"Veravos, hello? Anyone there?"
A hesitant voice calls out in the dark woods, thick with unease. I can hear the nervous quiver in it.
I tilt my head, amused. A puny human, sword drawn, clad in iron armor—practically shaking in his boots. Is he serious? He can barely grip that thing. What a joke.
"Oh, it’s you again," I chuckle, swinging effortlessly down from my branch.
Why do they always come back? It’s just a dark forest, a few poisonous apples, and a rocky cliff. Not exactly a tourist attraction. Yet, their determination is almost... admirable.
Stepping into the evening light, my face catches the fading glow of dusk. I can’t wait for the sun to set completely, but first, I have to deal with this meddling human.
He flinches when our eyes meet.
Wait... am I really that horrifying to look at?
"Finally, you’ve shown yourself, Dark Fairy! Come closer and face me!" he yells, his voice cracking. His sword wobbles like jelly.
"Yeah, real convincing. I’m shaking," I smirk.
"I will destroy you, great evil!" he declares, puffing out his chest.
I roll my eyes. Does he not hear my sarcasm? What am I even being judged for?
"Let me guess. You think all Dark Fairies are mindless destroyers. Look, if you’ve got beef with another Dark Fairy, take it up with them. I’m not here to play your villain."
I lean against a tree, arms crossed, watching him wave his sword around like he actually knows how to use it. Pathetic.
"Are you seriously going to let him taunt you?"
A voice drifts from the shadows behind me.
Shucks. Devran is here. And he’s judging me too?
"Burn him," Devran suggests, his grin flashing in the darkness.
Oh, he wants a show. Too much effort.
"Get a hobby. Some friends. Or, you know... a life?" I tell the human instead.
A much more energy-efficient way of burning someone—good advice.
The human stares at me, dumbfounded. Then I glance at Devran, who’s giving me the exact same look.
But you know what? The yapping stops from both of them. Worth it.
"If you don’t do something, I will attack him myself," Devran warns, his voice laced with boredom.
Did he just try to one-up me? In my woods?
"These are my woods, Dev. I’ll do as I please," I say lazily, tilting my head back.
I don’t answer to him on how I deal with trespassers. Can’t a guy get a nap?
Then the human flings his sword wildly, striking the tree. A branch snaps and crashes to the ground.
The audacity.
He’s destroying my poison apple tree... and I’m the villain?
That’s it. Time to get my hands dirty.
Devran’s eyes glisten expectantly as I straighten up, stepping forward.
I let the shadows swallow me whole before reappearing right behind him.
He’s so tiny. And gods, the stench of sweat clinging to him. Hasn’t he heard of a bath?
"Hello, mortal," I drawl, aiming for maximum drama. Might as well make it count.
The human stiffens, his spine going rigid.
"Stay where you are," he stammers.
Huh? Is he serious? After he just told me to come closer?
I nearly snort. Humans—so indecisive.
The darkness thickens, swirling around me until only my glowing red eyes cut through the void.
"You can run, but you can never escape the grasp of darkness," I growl, appearing inches behind him.
He bolts, screaming like a dying animal.
I sigh, resisting the urge to roll my eyes—again. At this rate, I’ll strain something.
"Alright. Back to my nap. Something actually worthy of my attention will come along eventually."
Devran is still lurking. Watching. Judging.
Why is he still here?
Oh, right. He’s one of those brainwashed Dark Fairies. Probably thinks loitering counts as a mission.
Time to knock some sense into him—starting with an insult.
"Seriously, you let him go?" Devran asks, unimpressed.
I mimic his concerned tone. "Seriously, you’re still here?"
He scowls. "It’s a wonder anyone likes you."
The real wonder is why I can’t just take a nap in peace.
"Oh, Devran. You think I care about being liked? My dearest, nosy neighbor. It’s always a displeasure to see you again."
Devran ignores the jab. "What about the human? Hello? You could still catch him. You could eat him. If not, I will."
I bristle.
"You shall not hunt in my woods," I roar.
Who does he think he is?
"And why do you care so much about how I handle my trespassers?" I ask, tilting my head.
That shuts him up. He looks confused.
I love that look. It’s hilarious.
"Why are you laughing?" he demands.
I smirk. "Because you’re standing next to the dark queen, talking about world domination like it’s a casual afternoon chat."
"Isn’t that what you want too? Isn’t that what all of us want?" Devran presses.
Oh, here we go again.
I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had this conversation.
"It’s a logistical nightmare, Devran. Rebellion, riots, endless paperwork," I deadpan.
Hopefully, that’s enough of an explanation.
Devran narrows his eyes. "No, you don’t understand, Veravos. Once we gain control, we’ll have full power over everything!"
Oh my gods. He’s still talking.
At that moment, I realize something very important.
It’s exhausting trying to speak logic to donkeys.
I’ve had enough.
"Goodbye now," I interrupt, striding away and leaving him fuming.
Time to do my second-favorite thing.
Since my nap has been completely ruined, I might as well find something else to amuse me.