When Jude arrived back at the tree, there was still some daylight left, and the birds were singing elaborate and powerful songs. Seeing the once-nearly-dead birds full of energy, Rost quickly joined the choir. Iris had outdone herself.

While the birds that had lost their plumage still had no feathers, all other semblance of sickness was completely gone from them. They were fully revitalized.

Jude looked around for Iris in the middle of that celebration and found her sitting against a tree, asleep, having spent all of her energy again. Queen Millicent was keeping watch over her with a smile on her face. Jude approached the two, and Queen Millicent looked at him expectantly, but he shook his head no and said, “Not now.” Then, he leaned down, picked Iris up, and carried her back to their nest.

Jude laid her down so that she could rest better, but as soon as he did, she opened her eyes and mumbled out, “Anything?”

“Later. Rest first.”

“Just a few more minutes,” she said, but she only woke up a couple of hours later.

While she slept, Jude took advantage of the sunlight to read as much of the diary as he could.

Something very foul is happening to the forest. We haven’t heard anything from the group that went to investigate, and the younger of us don’t know what lurks in the shadows at night. It’s not just something we tell to scare the children. What was that red light?

We’ve lost our king and a host of others. I feel like this may be the end, but I’ll struggle until I can’t anymore. Our people are scared, but I remember my travels, other kingdoms on the verge that survived. We’ll survive.

The queen has chosen to close the borders. She has grown a lot over the years, and even more since the massacre. I can’t fault her for her choice, but I wish she was still the little one who would run to my workshop full of curiosity. Those days of peace… I will have to leave. Her decision is correct for the people here now, but long term, they won’t survive alone. I have to seek help. Will I be able to leave this forsaken place?

I’m nearly finished with my new creations. They’ll be different, but I’m going to leave that which will unlock their potential in the vault. That way, I’ll know that only those who are acknowledged by my people will succeed in obtaining more power. I hope I find people who’ll help.

I’m now an outcast of the Fae Realm, but I’m not done yet, so I can’t leave on my journey. However, I should also take the time to do some research. What’s the cause of all of this? I’ll move during daytime, and sleep in the trees at night. That way, that thing won’t be able to get me.

I finally arrived where it all began. All those nights of hungry howling… I don’t think I ever slept. My days were cut short because I had to rest during the daytime. I am spent and I’ll have to make my way back, but I see now that something fell from the sky here. There is a large crater from the impact, and the earth itself is pulsing with red veins, but there are no remnants. Whatever was here was devoured, but maybe it persists inside the monster? Something that corrupts to this extent wouldn’t simply disappear.

On the way back, I found out that I went too close. In my search for answers, and despite all my care against it, I’ve become infected with rot. There’s nothing I can do about that, but I’m finally done. The chrysalides are ready. I’ll leave tomorrow. The infection is spreading quicker than expected, but it’s night, and that is certain death. Maybe I’ll make it far enough to find someone, anyone, who’ll help.

To my queen, whom I’ll not see again, it was a pleasure to watch you grow, and I hope you do not suffer alone.

To the ones who will bear the chrysalides, save my people. Those are the wishes of a dying old weaver.

When Jude finished reading everything, he received a system notice.

[Item Information Updated.]

He decided to check his status screen again, but found nothing different. Because he was still level 1, the information about equipment hadn’t unlocked for him. He would have to check with Iris to see if her equipment information would change after learning the words in the diary.

Night fell before Iris finally woke up. The birds all had gone to sleep, so it was just the two of them awake again. The howling had not started yet.

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“Hey, sleepy head!” Jude said when Iris sat up.

“I don’t know why I was so tired. I did the same thing yesterday, so I just assumed I would have to rest for a couple of hours, but that’s it. Maybe my body hadn’t recovered fully?”

“There are a lot of things we don’t know, but you still keep taking risks.”

“Me?! Who’s the one who went into the rotted forest to search for treasure?”

“Well… I found something.”

“Spill it!”

And so, Jude recounted the events of the day, the trip with Rost, the search in the cabin and the workshop; he told her about the book and the key and everything he had read.

“Did you get a system notice after all of that?”

“I did! How did you—?”

“Can I check?”

“Sure. Status!”

[Name: Iris Lee

Occupation: Healer

Sub-Occupation: Unknown

Equipment: Adapted Fae Chrysalis (Unique-F) - HP:100, MP:50

Lvl. 3

Health: 400

Mana: 300 (+50)

Dexterity: 25

Strength: 10

Agility: 25

Stamina 25

Intelligence: 60

Notice: More status options available at level 5.

First-Aid lvl. 10 (Max)

Heal lvl. 3

Purify lvl. 3

Keen Vision (Unique-F)

Titles:

Savior of the Fae - White Magic cast on creatures of the Fae Realm will have increased effect. Fae will view you with benevolence. Bonus: +50 mana.]

“You leveled up again?!” Jude exclaimed in surprise.

“I told you I was close.”

“Right, and your mana went way up. Maybe it has something to do with you using it all a couple of days in a row? That would mean that stats grow based on how much you use them.”

“Makes sense. I haven’t had to use my strength for anything, so it’s definitely not growing as fast as the others.”

“Also, check out your equipment.”

“Oh! It changed its name!”

“I’m sure that was the update. The system couldn’t find information on it, but when you learned about it, it updated, which also means things we learn will get reflected in our status.”

“So much to take in… So, what now?”

“I think we should show the queen this key tomorrow, maybe she’ll make something off of it, and we should also ask to see the vault. Whatever it is that Mythrini left in there, we have to make use of it. Honestly, I’m frustrated.”

“Why?”

“I’m not growing at all…”

“In your case, I fear you’ll have to fight to grow.”

“Yeah.. But what?! It’s like the forest is completely empty.”

“It can’t be empty. The birds eat, and I have a feeling it’s not just fish.”

“That’s… I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to ask Queen Millicent about that as well.”

After a few moments of thinking in silence, Iris asked, “Do you think Earth is still there?”

“What do you mean?”

“We could’ve died back then, and this could be some kind of crazy post life situation.”

“I don’t… Maybe? All I remember is the sound of a large explosion.”

“I hope dad is OK.”

“Yeah…” Jude hadn’t thought about his own family until that moment. He had been so preoccupied with the things in front of him that he had forgotten to think about where he came from and whom he loved. After pondering both ideas, the one where everything was still there, and the one where everything was gone, he chose to focus on the things he could control again. “It’s not much use thinking about it. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.”

“True… Hey, Jude.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t care if the birds or the queen see. I need you tonight again. I don’t want to feel alone.”

“You’re not alone. I’m here.”

“But I want to feel something other than suffering… Pleasure.”

“I… I do too.”

It was awkward at first because they felt exposed under that night sky, but the birds had gone to sleep long ago, and Queen Millicent was recuperating in her own nest. They weren’t in the rotted hollow of a dead tree anymore, so there was space to lie down and relax. Eventually, they lost themselves.

When the howling started that night, neither of them heard it. They were completely absorbed in each other, and when they finally fell asleep, they slept past sunrise and the morning bird calls.