessed. The stranger — Sargon, as he called himself — stood among them, tall and composed, though faint trails of light still flickered across his skin like fading embers.
"I'm fine," he said at last, his tone calm but steady, that low hum still in his voice — the one that seemed to make the leaves tremble when he spoke. The gem on his chest pulsed once, faintly, then quieted.
Iridessa hovered close, worry clear in her bright golden eyes. "Hey, Lord… umm, I mean, Sargon. Are you really fine? There are no injuries to you, right?" Her light bathed his face in gentle warmth as she fluttered around him, looking for any sign of harm.
When Silvermist finally released her tight embrace, Iridessa landed before him and pressed a small hand against his chest, eyes wide with concern.
Sargon smiled kindly and shook his head. "No, my dear. In this form, I've sealed the wound so it can heal. I'm not using much power anymore — the rest is focused on mending."
He lifted his shirt slightly, revealing only smooth, unmarred skin. "See? Not even visible here."
Iridessa blinked, tilting her head as the faint shimmer of where the gem once was caught her attention. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. Her hand rose almost by instinct, tracing the air above the invisible scar. "So… it's inside you?" she asked softly, voice distant — as though afraid the words might disturb something sacred.
"Yes," he said gently, his eyes warm. "It's part of me now, in ways even I don't yet understand."
Then his tone lightened, and a small grin curved his lips. "Now, could you be a sweet dear and tell me your name?"
" I-I'm Iridessa. A light fairy." She blushed and quickly withdrew her hand, wings fluttering nervously. "Sorry! I just— it looked… um… shiny."
Sargon chuckled softly. "A pleasure, Iridessa. I imagine you and I will have much to talk about." He winked, and she gave a shy, startled laugh before darting back toward Silvermist, who was already grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, Dessa, you're glowing brighter than your own light!" Silvermist teased, giggling.
Rosetta sighed from her seat on a bed of moss. "Land's sake, that's the softest thing I've ever laid on," she said dreamily, brushing her crimson curls aside. "If he can fix broken trees and make the ground this comfy, I say we keep him."
That earned laughter from the others — light, musical, the sound of the Hollow easing again.
Then came Vidia. Her smirk could have cut through a fog. "Vidia," she said, crossing her arms. "Fastest flyer in Pixie Hollow. And you've got a fine pair of wings there, stranger. Care for a little race sometime?"
Sargon tilted his head, amused. "These little things?" he said, spreading his wings — dark, sleek, and glimmering faintly in the moonlight. "Sure. If you can keep up."
Before she could blink, he was gone — just gone — vanishing in a blur of shadow and wind. The air whooshed behind her as he reappeared with a grin just over her shoulder.
"That is, if you can find me first," he said, his voice low and teasing.
Vidia froze, then spun around, cheeks tinted pink. "Oh, it's on," she said, eyes gleaming as she zipped into the air, her laughter echoing through the trees.
Even Tinker Bell was impressed — though her curiosity burned far brighter than awe. "You're not like anyone I've ever met," she said, fluttering right up to his face. "I'm Tinker Bell — a tinker fairy! I love lost things, broken things, things that don't belong but could belong if you fix them right! What do you make? How do you—"
Sargon laughed gently and rested two fingers against her forehead. "A tinker fairy, huh? That explains your spark." His eyes glinted with fondness. "I've built more things than I can count. Maybe one day, we'll build something together."
He held out his palm, and a small cube of glowing glass spiraled into existence — shifting hues like trapped rainbows. "A puzzle from my homeland," he said. "Each color must match its sides. It trains patience and focus."
Tinker Bell gasped, eyes wide. "It's beautiful! I've never seen craftsmanship like this!" She held it like it might float away. "Can I really keep it?"
"Of course," he said with a soft smile. "A gift for a maker of wonders."
Her grin lit the clearing brighter than fireflies as she twirled away to show the others.
Then Fawn bounded up, freckles catching the light. "Hi! I'm Fawn — animal fairy! You seen any animals out there in the, uh… world?"
Sargon's eyes softened. "Many," he said. "Some as small as your thumb, others that carried whole forests on their backs. I once raced a phoenix across the dawn sky."
Fawn gasped. "You raced a phoenix?"
He grinned. "And lost. Twice."
She laughed so hard she snorted, covering her mouth. "Oh, that's amazing!" Without thinking, she hugged him around the waist. "You smell like—like rain on bark," she murmured absently. "Like a storm that belongs here."
He blinked, amused. "Do I now?"
Fawn's eyes went wide as realization hit. "Oh—oh no— I didn't—uh, bye!" She darted off, red-faced, as Silvermist and Rosetta dissolved into giggles again.
Only one fairy had yet to move.
Nyx.
The scout leader stood apart from the laughter, her violet eyes steady. She had watched everything — his calm, his charm, the way the others had gravitated to him without realizing it. It wasn't sorcery… it was something quieter. Something deeper.
And that unsettled her more than magic ever could.
Sargon turned toward her. "And you?" he said softly. "Who do we have here?"
Her wings rose slightly, more reflex than posture. "Nyx," she said, voice clear. "Leader of the Scout Fairies."
"Ah," he murmured. "The one who guards the night."
The words shouldn't have meant anything, but they did. Her chest tightened unexpectedly. He wasn't mocking her — he saw her. Somehow, he understood the weight of her long patrols, the silent hours, the doubts she never voiced.
The air between them grew still, touched with an unseen hum. He didn't move closer, but she felt him there — like standing near a waterfall, aware of its power even when it was calm.
"You shouldn't be able to stand so soon," she said at last. "No one heals like that."
He smiled faintly. "I've had practice falling… and finding my feet again."
She frowned. "That's not what I meant. When you woke, something answered you. I heard it."
He tilted his head, intrigued. "And what do you think it was?"
"I don't know yet," she said, quieter now. "But I want to find out."
A silence passed — soft, but charged, like the quiet before rain.
Finally, she gestured for him to follow. "Come. The Queen won't want you wandering near the open glades. I'll take you somewhere safe."
As they walked, the forest glowed faintly around them. Fireflies drifted in lazy spirals, the leaves humming softly with magic. Sargon moved beside her, tall but unthreatening, his wings folding neatly behind him. Nyx tried to focus ahead, but her thoughts refused to obey.
He's different.And dangerous… but not in the way danger usually feels.
He broke the silence first. "You said you protect this place," he murmured. "Yet you lead a stranger toward its heart."
Nyx didn't look at him. "Sometimes danger doesn't come with sharp teeth," she said. "Sometimes it smiles… and says it's fine."
He chuckled softly. "Then you'll have to decide which one I am."
She risked a glance at him. His eyes caught the moonlight — and for a moment, she thought she saw constellations moving behind them. Something ancient. Something lost.
"You're doing it again," she whispered before she realized she'd spoken.
"What am I doing?"
"That… hum. The air changes when you breathe too deeply."
He exhaled slowly, and sure enough, the faint vibration faded. "It's not intentional," he said quietly. "It's just what's left of me."
Nyx hesitated. "Then you must've been someone powerful."
"Or someone who broke," he said softly. "Very badly."
They reached a clearing at the heart of the Hollow. The great Pixie Dust Tree rose above them, its roots intertwined like golden rivers beneath the earth. The air pulsed gently — alive, listening.
"This is as far as you go tonight," Nyx said. "The Queen will decide what happens next."
He nodded once. "And you?"
"I'll keep watch."
"Not because you don't trust me," he said, voice warm, "but because you do."
She blinked, caught off guard. "…Maybe," she admitted.
He smiled. "Then maybe we'll both learn something before dawn."
The words lingered like music. The air around them grew still, peaceful — but full of quiet potential.
As Nyx watched him settle beneath the starlit canopy, her wings folded unconsciously close. He's not from our world, she thought. But why does it feel like he's meant to be here?
A soft wind passed through the glade, carrying the scent of rain and something far older.The night deepened.Their watch began.
And high above, beyond the canopy of stars, something vast and unseen stirred — whispering in the language of the cosmos.
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A/N: Seggs!