I grip the emerald tighter. Its smooth, cold surface grounds me—while reminding me just how little control I have over any of this. This is starting to feel like a really bad idea.
The town's façade—polished, perfect, and pristine—is about to crack wide open. And whether I'm ready or not, I'm standing here with Scarlette, teetering on the edge of whatever storm she's about to unleash.
"Ready?" Scarlette's voice is low, teasing—a challenge disguised as a question. "I know those two Love Fairies. Watch for my cue, Ravos." She grins, practically mocking my fake Love Fairy name.
"Sure, Charlotte," I reply, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.
With reckless confidence, she strides toward them. I have no idea where this road will lead, but something deep in my gut tells me it isn't going to be pretty.
"Hey, Lucien! Eris!" Scarlette's voice rings out, slicing through the murmurs of the crowd. "That's not love magic! That's manipulation!"
Her words hit like a slap—sharp, brutal, and impossible to ignore.
"Scarlette? Is that you? How are you here? Why are you dressed like a Dark Fairy?"
But she doesn't respond.
"You call this love magic? I call it a hostile takeover!" she continues, her voice cutting through the peaceful atmosphere like a blade.
She has a gift for stirring chaos—no denying that. And somehow, I find myself tangled up in it, like a pawn in her dangerous game.
The two Love Fairies glare at her, faces flushed with rage, while the crowd shifts uneasily. But Scarlette doesn't flinch. She shoots me a quick, knowing glance—her silent signal: Join in if you want to make this interesting.
I hesitate, a knot tightening in my stomach. Am I really going to encourage this? But before I can stop myself, the words tumble out.
"Why is it always Light Fairies with Light Fairies? Why not Light Fairies with Love Fairies—or even Dark Fairies?"
The crowd's murmurs rise, curiosity melting into something bold, dangerous.
"Yeah! That's not progress!" someone yells, voice cracking with emotion.
And then I see it—the cracks in their perfect world. Their obsession with mixed fairy couples. That's the weak point.
"We want free will!" another voice shouts, trembling with passion.
"Freedom to love!" someone else cries.
"What gives you the right to decide our fates?!" a stranger bellows, defiant and furious.
The floodgates burst open. What was once a calm, immaculate town now thrums with tension and anger. Scarlette's grin widens, her eyes glowing with mischief as the town's carefully polished order begins to crumble.
The power is shifting—and we're right in the middle of it.
Scarlette shoots me a cheeky, knowing glance, like a cat savoring the last drop of cream. Her smirk says she knows exactly what she's doing—and she's loving every second of it.
A strange mix of awe and unease twists inside me as I realize how deep I am in this. Deeper than I ever planned to be.
"I see you tried so extremely hard. Good job," I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I try to raise my voice above the crowd's growing uproar.
"Not really. I'm just being myself," she yells back, shrugging and tossing her purple‑streaked hair with effortless confidence.
Mistress of chaos… You are absolutely insane—and somehow, amazing.