The still silence broke once a girl started frantically running. Within the halls of the castle a great danger has awakened.
Clothed in a loose white dress with puffed sleeves. Princess Tia excitedly zoomed outside the castle doors.
Down the steps she saw her personal carriage waiting for her. "Tetson, I need to make a stop to Lady Ariana."
Tetson who was the driver simply nodded. They were on their way to where Rude was.
Tia hoped that he would not run away this time. She wanted to stay with him forever. Locking him up in the castle so he could never escape.
The whole ride there was silent. All Tia could think about was how she would restrain and capture Rude.
Once in a while she would giggle creepily. Tetson wondered if she had some screws loose.
They finally arrived at a lavish mansion with a giant black gate with golden accents. It was a home befitting an aristocrat.
The pathway was lined with gravel and the carriage jumped up once in a while. They stopped near the fountain feeling the tranquil air.
The doors opened and a girl in frilly red clothes ran down the steps. Her dress accentuated her luscious scarlet hair. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of pink.
Due to these special characteristics the noble family they come from were surnamed Scarlet.
Ariana Scarlet however had something strange about her that differentiated her from the rest of her family.
Her Magic. While most of her family had Fire Magic, with some exceptions of course, she however had conflicting natures with the magic of her family.
Water Magic. But to be specific she specialises in the derivation Oceanic Water Magic.
It was a rare magic attribute however it was of a conflicting nature to her family which made them fear her due to it.
"Your Highness, I thank you for inviting me on this trip." She curtsied feeling joyful of her one day escape from this wretched mansion.
"No need to stand on ceremony. Tell me have you ever heard of the Shop of Wishes?" Ariana was surprised that the Princess would ask her of such things.
"Yes. The Shop of Wishes is what mostly every noble has been talking about." She then started to tell Tia of all the things she knew from the Genie to the Enchanted Forest.
Any rumour related to it at all; she knew all this because, not only was her family famous for their traits they were also famous for being able to gather intelligence quickly.
"Yes, but what if I told you that Rude was there?" Tia smiled while Ariana was taken aback.
She realised why she had been called. Because of her specialty. Restriction Magic. With her ability to restrain Rude it would be an easy matter to capture him and take him back with them.
They were now ready to delve into the mysterious forest. The dangerous presence crept nearer.
.....
"Nathaniel I have a question." Prince Crow was satisfied that Nathaniel could resolve his problems but he needed more than that.
He needed competent people, loyal and strong enough to handle themselves. What Nathaniel created were creatures with no intelligence.
"Go ahead." The shop owner was a little tired but he could handle one quick question. "I need loyal guards. I do not care if they are not humans, all they need to be is loyal to me and has the capability to fight."
That was his requirement. He raised an army not to go to war but to protect himself from those greedy nobles.
"Then there is only one way." The others felt the tension in the air, they had no idea what was about to happen next.
"Create life." Nathaniel held his hand up and a bright golden light wrapped around his hand.
The light flashed and burst forth a wind that pushed everyone in the room backwards. The light faded revealing a golden gauntlet.
On the gauntlet was an arrangement of six gems, five on each knuckle and one in the middle of the back palm.
"I shall only use this once and no more. This is the Infinity Gauntlet." A deep voice rang in the back of their minds. It compelled them to listen to follow his orders.
"Anyone who possesses it is granted power akin to a God. Time, Space, Reality I control it all. Your Mind and Souls are mine to use. Power coursing through my veins. I am Eternity."
Space started to distort, a scene flashed before them. The universe was right before their eyes. A glimpse of the outside world had captivated them.
They were now on an island. Looking over to the horizon there was nothing but sea.
Looking forward into the depth of the forest they could see a volcano shadowing over them.
Nathaniel clicked and the wind started to blow. The ground broke open and started to reshape into clay statues.
He breathed into the statues. All of them were possibly over a hundred. Exhaling deeply he said. "Breath of life. The fire sparks. Let hope ignite. Bring forth the dark. This is my gift to you, My children. I give you the Gift of Pygmalion."
The statues cracked open and the clay broke down. In its place were humans. Their beauty held no bounds.
Their skin was as smooth as jade, a muscular build that spoke volumes of their true strength.
Chiseled jaws and symmetrical facial features. Their eyes shone like jewels refracting light changing the colours of their eyes.
Nathaniel snapped his fingers and they were then clothed. The clothes made them even more beautiful.
Garments of all colours accentuated all of their different kinds of beauty. Nathaniel floated in the air his eyes glowing a bright golden light.
He waved his hands and the entire island disappeared. They were now inside an abyss of nothingness.
Princess Rose stumbled as she clutched her heart. She knew where they were. "This is? This is my Counterfeit Paradise! My inner world. But how?"
This abyss was her personal world and she knew that only she could enter it. "Simple this world is nothing but a fabrication of both reality and space. I control those two aspects. In this world you are unstoppable but I control the universe!"
The deep voice resounded once more explaining why he could breach into her world. "This island is special. See that volcano over there?" The others nodded silently listening.
"That is not a volcano but a mystical pool." They were now confused, that was obviously a volcano.
Even if they had never been this close to one before they knew what it was. "Under the night of a full moon the light shines over. Inside the volcano is a moon pool. Any human that is within the pool during the night of its passing shall be granted an unusual power."
Then Ren realised something. He remembered the lunar cycle. Tonight was a special night as it was the Full Moon Celebration.
There would be a party at the castle and many will attend it as it was a wondrous occasion. Many nobles had their children debut during this time as well.
"Wait. But the full moon is tonight." Hearing that Nathaniel grinned. "Correct! We are going to use the power of the pool to grant these newly created life powers."
What Nathaniel did not tell them however was that he was intending to create mermaids and mermen.
They would get an army and he would have helpers to create Atlantis. It was a win-win for both parties!
.....
Meanwhile in the rumoured enchanted forest.
Outside the store were two girls of same height. They both looked at each other nervous about what was to happen next.
"Ready?" The girl on the left asked. The only reply was. "Ready." So two girls, one with a wish to see her beloved. While the other had a wish for power.
The dangerous presence has arrived!