Mira had become the one responsible for curing those who showed signs of the rot. It was quickly becoming a pandemic, spreading through the surrounding area.
Already, more than ten Eluwyn and Ravari had been affected. They were separated into a small camp where the girl worked her magic. The healing process wasn't fast—she had to go over it several times—but she was now given priority to grow stronger.
Fay never strayed far from her during all of this. He stayed by her side, protecting her from anyone who might cause harm.
Those she healed became weak at first, but within days, signs of recovery began to show.
She worked around the clock, and Fay made sure she didn't suffer for it. He brought her all the food she wanted, played with her, and kept her company.
His own creatures lent their support as well. Somni made sure the girl had the best sleep possible. Grin gave her quick rides around the perimeter.
And Jolt—well, he just stood nearby, looking cool.
Fay didn't neglect his personal training either.
Since he couldn't go out to hunt, he focused on refining the aether absorption process. He had already begun to sense which areas could improve and made sure not to repeat mistakes from earlier training.
He avoided touching mind magic for now, though he did revisit his dreamworld.
This time, he used it for inspiration. Since anything was possible in dreams, he tested different theories. Those that worked granted him aether; those that didn't remained just dreams.
Today, he was sparring against himself. He avoided anything tied to strong emotions, refusing to seek out visions of his family—or even produce Mira in the dreams.
He made sure the dreams were as controlled as possible. Even dull. Focused purely on training.
It kept him from advancing into new states, but also frustrated him—doing something so boring even within a dream felt wasteful.
At least here, he had unlimited aether. He could hurl thousands of lightning bolts and never tire. They weren't real, so they didn't drain him.
But they still rewarded him with dream aether.
He still didn't understand everything, but that was fine—at least that's what he thought, until he was suddenly woken up by Mira. She had fallen asleep in front of him on a comfortable mattress sewn from leaves, stuffed with bird feathers as a cushion.
"Fayfay… Jiggz is acting weird…"
The girl sat beside her summon, looking worried.
The small slime had been fed energy through the special leaves Elaruîn had given Fay—the ones with potent magical properties.
"What's wrong? What's he doing?"
Mira didn't dare touch it. The slime looked like it couldn't hold its shape, reduced to a wiggling puddle of water.
Fay leaned in to inspect the creature and noticed its core—the only solid part inside—beginning to pulse.
"I don't know either, but it looks like he's trying to do something. Let's give it a few minutes before I blow the emergency whistle I was given."
Mira nodded, though uncertainty still clouded her face.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" she asked, her eyes starting to tear up.
Fay closed his own and focused, shifting into his spirit vision to sense changes in the area. He spotted the ethereal link connecting Mira and her slime—a delicate thread between them.
[Is there anything I can do for them, Guide?]
He called out to the only one who might know.
The voice had been quiet during his training, but ever since their return, it had shown more interest in Fay and Mira, as if the two of them were somehow special.
[Don't worry. Just try converting its aether like you've been practicing. Add a little more raw aether this time. That's what it's trying to draw on, but your sister can't supply enough on her own.]
Fay looked toward the creature, then closed his eyes.
He had already gotten into the habit of manipulating aether, so much so that he'd considered teaching his sister how to do it too.
But Mira had been too busy, and her core was already being overused.
He'd wait… at least for now.
Placing one hand on the slime and the other on the ground, he began drawing aether from the soil.
Though he couldn't manipulate the earth element directly, he could still convert it, filtering it into raw aether the slime could absorb. He worked slowly and carefully, just enough to give the creature a boost without overwhelming it.
Several minutes passed before something began to happen. The puddled slime started to quiver erratically, like water reacting to hot oil.
"What's happening, Fayfay? Why is it moving like that?"
Mira's voice trembled in alarm, but Fay gently patted her back.
"Don't worry. It's fine now. I think it's growing… Just watch."
The slime, energized at last, pulsed more rapidly. Its form began to shift—not into a solid or a beast, but something in between. It remained small, yet kept pulling energy from its surroundings, as if guided by instinct.
Its green, translucent body started to reshape. Wings unfolded—not real wings, but glowing, petal-like membranes that fluttered as if catching an unseen wind.
In a way, it resembled Somni—like a jellyfish drifting through the air—but smaller, more delicate. Half a fairy, yet clearly not done transforming.
Fay couldn't quite describe it. It was like Jiggz had sensed what Mira wished for and had done its best to match that shape.
"Well? What do you think? Like the new Jiggz?"
He looked toward his sister but already knew her answer.
"It became a fairy! Of course I do! Jiggz, you're the best—that's why you're my monster!"
The glowing creature floated toward her, trying to wrap its tiny tendrils around her finger as it hovered effortlessly in the air.
"Well, should we see if it can heal the others better now? I hope so. That way… maybe we can finally leave this place."
Fay's voice lowered. He wasn't just talking to Mira. He was hoping—truly hoping—that this little creature could shift the fate of the tribes.