Gardenia’s Heart

The moment the two warriors left that room, both girls knew this was far from over.

“We have to stop them. If this continues, they’ll both be seriously hurt!” Thelira said urgently, clutching the arm of the girl and helping her stay upright.

She had hoped for support, but as soon as she tried to correct her posture, the Sage was slammed back against the wall by a sudden push.

“—!?” Thelira expression shifted instantly to fear as she stared at the woman in front of her, trembling.

Lily’s gaze was fixed on the ceiling, her left hand pressed tightly against her shoulder. A powerful tremor shook the palace as a massive impact struck somewhere above, and only then did she lower her eyes to meet the golden-haired elf’s. Her grip tightened, and her expression grew colder by the second.

“You led us to her, didn’t you?” Lily asked slowly, almost syllable by syllable, her voice as cold and sharp as the magic swirling around her.

Lily might not fully understand the intricacies of the power that granted the title of Sage, but she knew one thing for certain: Thelira had known this would happen.

As the echoes of her wife’s battle grew louder in the distance, a firestorm of rage surged within her chest. Ice began to form along the walls, and her hand, wrapped in a bluish aura, was so cold it sent shivers through Thelira’s entire body.

Even the fairies circling the room fled in silence as the bloodlust Lily emitted grew unbearable.

Like prey caught in the grip of a predator, Thelira knew more than anyone that she needed to start explaining—now—before it was too late. Swallowing hard and gathering her resolve, she spoke quickly.

“I knew my sister would come to me the moment she sensed the fairies—but I thought I’d have time to explain before she did anything reckless!”

She was terrified—so much so that her legs trembled. The bloodlust emanating from the silver-haired girl before her was as overwhelming as the clash between the two forces above the castle.

“I had no way of arranging this meeting anywhere else. I needed the three of you to meet as soon as possible!” she continued, struggling to speak between coughing fits and the icy pain gripping her shoulder. “She’ll be there! In the vision I saw of the future, my sister Elarielle was there, standing beside you in the conquest of the Labyrinth. If you don’t go together, you won’t succeed!”

Her throat burned, and her legs were on the verge of giving out, but Thelira didn’t stop until everything was said. No matter how dire her condition was, she was still a princess. Staring into the silver eyes before her, she watched them narrow—just enough to suggest a hint of satisfaction.

“If anything happens to my wife…” Lily said coldly, “I’ll kill you with my own hands.”

A slender, ice-crusted finger traced the Sage’s neck, lifting her slightly, forcing her to meet Lily’s gaze. Thelira knew—those were not empty threats.

Another tremor rippled through the castle’s structure, and at last, she was released. Staggering, Thelira caught herself against the wall, barely avoiding collapse. She let out a silent breath of relief, then leaned against the bed and looked up at the silver-haired girl, who stared back at her one last time before asking: “What’s your plan?”

“First the royal guard, then Elarielle,” Thelira said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Walking toward the center of the room, she removed her restraints and brought both hands together in front of her chest, closing her eyes.

“O guardian of the forest, please hear the call of your servant and extend your protection to us.”

Mana began to swirl around the girl, carried by the soft night breeze drifting in through the window.

With a gentle pulse, a small orange sphere appeared—and before Thelira could say anything, it quickly dove beneath her revealing dress.

“Good evening, Vesca,” Thelira chuckled weakly, gently stroking the translucent surface of the fairy.

Watching the two interact with such familiarity, Lily noticed that the orange sphere was fully aware of her presence. But instead of reacting with curiosity or excitement, it placed itself between the two girls like a barrier. No matter where or how Lily looked, Vesca swiftly moved to block her line of sight, preventing her from looking at Thelira.

“Sorry about that. Vesca doesn’t like strangers seeing me in my pajamas,” Thelira explained, calling the fairy—who had been making incomprehensible sounds to Lily—closer by cupping her hands. “Vesca, if you would, please.”

It didn’t take a second for the little sphere to glow with joy. With a brilliant flash, the elf’s body was wrapped in light.

Lily wondered what was happening—but her question was answered moments later.

A dark green corset formed snugly around Thelira’s torso, reinforced with belts and buckles that held small pouches at her waist. Tight, light-colored pants clung like a second skin, contrasting the wide, orange scarf draped over her neck and shoulders like a cloak. Sturdy, high boots looked both comfortable and durable, and two sets of gloves covered the middle three fingers of each hand, leaving the thumb and pinky free.

“So this is the artifact your fairy transforms into?” Lily asked, resting one hand on her hip.

She recalled how Maple, Zaylin’s contracted fairy, could transform into a key that opened any lock. Learning that fairies could be this versatile was impressive.

“Vesca’s nature is to help others. She’s a powerful fairy capable of casting light healing spells on the one wearing her. It doesn’t numb pain as well as the restraints did, but at least I can move.”

Though she spoke with a smile, Lily’s mana-enhanced vision caught the slight tremble in her lips. Just as Thelira had said before, this wasn’t a solution—only a way to dull the pain enough to function.

Approaching the Sage, Lily reflected on everything that was happening. Nia hadn’t prioritized fleeing, so Lily knew her wife believed she could handle the fight—for now.

Even though she had prepared for many situations, facing a hero had never crossed her mind. And while she knew Nia wouldn’t be defeated easily, that alone wasn’t enough to soothe her anxiety. She had to go to her.

Before she could say anything to the high elf, however, her attention was drawn to the destroyed door. Even without Nia’s mana-location spell, she could feel the approaching mana. They weren’t trying to hide their presence.

Just as she reached for her sword, Thelira placed a hand over hers. Her determined gaze held a pleading undertone, silently asking for her understanding. “I said this before, and I’ll say it again—leave it to me. I give you my word that I’ll handle this. I won’t let them mistreat you again.”

At that moment, a group of five elves burst into the room, clad in battle uniforms and cloaks. All of them had weapons drawn, prepared to give their lives in combat. Unlike the ones guarding the outer walls, these soldiers wore no hoods—allowing Lily to clearly see the stern expressions on their faces.

Surrounding the center of the room from all sides, the elves gathered mana around their bodies and prepared to strike. However, before they could attack, the very person they were meant to protect stepped in front of their weapons.

“Stop!”

Shouting with authority, the high elf brought the soldiers’ movements to an abrupt halt.

Naturally, confusion spread among them. As members of the royal guard, their duty was to hunt the intruder and restore order within the palace. Being stopped made no sense to them.

“Lady Sage, but—”

“I don’t recall giving you permission to speak, soldier.”

Cutting off the man mid-sentence, Thelira stepped toward the group, a scowl deepening on her face.

“What’s happening tonight is neither an invasion nor an attack. This young woman and her wife are long-time friends of my sister. They came to visit, and we simply didn’t have time to make a formal announcement.”

Thelira spoke over the thunderous sounds that made the entire palace tremble—utterly unconcerned.

“What you’re hearing is just my sister and her friend sparring in a friendly duel.” Approaching the soldier who had spoken first, she traced her fingers over the pauldron of his armor with indifference, a fierce smile tugging at her lips. “It’s not as though anyone in this palace could serve as a worthy sparring partner for our queen, is it?”

With a small push of her finger, she nudged the confused man back and turned on her heel. Clapping her hands once, she faced each of the guards with a large, suggestive grin.

“Go and inform the rest of the royal guard and General Riari of my words. This is not an invasion—it’s just a friendly fight. Anyone who dares to interfere will be punished accordingly.”

Raising her voice again, she watched as the confusion on their faces deepened.

“Do I make myself clear or not!?” Stomping the floor once and releasing a burst of mana, every guard in the room dropped to one knee.

“Yes, Glorious Sage! Long live the Glorious Sage!”

As the guards lowered their heads and shouted in unison, then turned and ran out of the room, Lily could hardly believe what she was witnessing.

For a moment, she stared at Thelira in stunned silence. Was this really the same fragile girl who, just moments ago, had been begging for help?

As the last guard exited, Thelira collapsed to the floor, her legs folding in different directions as she panted heavily.

“Aah... Ah... The pain is less... but it still hurts a lot...”

Raising a trembling thumb as if celebrating a victory, the high elf gave a strained smile. Lily sighed and knelt in front of her.

“If you had that kind of authority, why did you make me sneak through all those tunnels?”

“They’re only listening so easily now because my sister got involved in a sudden fight. The chain of command is a mess. The only two members of the royal family are me and my sister. With her unavailable, they'd have to come to me or the elders—but since the elders aren't at the palace, my orders reach them faster.”

Still breathing heavily, Thelira continued.

“If I’d tried explaining this before, they probably wouldn’t have listened. They don’t trust me like they trusted my mother. But in this chaos, my words give us time. We just need to convince my sister to trust you before anyone starts questioning it.”

Lily listened with mixed emotions. If Thelira said she wasn't trusted like her mother, then that must mean the previous Sage—was her mother. In other words, the former queen.

She remembered Abelia’s words. The former queen had also been one of the heroes who helped defeat the demon king. After her death, the already-isolated elven people had withdrawn from the world even further.

Considering that the one born with the power to see the future in this generation ended up being a sickly girl—and now, without her mother—Lily could understand why Elarielle had charged at them so suddenly when she believed they were a threat.

"Another pair of troublesome sisters coming my way," she sighed, a small smile forming on her lips. "We're going to stop them. Hold on tight."

"W-What!?"

Standing up and turning around, Lily didn’t even respond to the startled question from the high elf, who was immediately grabbed by a tentacle and held upside down.

"Thank you, my cuties~" she said, placing a gentle kiss on the tentacles that had surrounded her before she even needed to speak. Lily then turned her gaze toward the balcony.

Even though Nia was distracted in battle, Lily understood that both her heart and the tentacles that protected her worked perfectly. However, with Nia’s mind completely focused on the fight, there was almost no room left for her to assist in casting complex spells. Lily was on her own now.

Climbing would take too long.

Walking to the edge of the railing, Lily stepped over the structure and took in the night sky above her.

“L-Lady Lily, what are you doing?!” Thelira shouted at the top of her lungs, her world now upside down. Any dignity she'd managed to maintain during her conversation with the guards was completely shattered.

Without replying, Lily closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart. She didn’t know the incantation that created that spell—but she didn’t need to.

If she could recall the sensation, she could recreate it to some extent. And that was enough.

She jumped. The night breeze whipped past them as both girls plummeted toward the ground.

Thelira’s screams were drowned out by the rushing wind. With her eyes still closed, Lily focused her entire being on the feeling of freedom she had once discovered.

And then—before either of them hit the ground—they both ascended into the sky at great speed.

Under the moonlight, bluish wings that shimmered like translucent storms beat gently.

“Lady Lily… are those dragon wings!?”

Still held aloft by the purple tentacles, Thelira’s eyes were wide as she watched the magnificent wings cut through the night breeze.

“What are you talking about? These are clearly Leviathan wings.” With a teasing smile, Lily flew dozens of meters toward the top of the castle. They were slower than Nia’s black wings, but fast enough for this short trip.

As they approached, she could feel two colossal auras clashing. Waves of pure energy radiated from their magical confrontation.

“What… is that?” Thelira asked, barely able to form the words.

When they finally soared above the rooftop, both girls saw the two mages preparing their attacks.

Although Thelira had spoken first, it was Lily who felt the atmosphere change.

The murderous aura emanating from Elarielle was alarming—her axe looked powerful enough to kill anything that came close. But when Lily’s eyes fell on her wife, a surge of adrenaline flooded her.

A sword made of stardust was shining like a star-filled sky.

This was bad.

Nia had once explained to her roughly how that spell worked.

By forcibly breaking through all the safety layers in a spell, a devastating surge of power would be released.

"An attack that defies the laws of the world."

---

Dark mana pulsed across her entire body, strengthening what she was about to do.

The air around her vibrated as if the world itself were making space for her presence. The metamorph didn’t need to breathe, but she still let out a long, steady breath before facing her opponent.

Her mind was fully in combat mode. It didn’t matter who—or what—attacked her, she would respond to any threat immediately. Bending her knees, she prepared to strike.

“[Cosmos—]”

But just as she was about to release her spell, her vision was overtaken by a wall of bluish-white crystals.

“—!?” She only had time to gasp in surprise before she felt her wrist being grabbed and her sword torn from her hand.

Among all the thoughts that could cross a combat-hardened mind, only something she had never considered a threat could get this close.

Yanked away in a single motion, Nia lost her stance, the dark mana she had gathered rushing back into her body.

Now with her face pressed against something soft, she moved her eyes to see who was holding her.

“Lily!?” the metamorph exclaimed in surprise, her face turning red as her upper body was pressed into Lily’s soft chest.

Nia always knew her wife was nearby—a part of her was always with Lily—but her focus on the battle had distracted her just enough to be caught off guard by the sudden gesture. In any other situation, such an affectionate act would’ve filled her with joy, but right now, it only made her panic.

“Wait, Lily, the attack, we need to—!”

But before she could finish her sentence, a slender finger pressed gently against her lips.

“Calm down, okay?”

Lily nodded toward a specific direction, urging Nia to look. And what Nia’s crimson eyes landed on was an unexpected sight.

“You two need to stop fighting, please!”

With both arms spread wide, Thelira stood between the two combatants, her eyes locked on her older sister despite the massive axe looming close.

“Thelira, what are you doing here? Go find one of the guards—get to safety!”

Elarielle growled in frustration. She tried to step around her sister to find a new angle for an attack, but Thelira quickly blocked her again.

“What are you doing!?” Elarielle shouted again.

The energy emanating from Elarielle was no joke—her mana was overwhelming. Under its pressure, Thelira coughed, cold sweat pouring down her body.

Elarielle couldn’t understand what was happening. She needed to strike, needed to eliminate this threat before it was too late.

“Thelira, that demon is deceiving you!” Elarielle shouted, gripping the handle of her axe tighter.

Shaking her head repeatedly, Thelira stepped closer to the suffocating mass of deadly mana in front of her. “Lady Gardenia isn’t a demon! Don’t speak of her like that!”

“You don’t know that because you’ve never seen one before! Demons have red eyes—just like hers!” The high elf stomped her foot in rising frustration. “They’re hostile creatures—if we don’t deal with them here, our entire kingdom will be at risk!”

When Elarielle shouted those words, Thelira’s expression shifted. She faltered, pausing as if searching for a way to respond.

“You attacked my wife... over something like that!?”

The sudden cry that split the air made both sisters turn toward its source.

Crashing through the ice wall that had split the palace rooftop in two, a silver-haired girl appeared, holding someone tightly in her arms. Her fury radiated like a storm.

In a sharp motion, Lily brought her left hand to her temple, pulling back her bangs to reveal her left eye—an intense crimson, like freshly spilled blood.

“If red eyes are what makes someone a demon, then I’m one too, is that what you’re saying!?”

Her voice thundered like a storm, cutting through the air like a cold, sharp blade. It carried something far deeper than mere anger.

“You called me human earlier, remember? So just because I have this eye now, I’m suddenly a demon!?”

Elarielle hesitated. What stood before her defied the beliefs she had clung to. That one motion alone had weakened the strength in her hands. Her once unshakable expression cracked. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

“Y-You’re… a hybrid?” she murmured, as if trying to convince herself. “No… demons… demons can’t crossbreed with other races.”

Her reasoning was fragile, and every conclusion she managed to reach only spiraled into more questions.

Thelira didn’t waste the brief opening.

“Sister, listen to me—they’re not demons!”

Running closer to her sister, whose mana was beginning to wane, the elf wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m the one who helped them enter the city!”

Thelira’s words snapped Elarielle out of her tense state. Letting her axe fall to the ground, she grabbed her sister by the shoulders.

“Y-You let them in? Why would you do that?”

“Because I had to!” Thelira replied with matching intensity.

“I had a vision! If the three of you work together, you can conquer the labyrinth—the one where the ingredient you need to make the medicine is!”

Elarielle’s eyes widened in disbelief, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

“The labyrinth… Just give me a little more time—I will conquer it! I promise you, I will!”

Thelira’s expression turned serious.

“Sister, you don’t have to hide it from me. If anyone knows, it’s me—my body is at its limit.”

Taking Elarielle’s hand, she gently brought it to her chest.

“I can see how anxious you’re becoming. You’re spending more and more time in your lab each day, and I know you haven’t slept in two weeks. I don’t have much time left, do I?”

Elarielle lowered her head. She wasn’t wrong. The tremble in her sister’s voice, and the pain in her words, were proof of a truth Elarielle didn’t want to face.

The queen of the elves had tried to fight this reality, but there was no more denying it. Gritting her teeth, she turned her gaze toward the two wives still holding each other close.

“I don’t know who you are or what your intentions may be, but I’ll trust my sister’s words.” Her green eyes narrowed as she pointed her axe toward them. “If this is what I need to do to save her, then I’ll do it. I only have one more chance to enter the labyrinth—so I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed this time.”

She lowered her weapon slightly, her tone sharp.

“Don’t you dare ruin this.”