Lyndoria glanced up at the clock mounted on the wall with a frown, her pacing becoming more frantic by the second. It was well past midnight, and still no sign of Princess Lumielle. Her mind spun with worry. Had she eaten? Was she drinking enough water? Was she being eaten alive by insects? And worse—what about the terrifying creatures that roamed the forest under the cover of night? But, above all, it was well past the princess's bedtime. She needed her beauty sleep to preserve her flawless complexion! What if she woke up with a pimple?
"Ekkkk!" Lyndoria shrieked at the thought, her hands flying to her face in horror.
Haxks Starfrost, that useless cur, she seethed, her frustration building. Her fangs sank into another defenseless handkerchief, practically shredding it with the force of her anger. This is all his fault! And he better not be doing anything inappropriate to the princess!
***
"Gahhh!"
"Kyaaa!"
""Hmph!""
Daisuke and Lumielle were abruptly teleported outside, landing with all the grace of a water slide ejecting its riders. A pained yelp escaped them as they tumbled onto the fern-cushioned forest floor, one atop the other.
Daisuke blinked away the disorientation, his senses slowly returning, only to realize the princess was sprawled beneath him. Her coral pink hair fanned out like a shimmering blanket, her soft curves pressed against his chest, their shared warmth impossible to ignore.
Lumielle's lashes fluttered as her eyes opened, only to find his butterscotch gaze locked on her. For a moment, everything seemed to stand still—their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling in the cool night air, their bodies molding into one. With a startled cry, her face turning crimson, she shoved him off with surprising strength. Then she scrambled to her feet, clutching her dress as though it could shield her from the awkwardness.
"D-Do you mind watching where you land?" she stammered, avoiding his gaze as she fumbled to restore her composure.
"Sure, next time I'll just bend time and space to make sure I land at least five feet further away," Daisuke muttered, still sprawled on the ground, his gaze lost in the intricate weave of the trees above. "I finally get it now—why she's called Sinister Granny," he added with a sigh, too mentally drained to even be irritated. "I think I lost half my brain cells just trying to hold a conversation with her."
"…She usually has good intentions," Lumielle replied with a slight pout. "But enduring her company does indeed require… an extraordinary amount of mental fortitude."
Daisuke sighed noisily. "You're not kidding. I thought dealing with Cleave and his daughter was a royal pain in the you-know-what, but that old crone? She takes the whole damn cake. I'm ready to just collapse."
"Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of luxury," Lumielle said firmly. "We need to complete our objectives here and return to the palace before daybreak. Until then, rest isn't an option."
"Of course it isn't," Daisuke grumbled, dragging himself upright. "No rest for the wicked, right."
Between her thumb and index finger, the princess held up the parchment she had received from their irritable host. The intricate magic circle etched onto its surface pulsed faintly with a green glow, casting soft, flickering light across her delicate features.
Daisuke inched closer for a better look. "Now that we have a reasonable way of finding the flower, I highly doubt this will turn into a wild goose chase."
Lumielle nodded with cautious optimism. "Shall we get moving?"
"Yeah, let's."
***
The bioluminescent glow of the plants against the dark backdrop of the forest casted a surreal aura over the surroundings—like the vastness of space dotted with constellations and swirling nebulas. It was a breathtaking sight to behold, but Lumielle couldn't help but feel a creeping unease. She knew all too well that behind every mesmerizing beauty of the forest, a bloodthirsty predator could be lurking, eager to tear them apart.
To calm her nerves, she surreptitiously stole a glance at Daisuke's calm profile, then her lips parted. "…Why are you doing this?" she asked him.
Daisuke quirked one eyebrow quizzically. "You mean grinding myself into the ground on zero sleep? It's called modern-day slavery, courtesy of a certain princess."
Lumielle regarded him scathingly.
Daisuke smiled awkwardly in response. "Sorry."
"What I mean is… why go to such lengths to defeat the Mhaledictus? You are even willing to become a woman if it brings you closer to them."
"Well, I don't know how I feel about that part," he muttered with a hint of petulance. Then his expression changed, taking on a hostility so fierce it was almost tangible. Lumielle held her breath as his eyebrows descended like storm clouds above his smoldering pupils.
"There were moments in my life when I was at my absolute lowest," Daisuke confessed, his voice heavy with the weight of the past. "Times when I felt like all I could do was give up. During those dark moments, it was others who reached out to save me. The Mhaledictus… those bastards have hurt the people I deeply care about, those same people who saved me. I have to make them pay."
"I'm so sorry," Lumielle whispered, her voice soft with regret. "…I never meant to bring up such painful memories."
Daisuke shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "These memories… they're what drive me forward… what fuels my need to end this madness."
"…Haxks."
He met her gaze, his tone hardening. "I'm sure it's the same for you. If we don't stop them now, more lives will be destroyed—everyone, from the aristocracy to the middle class, all the way down to the orphans and the homeless."
Lumielle pressed her lips to an uncomfortable line, her eyes pensive as she considered her reasons, especially the one she wasn't bold enough to share with anyone.
"So," Daisuke urged with a confident grin, curling his fingers into a tight fist. "If we're going to do this, let's do it right, agreed?"
"Okay." Lumielle inclined her head. Then she shifted her gaze back to the intensifying glow of the Illumina Seal that led them deeper into the abyss.
A small stream wound through the forest, its surface alive with water striders gliding over the ripples, hunting tiny spiders that tumbled from the canopy above. Overhead, small nocturnal birds perched on lofty branches, their sharp eyes gleaming as they waited for the perfect moment to snatch two meals in one daring swoop. Meanwhile, fish that glowed like the moon sat beneath the surface, patiently waiting for any bird bold enough to tempt the water's depths.
Daisuke observed the scene with a bittersweet expression, hoping that they didn't also find themselves on the menu of some abominable monster. It wasn't long before they reached the area where the Palismaire Flower thrived, the flashes of light from the parchment growing more intense as they neared their destination.
"We're close," Daisuke said, a grin tugging at his lips.
The princess's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "It should be somewhere around here."
"On it," Daisuke replied, his gaze already sweeping the surrounding area.
To cover more ground, they both decided to split up, each taking a different direction to explore. As Lumielle ventured deeper into the fantastical woodland, her eyes lit up with childlike wonder when she eventually spotted a glowing pink flower nestled among the foliage. Its thorned stem twisted delicately, glowing softly in a blend of pastel pinks and radiant whites. The petals were clustered together in a formation that resembled a swarm of butterflies mid-flight. They quivered faintly, as though they might take to the air at any moment.
Kneeling down, Lumielle extended a cautious hand toward the flower. When she brought the Illumina Seal closer, the enchanted parchment ignited and crumbled into ash, signaling that she had found the right one.
A smile flickered across her lips as she carefully began to uproot the flower, mindful to preserve as much of its roots as possible—just in case they were needed. But as she worked, a chill prickled at the nape of her neck. It was subtle at first, an inexplicable weight in the air, but it grew heavier with each passing moment. It soon became clear: while she had been searching the darkness for the flower, the darkness had been staring back at her all along.
"Kyaaaa!"
Daisuke didn't spend even a moment to think; the instant he heard Lumielle's piercing scream, the flower he had been inspecting was utterly forgotten as he bolted into the gloom like a feral beast.
The princess's trembling hands shot up defensively and her eyes widened with terror as a bat-like fiend hurtled toward her, its talons gleaming like daggers and its fanged maw gaping hungrily.
"Kiiiieeehhhk!"