In the heart of Fortuna's city, the streets pulsed with life. The city, always a hub of activity due to the protective embrace of the towering World Tree, was now teeming with even more visitors, creating an atmosphere of vibrant energy.

A beautiful Sylvan with flaming wisps around her walked around the bustling streets. Her peculiarity made others take a second look, as a Sylvan with control over flames was rare. Moreover, her tall stature and perfectly slender body were very attractive.

While Sylvans were slightly above average appearance-wise, it was not that noticeable. More like many beautiful Sylvans, seeing an ugly Sylvan was rare. However, the tall woman walking down the streets in a red dress looked flamboyant and free, her gait confident and cool.

Cinderielle was walking while looking around. 'It has already been a few months since I started the Academy. How quickly time passes…' Cinderielle continues walking down the streets, looking around with wandering eyes. "Fortuna City, the place where that thing happened…"

Her steps got slower, and finally, she stopped at the beginning of a specific street. Her orange eyes looked sideways toward a particular spot and slowly moved as if they were following an invisible object carried by the wind. 'Where did it come from? Where did it go?'

Her eyes followed the invisible item carried by an imaginary wind and finally stopped after it went behind a corner.

'… I don't like it.' Cinderielle frowned. 'Why was I stopped that day? If they had let me get it, I would be…'

Cinderielle paused and smiled wryly, talking to herself. "I would be what, Cinderielle? What are you imagining?"

She laughed mirthlessly, eventually sighing and looking up at the clear sky. "Will I even be able to meet whoever that leaf was from?" Her eyes glazed as she remembered the past.

It was something that happened many years ago, but she clearly remembered that day when she saw that almost withered leaf flying away.

Even when she was just a child, she could remember the sensations she felt back then as if they happened a few minutes ago. The feelings of her heart trembling, her pulse quickening, her senses sharpening, and her vision focusing on it as if everything else didn't exist. As those sensations filled her heart, her usual clear and bright orange eyes gained a murky tone. 'I'll find her. The owner of that leaf…' Cinderielle clenched her fist. 'She is mine.'

Nobody bothered her as she stood on the streets because she was actually quite famous in the area. After all, Cinderielle made sure to come here at least once a month. She has been doing this since her parents bought a house here and started living in Fortuna City.

"Cinder! Why are you here standing dazed again?"

When someone called her, Cinderielle turned around, snapping out of her thoughts, her eyes regaining their liveliness. The red-haired Sylvan turned around and saw a tall, handsome man with black hair and blue eyes approaching with his arm raised. His body was muscular and tall, and his clothes complemented his looks.

He had straight eyebrows and a sharp nose that matched perfectly with his defined and deep facial features and his angular chin.

Cinderielle laughed. "Well, it's something like a routine. Nothing new." Cinderielle smiled. "What about you, Theodore? Why are you here?"

Theodore scratched his cheek and laughed. "Well, you know the drill." Then he smirked. "I also wanted to see you."

Cinderielle rolled her eyes and crossed her arms while looking at him eye-to-eye. "Did they ask you to recruit me again? I've already made it clear that I'm not choosing somewhere to go until I finish the academy."

Theodore nodded and shrugged. "Yeah, are you sure you don't want to join the Azurebell Heather Sect? I might be a bit biased, but they are one of the top sects that you can find around here. Joining it after the academy won't be a loss, especially with your talent."

Cinderielle shook her head and sighed. "Again, I told you I don't want to join any power for now. It doesn't matter how good the conditions are."

Theodore sighed, his eyes flashing with a disappointed light. "I see. I might've been a bit in a rush. Sorry for being so insistent. I just wanted to make sure we could keep our bond after graduation."

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Cinderielle looked at him and shook her head. "Deciding my entire future on a bond is not something I want to do. I have many years before me to choose."

Theodore blinked and remembered. "Sylvans can be guided up to Level 10 in the Academy, right?"

Cinderielle nodded. "Guiding humans until that level would not be practical for the humans, so they do so with just the Sylvans, who have a longer lifespan."

The man paused and looked at Cinderielle with a strange expression. Cinderielle asked. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, making his semi-long hair move a bit. "Nothing. I was just wondering if this is the reason you are ignoring all my attempts."

The red-haired Sylvan moved her orange eyes and locked eyes with him, her expression unsure. "Attempts? What are you referring to?"

Theodore couldn't bear the woman's eyes and had to shift his gaze. "No… I was just wondering; do you really not want to give it a try?" He returned his gaze, facing Cinderielle, and took a step forward. "Cinder, I want us to be lovers. Can you give me a chance? I know that we are human, Sylvan. However, I can make sure to leave memories in your life that you won't regret. My feelings for you are sincere, Cinder."

Cinderielle looked at him with a complicated look and shook her head. "I've already told you that I'm not interested, right? Why are you insistent on breaking your heart?" Cinderielle sighed. "It's not about you being a human or not. If I were in love with you, I would've long accepted. However, I'm not."

Theodore smiled sadly. "Why not? What do I lack? I'm honestly someone with everything but power."

Cinderielle snorted and laughed. "It seems that you are lacking two things: power and humbleness."

Theodore looked into her eyes. "I'm serious, Cinder."

The Sylvan sighed, looking at Theodore with a strange gaze that he didn't understand. She looked at him as if he were a peculiar specimen. "Honestly, I'm unsure. Don't human men look at Sylvans as strange partners?"

Cinderielle didn't say so aloud and thought to herself. 'It's not only the age thing; even day-to-day life is much different. Not to mention, our attraction to beautiful plants is seen as repulsive for some of them… Honestly, Sylvan-to-human relationships have sadly ended for Sylvan. For us, it is more about a safety concern than liking or not liking humans.'

Cinderielle sighed and commented. "We have so many differences. Are you really sincere in your confession?"

Theodore looked back at her and asked, still not giving up. "Then, what do you like? As a Sylvan, you need to find a partner, right? After all, Sylvans are a race that has used nature around them to reproduce." Theodore shrugged and asked with a hidden derisive tone. "Or what, are you telling me that you'll search for your future partner between the trees?"

However, even if it was hidden, Cinderielle could feel the sarcasm behind that question. 'Ah. Here it is. I knew it.'

She squinted and took a step forward, reducing their distance to less than one meter. "Say, Theodore, what's wrong if I like them? Theodore, we are good friends, so don't cross the line. Plant creatures are as valid as a partner as you."

Cinderielle saw his face and sighed, taking a step backward. "Humans might not feel it, but they are as alive as us, if not more. While not all plant life is able to communicate by itself, if you are patient and search for it, you'll be listening to them."

Theodore lifted both his arms and asked for forgiveness. "Okay, that was my bad."

Cinderielle snorted and pointed at the towering World Tree in the middle of the city and asked. "Do you honestly think that she is a dead being? That she is ugly? Or that she is just an unintelligent being?"

Theodore frowned, and his eyes moved toward the towering tree. He knew that this subject was a sensitive spot for Sylvans, but Cinderielle was quite open with her ideas, so he thought that he would be okay while explaining his position.

Still, when his eyes landed on the enormous tree, he couldn't help but regret his word choice a bit. While it was a Tree, but bigger, the trunk twisted in the silhouette of an enchanting woman's torso with raised arms holding the lush canopy. Even the head was created above the shoulders. Sadly, the head didn't have defined facial features or anything at all.

'From what we've learned in class, World Tree's trunk shape exists to attract mates. World Trees are able to reproduce by themselves. However, the things they can give birth to are completely tree-like, without human characteristics. To give birth to Sylvans or other humanoids, World Tree's descendants need a very lucky mutation like the first Sylvans had, or they need a creature that can impregnate or bear their children.'

What made Theodore hesitate about it more was that she, the World Tree, had leafy and vine-like "clothes" that barely covered the private parts of the silhouette, revealing that the World Tree did feel shy if she were without those covers. These covers were completely natural and did not need to be in that shape, a shape that other races copied to create bras and similar women's private parts.

Even he, as a human, could sense the "beauty" of the majestic being.

Of course, in a world where Sylvans were the dominant race, besides the extreme groups constantly waging war against them, other humans understood the differences between the two species and lived together in harmony.

However, Theodore, who came to love Cinderielle after a few months of interaction since they saw each other every day, couldn't accept that the woman he loved was attracted to Trees. It felt like a shameful experience that would place a "He did it! He married a Sylvan that loves trees!"

Cinderielle saw the reluctance in his eyes, unable to accept it, and she internally sighed. 'Did this day finally come? While I wanted to preserve my friendship with him, I might need to end it short.'

The red-haired Sylvan chuckled. "See? This is why looking for someone with thoughts similar to yours is best, or at least someone who understands you and loves you unconditionally as long as the relationship is based on trust." She looked at the man and sighed. "And I can't find many things in common with you. So, let's end this here. You don't really love me; you lust for me.'

Theodore looked at the tall, long-haired Sylvan, turned around, and left while pondering about what had just happened.