The sun shines through the kitchen window of the cottage, casting a warm glow on Emily as she works diligently. The kitchen is filled with bowls, spoons, and plates, and the environment is brimming with different pastries and ingredients, casting a sweet and pleasant aroma around the cottage.
Lucas stood by the door, smiling softly, as he watched Emily expertly kneading the dough.
"You need help?" Lucas asked as he entered the kitchen.
Emily fixed her focus on Lucas, her eyes softening. "Not really... Maybe with tasting."
Emily picked up a book from the kitchen counter, fiddling with the pages as she opened it.
"I'm trying to find the perfect pastries for the festival... I'm having a hard time deciding," Emily voiced her concern to Lucas, looking down at her book filled with a list of pastries.
"Tarts, pies, muffins, cinnamon rolls, or croissants... You know what, croissants are a bad idea since I haven't perfected them." Emily rambled on.
"Calm down, Emily." Lucas chuckled lightly. "Your baked goods are always nice." He assured her.
"I appreciate that, but remember, this will be tasted by the King, this is our chance to gather intel," Emily sighed softly, closing the book gently.
"Well, I still think we have nothing to worry about," Lucas said, walking up to her and giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You've got this, Emily."
"Emily."
Lucas and Emily turned their attention to Eric, who stood by the doorway. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
"We need to talk to Thalia now," Eric said, his voice firm. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out.
✨🌙✨
"We have a few minutes until my school field trip," Thalia said as she adjusted her uniform.
The team stood in the living room; their attention focused on Thalia.
"Remember, if you find anything about Hecate, tell me when you return," Emily reminded Thalia.
"You've been reading a lot about this Hecate," Eric voiced, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, for the mission," Emily shrugged. "And, I don't know, I feel an urge to know more."
"In any case, be careful, Thalia," Lucas said, his tone serious.
"I will," Thalia replied, slinging her school bag over her shoulder. She glanced at each of them, her expression resolute.
Thalia walked towards the door, leaving the cottage. Emily glanced at the window near the door, her eyes focused and squinted in thought. Suddenly, she caught a shadow passing quickly outside the window, causing her to release a gasp.
"What's wrong?" Eric asked, his face worried.
"You didn't see that?!" Emily asked as she stood up abruptly, staring at the window with wide, shocked eyes.
"See what? Is something wrong, Emily?" Lucas asked, walking up to her.
Emily sighed quietly, calming her breath and closing her eyes. "I guess it was nothing. I must be stressed out," she said, chuckling nervously.
"You sure it's nothing?" Lucas asked, his face calm as he gazed into her eyes with concern.
"Y-yes. I'm going to the library now. See you later," Emily said, quickly leaving through the door.
Eric stared at the door; worry etched on his face. He abruptly stood up, leaving the living room to Lucas, and walked towards the stairs.
Lucas watched them both, feeling a growing unease. He knew that Emily rarely gets rattled like that.
✨🌙✨
Thalia and a group of students stepped down from the large wagon, Thalia's gaze fixed on the empty and deserted land filled with dead crops and plants. Her eyes softened as she glanced around the environment in thought.
'Tauris and other villages look just like this,' Thalia thought.
"Depressing, right?" Alice said, prompting Thalia to turn her attention to her.
"I wonder why this part of the island looks like this," Alice voiced her thoughts to Thalia.
"That's what we are here for," a voice said, causing all the students to turn their attention to it.
Mrs Lawson, their teacher, stood at the front of the group. Her stern expression softened slightly as she looked at the desolate landscape.
"This trip is to understand the impact of negligence and learn the importance of a sustainable environment." Mrs. Lawson continued.
"We are going to be divided into groups of four. Each team will search for any possibility that this land can still be saved and write down the need for a flourishing environment, specifically for individuals from the Western region," Mrs Lawson said. "Now, go and form your teams."
'The Western region?' Thalia wondered; her mind filled with curiosity.
"I'm guessing we are teammates, right?" Alice snapped Thalia out of her thoughts.
"Of course," Thalia responded with a smile.
"We need two more people—"
"Hello, ladies!" a voice interrupted Alice, causing them to turn in the direction of the voice.
"Ugh, Ivor," Alice sighed annoyingly.
"Damn, is that how you treat your team member, beautiful?" Ivor teased Alice with a growing smirk.
"We are not adding you to our team," Alice said firmly.
"Come on, Alice, it won't hurt to add Ivor," Thalia tried to convince her.
"He just wants to join because we're the top students. He's using us," Alice glared at Ivor.
"That's not true," Ivor protested, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I genuinely want to help."
"Give him a chance," Thalia whispers to Alice.
"Fine. you're in." Alice said.
Ivor grinned, clearly pleased. "I promise I'll be useful."
With Ivor on board, the group needed one more member to complete their team. Just as they were about to start searching for another person, someone approached them.
"Hey, mind if I join?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.
"Elena?" Alice said, her tone a mix of surprise and acceptance. "Of course."
✨🌙✨
With their team now complete, they started heading deeper into the deserted land. Elena held a map in her hands, carefully following their route, while the others scanned the environment.
"This is nasty. I have never seen anything this gross before," Ivor said dramatically, wrinkling his nose.
"Really? You should try checking a mirror sometimes," Alice said smugly, a smirk playing on her lips.
"How rude," Ivor replied, laughing it off.
"I've seen this quite a lot, actually," Thalia said, her gaze focused on the ground.
"REALLY?" Elena said, her eyes wide with shock.
"Outside the islands, of course," Thalia clarified. "Before my family moved here."
"That's strange," Ivor said, deep in thought. "What Westerners could cause such a thing to happen?"
"Westerners?" Thalia glanced at Ivor, puzzled.
"Yes, Westerners," Ivor clarified. "They have abilities that can influence the environment in various ways. It's not uncommon for them to affect the land around them."
"I'm a Westerner, and I can't do that," Thalia said, stopping in her tracks and causing the others to pause as well.
"Wait... you mean to tell me you have perfect control of your powers, but you have no idea of the impact they might have on the environment?" Alice asked her tone a mix of disbelief and concern.
"I don't understand," Thalia said, her brows furrowing.
"What they mean is that," Elena interjected, "Westerners rely on the environment to control their powers. They draw on the aura or mana of the land to cast spells or create potions. If not careful they can cause an environment to be depleted if they draw too much."
"If you read the history of the Alans, you'd understand why the regions emphasize the importance of giving back to the environment after taking from it. They stress the need for balance," Alice added.
"Oh," Thalia said, her brow furrowing in thought. "Then why would they cause such damage to the environment?"
"It could be the non-magic users who did it," Ivor suggested with a shrug. "They're often the ones responsible for the harm and suffering inflicted on others."
"Yes, I doubt it's the Westerners," Elena agreed, her tone thoughtful.
'But what it is the Westerners. What exactly is the King planning?' Thalia's mind raced with troubling scenarios.
Noticing Thalia's troubled expression, Ivor's gaze softened. "That's why we're here, Thalia. To uncover the hidden history. It's not your fault."
Thalia forced a smile at Ivor, but the strain didn't go unnoticed by Alice.
"We should get back to what we're doing," Thalia said, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of distraction.
✨🌙✨
The moon has risen over the dry land, casting its cool glow on Thalia and her friends. A small campfire flickers in the centre of their circle, illuminating their faces as Thalia, Alice, Elena, and Ivor gather around, savouring their various delicacies.
Thalia stared at the campfire, lost in thought, her mind drifting away from the conversation around her. 'Well, at least we know what caused the withering crops back home...' she pondered.
"Thalia?"
"Thalia!"
"Hello!"
Thalia snapped out of her thoughts, turning to see Ivor beside her.
"I've been calling your name. You looked so serious," Ivor said with a light chuckle.
"Oh, sorry... I was just thinking," Thalia assured him, offering a small smile.
Alice made a humming sound, gaining everyone's attention. "Thinking, huh? You've been doing that all day," she stated seriously. "Ever since the whole aura Westerners thing," she finished, her tone filled with concern.
"Yes... That's why," Thalia said. "You guys said you doubt that Westerners caused the withering I saw."
"Yes, we did," Ivor answered honestly.
"Probably the non-magic users," Elena stated.
"No offence, but that sounds ridiculous," Thalia said harshly, causing the air to go quiet and still.
"Why would Westerners cause that then?" Ivor said snarkily. "They value the environment."
"I don't know their reason, but how would a mere non-magic user do this?" Thalia stated, gesturing to the dry and barren environment around them. "Only Westerners would be able to cause so much damage, from what you all said," Thalia finished with a sigh.
"What's this?" Alice said with a frown. "Supporting the people that caused decades of pain and destruction? They are the very reason why this island was built by the King!" Alice stood up, walking towards Thalia.
Thalia stood her ground, her eyes locked with Alice's. "I'm not supporting them. I'm just trying to make sense of it all. There's something we're missing."
Alice stopped in her tracks, her frown deepening. "You can't ignore the history...We Magic users have nothing to do with that"
Thalia chuckled lowly, causing everyone to stare at her in confusion. "Alice, these lands aren't just black and white."
Alice's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"What we've been told may not always be the truth," Thalia stated.
Ivor stepped between them, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Let's not turn on each other. We're here for an assignment, remember?"
"Yeah," Thalia said, her eyes softening a bit before she turned to sit quietly.
Alice stared at her for a moment before moving back to her seat.
Ivor watched the two girls awkwardly, sighing inwardly. 'I've never seen them argue before,' he thought, returning to his seat.
Elena sat quietly, her mind curious about Thalia's background and opinion. She glanced around the circle before finally speaking up. "So, Thalia," Elena called out, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"What's your opinion on the King?" she asked
Thalia looked up, slightly taken aback by the question. She saw the genuine curiosity in Elena's eyes and the cautious interest in the others' faces. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.
"Well, I haven't seen him myself," Thalia began. "But I appreciate and admire the efforts he has made for us magic users. It's impressive how he built these islands as a safe place for us."
"He has helped so many people." Thalia finished with a smile.
"I have no idea who my parents are," Alice spoke up, drawing everyone's eyes to her. "I was hungry in the land of the south. The only way I survived was by stealing. I had no idea about my power until one of the island guards took me in and brought me here." Alice finished, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the painful memories.
"You were raised by guards? No wonder you're so uptight, darling," Ivor said with a wink directed at Alice.
"Shut up!" Alice said, her face turning red as she playfully swatted at Ivor.
Elena and Thalia laughed at the exchange, the tension in the airlifting momentarily.
The Islands have helped us so far," Elena said. "We are learning so much about our missing history."
"Yeah," Thalia agreed.
"Do you know why there are no Northern books in any of the libraries?" Thalia asked awkwardly.
"No... I assume it's because there are no Northerners on the Islands," Elena said.
"Well, my mom is," Thalia revealed.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the revelation.
"Oh," Elena said, her voice trailing off as she processed the information.
"Really! I'd love to meet her," Alice said, her eyes widening with interest.
"Something tells me that this question is important," Ivor said seriously. "It's hard to find information on the North."
"Hm... It is," Thalia agreed, her tone thoughtful. "Come on, let's eat our food before it gets cold."
As they continued their meal, the conversation shifted to more casual topics. Thalia's mind wandered as she considered the news she had for the team back home.
'What will they make of all this information?' Thalia wondered.
She glanced at her friends, who were now engaged in lighter conversation and laughter. Thalia smiled.