Year: X784
Season: Early Summer
Location: Clover Town
Age: Lucy Heartfilia (17)
---
Lucy — POV
This was supposed to be my first mission.
Not my first day in Fairy Tail—
my first job.
I stood in front of the request board, staring at a single paper that seemed heavier than all the others combined.
Reward: 2,000,000 Jewels.
Objective: Destroy the book "Daybreak."
"…Two million," I whispered.
"That's a lot of meat," Natsu said thoughtfully.
Happy nodded. "Aye."
I turned slowly. "You're both coming with me."
Natsu grinned. "Of course! First mission!"
My stomach fluttered—nerves, excitement, and the faint echo of Ren's voice in my head.
First missions are about learning how not to lose yourself.
I took the request down.
---
The Client
Kaby Melon was… strange.
He paced his lavish home like a man at war with himself, fingers twitching, eyes sharp and tired.
"That book must be destroyed," he snapped. "Burned. Torn apart. Reduced to ashes."
"Why?" I asked carefully.
"Because it's cursed!" he shouted. "Because it ruined my father!"
Something in his voice didn't sound like hatred.
It sounded like pain.
But the contract was clear.
We accepted.
---
The Mansion
The Duke Everlue's estate loomed like a fortress of stone and arrogance.
Our first plan was… subtle.
I wore a maid uniform.
Natsu and Happy hid.
I walked up to the front gate, smoothing my skirt, heart pounding.
You can do this. Smile. Be polite.
The Duke stared at me.
Then sneered.
"Ugly."
"…Excuse me?"
"I only hire beautiful maids," he said coldly. "Ones like Virgo."
A massive woman loomed behind him.
I felt something crack.
The gate slammed shut.
"…I tried," I muttered.
---
Breaking In
Natsu didn't hesitate.
"PLAN B!"
The wall exploded.
I screamed. Happy cheered. Guards flew everywhere.
We ran through the mansion in a blur of marble halls and shouting servants until—
The library.
Rows upon rows of books.
My breath caught.
So many stories…
And there it was.
Daybreak.
---
The Truth
I picked it up gently.
As soon as my fingers brushed the cover, something felt… wrong.
Not dark.
Lonely.
"Lucy?" Natsu asked. "Aren't you gonna destroy it?"
"I—wait."
I pulled out my Gale-Force Reading Glasses and slipped them on.
The letters shifted.
Rearranged.
The author's name twisted into clarity.
Kemu Zaleon.
My heart skipped.
"…That's an anagram."
Natsu blinked. "A what?"
"Zekua Melon," I whispered.
The client's father.
This wasn't a cursed book.
It was a letter.
I read it aloud—words filled with regret, pride, love never properly spoken.
Tears blurred my vision.
"This book was never meant to be destroyed," I said firmly. "It was meant to be understood."
---
Choice
When Kaby heard the truth, he broke.
He cried like a child who'd waited too long for words that never came.
The contract changed.
The book was spared.
The reward paid.
As we walked away, Natsu glanced at me. "You didn't hesitate."
I looked down at my guild mark.
"I think… Fairy Tail is the kind of place where you don't destroy stories just because someone tells you to."
Happy smiled. "Aye."
---
That Night
Back at the guild, chaos welcomed us home.
But I sat quietly for a moment, holding my keys.
Gold: Aquarius, Cancer, Taurus
Silver: Crux, Horologium, Lyra
Not power for destruction.
Power for connection.
Ren was right.
My first mission wasn't about fighting.
It was about choosing what deserved to be protected.
And I had.
---
End of Chapter 77 — "Daybreak"
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