Wings of Silence

The once-lush forest lay eerily silent, its vibrant greens replaced by brittle, blackened husks. Elira hovered just above the ground, her translucent wings trembling with unease as she surveyed the devastation. The air smelled of rot, a sour tang that clung to her throat. This wasn't natural decay-it was something far worse.

She knelt beside a wilting patch of wildflowers, their golden petals curled inward like clenched fists. Gently, she extended her hand, channeling a soft glow of emerald magic from her fingertips. The light enveloped the flowers, coaxing life back into their fragile stems. For a moment, they stood tall again, their color returning. But then, as if defying her efforts, the corruption surged back, black veins creeping through the petals until they crumbled to dust.

Elira recoiled, her chest tightening. This wasn't the kind of problem her magic could fix.

"Strange place for a garden fairy to be wandering," a voice drawled from the shadows.

Elira spun around, her heart leaping into her throat. Standing at the edge of the clearing was a figure cloaked in dark leathers, their wings faintly shimmering like oil slicks in the dim light. Shadow fae.

"And what's a shadow fae doing here?" she shot back, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

The fae stepped closer, revealing sharp features and piercing violet eyes. They smirked, a sharp-edged expression that didn't reach their eyes. "Investigating. Same as you, I'd wager. Except I don't kill plants in the process."

Elira bristled. "I was trying to heal them!"