Selussa cupped her hands, splashing cool water from the lake onto her face, trying to wash away the dirt and blood. Her body was covered in countless scratches, but the most grievous injury was her broken wing, hanging limply at her side. She had narrowly escaped a band of fairy hunters, her desperate flight the first in a long time. Exhausted and in pain, she gazed at her reflection in the water, her heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Suddenly, the quiet rustling of bushes nearby snapped her out of her daze. Panic surged through her. With her legs trembling beneath her, she stumbled behind a tree, too weak to run any farther. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she pressed herself against the rough bark, praying that her hiding spot would be enough to keep her safe.