I ate, slept, and woke to the sight of Elbis and Elbar floating a few feet away from my hammock. The moon still shone high in the sky. Was it always night time here? I wondered.

“Hope you slept well,” Elbis said, his wings fluttering with a steady rhythm as he spoke. His tone carried a faint edge of irritation. “Elbar has informed me about your little ventures—the temple of forgotten dreams and the Lunarum Vaults. You’ve been quite busy, haven’t you?”

“The High Priestess, Selendra, has requested an audience with you,” he added. “When you’re ready, we’d appreciate it if you’d come with us. It’s not far.”

Elbar glanced at me, his eyes downcast, a look of guilt etched into his expression, as though he had betrayed me by summoning a higher authority. I offered him a reassuring smile. There’s no need for that, I wanted to say. “Of course,” I replied instead, my voice light. “I have a few questions for this Selendra myself. Lead the way.”

“Fantastic,” Elbis said, wings twitching as he turned. “But please, refer to her as Your High Priestess or Your High Priestess Selendra. She resides at Dewsong Dell. Follow us.”

I jumped from my hammock, stretching toward the silvery moon, and let out a yawn—not out of need, but out of habit. Elbis headed toward the Veilwood with a deliberate pace, and Elbar and I followed.

Elbis had been right; no sooner had we entered the Veilwood than we emerged into a tranquil dell. Dew-kissed trees lined the banks of a gently flowing stream, and mist swirled lazily through the grove. The stream trickled into a still lake where ancient weeping willows stood like silent sentinels before a grey stone building, timeless and worn by centuries.

There were figures—humanoid in shape—but their grey-tinted complexion betrayed their true nature. Faye. They moved about, tending to trees, carrying fruit and water with methodical precision. Elbis and Elbar hovered briefly, then descended beside me, their forms shimmering as they morphed into human-sized figures, walking alongside me as equals.

Elbar gave me a sidelong glance. “The High Priestess prefers us to appear this way. ‘Dress like our visitor,’ she said.” His lips curled into a sheepish smile.

I didn’t mind either way, but there was something oddly comforting about talking to someone my own size. It felt more grounded—more real.

We approached the stone structure, none of the workers paid us any mind, each absorbed in their duties. The double doors of the building, made of aged wood reinforced with black metal hinges, loomed before us. Elbis, with some effort, pushed them open, straining against their weight. He’d have had trouble in his smaller form, I mused, though the thought quickly faded as the familiar scent of baking bread wafted toward us.

Inside, the room was larger than it appeared from the outside, a towering space filled with ancient wisdom. Shelves lined the walls, packed with books of every shade and hue, and a grand table sat at the center, illuminated by soft, blue light. Around it, shelves extended like spokes of a wheel, encircling the room in a spiral of knowledge. On the table sat freshly baked bread, ripe fruit, and a pitcher of purple liquid, exuding a fragrant sweetness.

At the head of the table sat a slender woman, cloaked in grey, her robes worn with age yet dignified. Her face, though stern, was elegant, with a slight kink in her nose that only added to her charm. Her eyes, however, were her most striking feature—alive with shifting hues of gold, as though they held the colors of knowledge itself. Her hair, golden and flowing, peeked from beneath her hood, cascading like sunlight in a land of perpetual moonlight.

The High Priestess Selendra. She was nothing like I had remembered from my first day here. I only saw her briefly in her natural form. Nothing unremarkable, but now sat before me, almost human, she was striking.

“Please, take a seat,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of authority yet softened with warmth. “You too, Elbar, Elbis. I’ve prepared some food, so we can talk as we eat. If there’s anything you need while you’re here, don’t hesitate to ask.” The High Priestess said, while indicating us to take a seat at her table.

We sat around the table. I took the seat directly opposite Selendra, while Elbis and Elbar flanked her like guards, protecting a high ranking individual. It felt as though I were being brought before a council of judgment, with Selendra as the judge and her attendants as magistrates.

Selendra took a small sip from a cup of purple liquid, her golden eyes fixed on me as if weighing my very soul. “You’ve been busy since your arrival?” she began, her voice soft but laced with authority. “The Temple of Forgotten Dreams... the Lunarum Vaults... and now, Light Weaving.”

Her words hung in the air, and I could sense a mix of intrigue and caution in her tone. Elbis and Elbar sat silently beside her, their expressions unreadable.

“I have a lot of questions too,” I said, leaning forward slightly, trying to read the High Priestess’s intent. “Why can I do it? Why can I use light weaving? I’m not Faye, and yet...”

Selendra tilted her head, her irises shifting like liquid gold under the dim light. “Light weaving is a gift granted only to the Faye. It is an ancient power that draws from the light of stars and moons—something unique to our kind. And yet, you possess it. You see and hear what no human should.”

The High Priestess leaned forward slightly, her eyes scanning me with an intensity I hadn’t felt since my encounter with Villas. “You say you have met Villas, this may be the reason you are different shall we say.” Her words, not accusing but, careful, deliberate. Elbar and Elbis both believe this to be true and if so, it could explain certain things. The Faye are as old as the cosmos herself, but Villias is older still, from time outside of time.

We are a careful race, and with so few faye left, well your presence is a great cause of concern. I would like to know more regarding your connection to Villas and your ability with light weaving, your connection to the cosmos. To understand your connection to Villas, I would like to see how you respond to light that is... less pure. Light that has been tainted.”

I straightened in my chair, the mention of "tainted" making my heart beat faster. "Tainted? Like... corrupted?"

“Not corrupted,” Selendra clarified, “but impure. Here in Aerindell, the light is pristine. It flows through us, guided by the moon and stars. The same light birthed at the creation of the universe, unblemished, pure. But outside—on the human side—the light is diluted. It requires more life force to stabilize, more Elaris, the universe. You may have sensed this already?”

I hadn’t, before coming to Aerindell, I hadn’t known the faye existed, never mind light weaving. Still I wanted answers too. “What do you need from me, what will you have me do?”

Selendra stood, gliding toward a dark, intricately carved box resting in the corner of the room. It looked ancient, etched with runes that shimmered faintly. When she opened it, a dim, flickering light rose from within—darker than the bright strands that emanate from the light at the Lunarum Vaults. This light wasn’t soft and welcoming; it was heavy, its edges sharp, as if it carried the weight of time itself.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“This is light touched by the world of men,” she said, her voice taking on a reverent, almost mournful quality. “We have little reason to weave with it. It is harder, more draining, and at times unpredictable. It takes from us and never gives back. But you”—her eyes locked onto mine—“may have a connection to it that we do not. Villas was a bridge between the realms, and if you are truly linked to him, you might hold that same potential.”

Elbis and Elbar stood back, their usual levity replaced with silence. Selendra held out her hand, and a tendril of this darker light coiled around her fingers, twisting and turning like smoke with weight.

“I want you to weave this,” she said, extending it toward me. “Use a memory from your time with Villas—something deep and personal—and focus. Let the memory guide the shape of the light.”

I hesitated, then nodded, trying to steady my breath. The memory that came to me wasn’t pleasant. I thought back to Villas, to his final moments in Vermulia, to the river and the boulder he had spoken of—the one he hadn’t moved, the one that had swept me away. That memory clung to me, sharp and raw.

I reached out and took hold of the tendrils of darkened light. It felt cold, much heavier than before. I began gathering it into a sphere, shaping it in my hands. As I worked, I could feel the life draining from me, the effort immense. My heart pounded harder, each beat slower than the last. I focused on the boulder Villas had spoken of, and slowly, the light began to morph into the shape of a massive stone.

But there was something more. The light didn’t just take the form of the boulder. As I sculpted it, I could see it shifting, transforming—not just into any stone, but into something that felt alive. The light pulsed, and within its surface, vague, shadowy features began to emerge. It was Villas—his presence etched into the very essence of the boulder, as if the stone itself had absorbed his being.

Selendra gasped audibly, her expression transforming from calm control to one of awe. Her eyes widened as she watched the boulder solidify, and then—against her will—she dropped to one knee.

"This... this is impossible," she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Villas.”

Elbar took a step back, his hand over his mouth. Elbis looked on in stunned silence.

My Elaris, pulsed into the stone, it seemed to yawn into life, and where its surface should have been smooth, it rippled with light, as though Villas himself was etched into the rock, his face faintly visible, like a memory embedded in stone. His eyes, though made of light, seemed to look directly at Selendra and me. The energy was overwhelming, not harsh, but powerful. It was Villas—not just a memory, but a presence, a force.

Selendra stood slowly, her hands trembling as she reached out to touch the boulder. “This... this is a part of him. His essence is within it.” She placed her palm flat against the stone, her eyes closing for a moment, as though she were listening to something only she could hear.

When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with a newfound certainty. "You are connected to him. There can be no doubt now. Villas trusted you—he chose you. And if Villas trusted you... we must too."

I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding, the weight of her words settling over me. Selendra, the High Priestess of the Faye, was not just accepting me—she was acknowledging my bond with Villas, something even she had doubted moments ago.

She stepped back, her voice more composed now. “You have passed the test. There’s nothing more I need to see. The boulder... it holds more than just light—it holds Villas. You, too, hold a part of him.”

I stared at the stone, still pulsing faintly with the essence of the god I had once known. It was as if I had brought him back, just for a moment, through the act of weaving. A chill ran through me, and yet, there was a sense of warmth in my chest, as though Villas himself had reached out to me once again.

Selendra's gaze softened, the tension that had once filled the room now dissipated like mist in the morning sun. "You have proven yourself beyond doubt, Ragson," she said, her voice steady and sure. "I have no doubt it is your connection to Villas that lets you harness the power of the faye. You are free to go as you please. We trust that you will guard our secrets, just as Villas did. Your connection to him is undeniable, and as such, you are no longer a stranger here."

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was not a relief laced with a desire to leave. The truth was, I didn’t want to go. The Faye realm had drawn me in—the magic, the mystery, the power of light weaving—and there was so much more to learn. “Thank you, High Priestess. But if I may, I would like to stay a while longer. There’s still much I don’t understand, and I feel there is more I could learn, especially about light weaving. I want to grasp it fully, the different methods, the depth of it.”

Selendra smiled, a genuine expression. “You are welcome to stay as long as you wish. Our people do not deny those with pure intentions. If learning is what you seek, then you will find it here.”

Elbar, who had been quietly listening, stepped forward, his wings shimmering softly in the dim light. “I had a feeling you’d say that, Ragson. I’ve seen that hunger for knowledge in your eyes since we first met. And I can help you.” He grinned, a mischievous yet genuine smile crossing his face.

“You?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, me!” Elbar hovered closer, tapping his chest with pride. “Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted to do? What truly drives me?” He landed gracefully on the floor, his wings folding behind him. “This is it. Teaching. Guiding. I’ve never had the chance to teach someone like you, someone with potential so... different.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “So you’re offering to train me?”

“Offering?” He laughed. “I’m insisting! It’ll be fun, and besides, you’ve already shown more natural talent than half the young Faye I’ve seen.”

Selendra looked between us, her face serene. “Elbar is an excellent teacher. You couldn’t be in better hands. And,” she added, her tone becoming more serious, “it may be wise for you to understand more about the world you’ve returned to. Magic—true magic—is not what it once was.”

I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. “The Celestial War?”

“Yes,” Selendra said, her voice dropping to a somber tone. “It was the war that broke the world. The gods, once united in their watch over all creation, turned against one another. The reasons, long forgotten, lost to the ages. Each god raised armies to fight in their name—beings of unimaginable power, creatures of magic, and even mortals, each aligned with one deity or another.”

I listened intently as she spoke, the weight of history bearing down on every word.

“The destruction was... catastrophic. Entire cities, realms, and lands were wiped from existence. Seas boiled, mountains crumbled, and the sky itself was torn open in places. Men, of course, fought for the gods they revered, wielding magic, calling upon the power of their chosen deities to wage war. But in the end, the gods abandoned them, retreating to places beyond our reach. And with their departure, mankind’s trust in magic was shattered.”

Selendra paused, her expression grim. “When the dust settled, the world was in ruins. And man, bitter and broken, blamed magic for the devastation. They feared it, reviled it. In their eyes, magic was the cause of all their suffering—the reason the gods had left them. So, they made magic forbidden. Those who wielded it were hunted, persecuted, and eventually... forgotten.”

I took in her words, a strange ache forming in my chest. I had seen firsthand what magic could do—both its beauty and its danger. “So that’s why magic is outlawed in the world of men?”

Selendra nodded. “Yes. In their desperation to rebuild, they chose to reject the very thing that had once made their world vibrant. And now, the few who still practice magic must do so in secret, lest they be found and... dealt with.”

I glanced at Elbar, whose expression had turned serious as well. “But here, in the Faye realm, magic—light weaving—is still alive. We nurture it, preserve it. And now, Ragson, you are a part of that. The more you learn, the more you will understand how precious and fragile this gift is.”

Elbar’s wings fluttered slightly as he stepped closer, his smile returning. “So, what do you say? Ready for more lessons?”

I chuckled, the heaviness of the conversation lifting slightly. “You’re the teacher, Elbar. Show me the way.”

Selendra stood and nodded to Elbar. “Guide him well, Elbar. His future is entwined with our own, and I believe Villas knew that.”

As we stepped outside, the moonlight once again bathed the landscape in its soft glow. I looked out at the mysterious world around me—this place of magic and light, of hidden power and ancient history. And I knew, deep down, that my journey here was just beginning. There were still so many questions unanswered, and I intended to find them.

Elbar, floating beside me, grinned. “Let’s start with Aurora Binding. I have a feeling you’ll like this one.”

I couldn’t help but grin back. “Lead on, teacher.”

And so, we ventured back into the Veilwood, with the ancient shadows watching us as we prepared for the next steps in my journey of discovery.