Onicent joined dinner late the night Alora vanished. Serse and Airabella immediately questioned him about their sister's whereabouts. He responded calmly, explaining that they’d had a disagreement and Alora had stormed off. He assured them she would return soon.

  The next day, Serse and Airabella ventured into the forest together, calling Alora’s name until their voices grew hoarse. But there was no sign of her—no footprints, no trail, as if she'd vanished into thin air. Serse, gentle by nature, didn’t press Onicent for answers. Airabella, however, was relentless, confronting him again and again. But Onicent skillfully dodged her questions, offering empty reassurances.

  For a week they searched. Each day brought more desperation. And each night they returned empty-handed.

  Then, one morning, Airabella didn’t come to search. Serse went out alone, moving more swiftly without the tension of her sister beside her. Deep in the forest, she came upon a wide, tranquil pond and stopped to rest. That’s when Dauntice appeared, drawn by her voice.

  She recognized him instantly.

  “Dauntice,” she greeted breathlessly. “My sister Alora has gone missing. Have you seen her?”

  Dauntice’s expression darkened. He recounted everything Alora had told him—the attack, the escape, the plea for refuge.

  When he finished, Serse stood in stunned silence. “Where is she now?” she asked, her voice trembling.

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  Dauntice led her to a cave and pointed to the entrance. “Follow the tunnels until you find three grass-covered blocks. There was a pool of lava there. That’s where I last knew she went.”

  Serse thanked him and hurried inside. The tunnels felt endless, but she pressed on until she reached the chamber. The grass blocks were there—but the lava was gone. Only a dark, empty basin remained.

  She knelt by the cold stone and whispered for her mother. “Where is Alora?”

  Only a faint breath stirred the air, barely audible. One word: “Safe.”

  With no more answers and no way to follow, Serse turned back. But she didn’t return the way she came. Instead, she emerged from a different tunnel, into a shadowed part of the forest she didn’t recognize.

  A sound caught her attention—rustling, quiet voices. She followed it to a tight cluster of trees and found two figures who resembled her in form but not in power. Their skin was the color of bark, and their eyes held cautious wonder. When they saw her, they shrank back.

  Serse, kind-hearted and curious, stepped forward and introduced herself. The two explained they were lost, caught out after nightfall, and now unable to find their way home.

  Pity filled Serse’s heart. She wanted to help.

  “Wait here,” she said.

  She searched nearby caves until she found a speckled black stone. Instinct guided her hands. She mined the block and combined it with wood from her inventory. What she crafted glowed warmly in her palms—a soft, golden light. She called it a torch.

  The moment it flickered to life, something stirred in her—a surge of purpose.

  She returned to the two wanderers and handed them the light. They fell to their knees in awe. Serse smiled gently and explained how they could make more.

  That’s when it struck her—she had nowhere to return to. Alora was gone, and she had no desire to face Onicent again. When the two strangers offered to let her stay with their small group, she accepted without hesitation.

  Serse found joy among them. They called themselves humans and claimed to have come from the same deep caves she had. She helped them build, teach, and grow.

  Then, one day, Dauntice sent word:

  Onicent was getting married.