Ethan blinked, his eyes adjusting to the soft, golden light that filled the world around him. A breeze swept through the meadow, carrying with it the scent of cherry blossoms. The pink petals danced through the air, twirling lazily before falling gently to the ground. The sun was setting behind the hills, casting long shadows over the vibrant green grass. In the distance, the laughter of children rang out, their voices mingling with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds.

It was beautiful. Perfect, even. But it was wrong. Ethan’s heart sank as he realized where he was—and who he was looking at in the midst of this painting of beauty.

Fauna.

The Hopla mage sat at a small wooden table in the middle of the meadow, surrounded by her family. Her brothers and sisters were there, laughing and passing around plates of food. Her parents sat at the head of the table, smiling warmly at their children. It was a scene out of a dream—one that Ethan knew could never be real. He watched as Fauna chatted with her siblings, her face lit with joy and peace. She hadn’t looked this carefree in all the time he’d known her.

And that was what made it so hard to watch.

“Damn it…” Ethan muttered under his breath, gripping the handle of his scythe. He knew what he had to do, but it felt wrong to disrupt something so peaceful, so… perfect. The truth, though, was that this was another Memory Prism. Another trap designed to hold them in a dream. To keep them from moving forward.

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to do this, but they couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t stay here.

Fauna deserved more than a pretty illusion.

Ethan stepped forward, the grass crunching softly under his feet as he approached the table. None of the others seemed to notice him, too wrapped up in their conversations. He watched as Fauna laughed at one of her brother’s jokes, her eyes shining with happiness. His chest tightened. She hadn’t been this happy in years, maybe ever.

But this wasn’t real.

With a deep breath, Ethan reached into his magical reserves, summoning a veil of mana. He spread it out before him, letting the shimmering energy ripple through the air like a curtain. The edges of the dream began to flicker and fade as the mana veil disrupted the illusion, revealing the truth hidden beneath.

On a nearby cherry blossom tree, perched high on one of the branches, was a dark, thin figure. Its body was wrapped in shadow, its long, spindly arms and legs blending into the darkness. Its eyes, glowing faintly with a sinister light, were fixed on Fauna and her family. A Nervestalker.

Ethan’s jaw tightened as he raised his scythe, the blade gleaming in the golden light of the dream. He aimed the tip of the weapon at the creature, ready to strike it down with a well-aimed Snipe.

“Stand still, you little bastard... I got you...”

But before he could release his attack, a soft voice stopped him.

“Ethan.”

He turned to see Fauna standing beside him, her usual timid expression replaced with something else—something deeper. There was sadness in her eyes, but also a kind of acceptance.

“Fauna, this is a dream,” Ethan said gently. “You need to wake up. This isn’t real.”

“I know,” Fauna whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind rustling through the cherry blossoms. She glanced back at the table, at her family still laughing and talking as if nothing had changed. “I know it’s not real.”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Ethan blinked, surprised. “You… you know?”

Fauna nodded, her gaze soft as she watched her parents and siblings. “I just… I wanted to enjoy it a little longer. Just for a moment. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them like this. Since I’ve… felt this.” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, but there was a quiet strength behind it.

Ethan’s throat tightened. “Fauna…”

“They’ve been gone for so long,” she continued, her eyes misting over with tears. “But it’s okay. I needed to say goodbye. Properly, this time.”

“Faun! Oh Faaaun! Come back to us, you silly hare! Max is about to show us another trick! And Dorreen will be coming home from the farm tonight. We’ll have neep and lentil soup, and a dash of moonradish to sweeten things up!”

Her parents called her name from the table, waving her over to join them. Fauna hesitated, her hands trembling as she took a step toward them.

“Ok,” she said, wiping away a stray tear. “I’m coming.”

Ethan reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

Fauna looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. She smiled softly. “Thank you, Ethan. But this is something I need to do. On my own.”

With a deep breath, Fauna turned back to her family. She walked toward them slowly, her footsteps light on the grass, as if afraid the dream might shatter at any moment. When she reached the table, her parents rose to meet her, their faces glowing with warmth and love.

Even if it was a lie—it was a lie so perfectly conceived that she couldn’t feel any hatred for the creature that had spawned it. The creature that was currently stalking towards her.

“Faun...” Ethan cautioned.

Fauna hesitated for only a second before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around them, hugging them tightly. Her brothers and sisters joined in, forming a circle of love around her, their laughter and joy echoing through the meadow.

“I love you,” Fauna whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’ll always love you.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held them, but when she pulled back, there was a new resolve in her eyes.

She took a step back, her hands raised. Her family continued to smile at her, but there was something in their eyes now—something hollow. Faint. Like a candle flickering out. Fauna’s expression hardened, and without a word, she began to chant.

Flames flickered at the tips of her fingers, growing hotter and brighter with each passing second. The wind picked up, swirling around her in a vortex of heat and fire. She closed her eyes, took one last breath, and let the fire loose.

The flames roared to life, consuming the table, the field, and the cherry blossom trees. The Nervestalker screeched as the fire engulfed it, its shadowy form writhing and twisting in agony before it was reduced to ash.

The meadow, once so vibrant and alive, was now a charred wasteland. The cherry blossoms were gone, replaced by scorched earth and smoldering trees. Fauna stood at the center of it all, her face streaked with tears but her eyes clear and focused.

And at her feet lay the Nervestalker—its veiny limbs burned away to cinders beneath her feet.

Ethan approached her slowly, his heart heavy with the weight of what she’d just done. He placed a hand on her shoulder, offering silent comfort.

Fauna looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. But there was a strength there now, a determination he hadn’t seen in her before.

“I’m ready to move on,” she said softly. “I’ve spent so long holding onto the past. To memories that can never be real again. But I have a world to live for now. I have a future to fight for.”

Ethan squeezed her shoulder gently. “Those kids back in Sanctum need you, after all.”

She smiled up at him, her expression softening. “And I need them, I think. Just like I need you, Klax, and Tara.”

Ethan smiled back, but before he could say anything, the dream world around them began to shift. The blackened wasteland blurred, the edges of reality starting to dissolve into nothingness.

“Find them, Ethan,” Fauna’s voice echoed in the distance. “Find them... and let’s go to the top... together.”

Fauna’s form began to fade as well, her body becoming translucent, like a ghost slipping away into the night.

“Ethan…” her voice called out, faint and distant.

Ethan’s heart lurched as he reached out for her, but his hand passed through empty air. The dream was unraveling, pulling him back into the void.

“Fauna!” he shouted, but the darkness swallowed him whole.

He was falling, spinning through the void, the weight of reality pulling him deeper into the unknown. Fauna’s voice echoed in the distance, fading away as he was dragged further and further from the dream.

His chest tightened, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. The Memory Prism had taken Fauna’s deepest pain and tried to trap her there, to keep her locked in her own grief. But she had broken free. She had chosen to let go of the past and embrace the future.

Ethan didn’t know where he was headed next, but one thing was clear.

This fight was far from over.