Scarlette walked over to me, a chicken tucked under her arm, its frantic clucking filling the air.

"Look at how fresh it is!" she beamed, proud of her chaotic find.

But I wasn't paying attention to her. My gaze swept over the crowd, their murmurs of gossip drifting through the marketplace. I saw their horrified expressions, wide eyes whispering in hushed tones.

"No, Scarlette. Look at how fresh that is." I smirked, nodding toward the gossiping crowd.

She looked up, still holding the chicken. "You're really good at this," she chuckled, oblivious.

"You're not so bad yourself," I replied lightly. She was the mistress of chaos, after all. And I... well, I was the poison in the water.

"So, you're sure you can cook this?" she asked, eyeing the chicken like a challenge.

"I could always just make a bonfire," Scarlette teased.

I shivered involuntarily, remembering the time she made a wild chicken fall in love with a fish—only for the poor creature to be snatched by an eagle and thrown into a bonfire.

"There's a stove in Lumera's house, you know," I replied, trying to sound confident. "I said I would cook. Why does everyone doubt me?"

She just shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. Damn that spice shopkeeper... he had really gotten under my skin.

We reached Lumera's house, and Scarlette swung open the door. Without hesitation, she used the Emerald to kill and defeather the chicken, her motions smooth and effortless amidst morbid clucks. I couldn't bring myself to look at her—the efficiency of it was too much.

Instead, I busied myself pouring away Lumera's old soup and setting up the pot, my hands shaking slightly as I poured in the chili.

This was going to be a fantastic meal. One that would leave Scarlette with no choice but to admit she was wrong.

You'll have your chili, and you'll like it, Scarlette.

I added some oil to the mix, swirling it over a warm fire while the fish I bought earlier simmered in another pot on the stove. I'd tossed in a few lemons I'd plucked from the trees outside Lumera's house—perfectly sliced, of course. I knew what I was doing.

Even though she was taken so suddenly, and didn't deserve it, Lumera kept her house in pristine condition. Was that a trait of all Light Fairies?

I glanced at Scarlette in the corner, washing her hands before she dropped the chicken into boiling water with a quiet, deliberate motion.

"Alright, Scarlette, let me take over from here," I said smoothly, stepping forward.

She looked up, watching me with an unreadable expression, then smiled faintly.

"It's like you're human," she said, amusement lacing her voice.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I've had a few interactions with them in my forest. I've seen how they do things."

I transferred the water from the pot where the chicken had been stewing into a bowl. Then, I sliced the chicken into delicate strips with a knife—not the Emerald, like Scarlette had done. I dumped the chili into it, the vibrant red spilling like liquid fire.

Scarlette sneezed, scrunching up her face at the sharp scent in the air.

"Are you sure it's supposed to be like that?" she asked, nose wrinkling.

"Yes, of course," I replied confidently, stirring the pot with rhythmic precision.

"Every good thing needs time to simmer," I added, voice low. "Be it food or rumors."

Scarlette watched me, eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. She should be impressed—I was making a three-course meal.

Chicken soup. Chili with shredded chicken. Simmered fish with lemon. I knew how to cook.

Then, I saw her pause, deep in thought.

"So, what are you going to do once you have the Light Guardian?" she asked, voice casual.

I paused, stirring the food just a little too aggressively.

"We're so close to altering reality. Surely there's something you want."

"Redemption," I replied flatly.

"Redemption?" she repeated, her voice rising with amusement.

"Hold on... it's hot." I called out, carefully placing the food onto plates. I could feel her eyes on me, but I kept my gaze steady on the food.

"Is that your big plan?" she asked, clearly amused.

"I want to be human," I snapped. "Can't you tell?"

Scarlette froze, eyes wide.

"What's going through your mind?" I muttered, setting the plates down.

"I was born a Dark Fairy. A being of destruction," I continued, voice quieter. "I've killed so many. Fed on countless others. But I want redemption. And it's not possible unless I'm human."

"So... that vampire who was after Lumera?"

"I ate him. And all his darkness."

Scarlette's jaw dropped.

I chuckled. She actually thinks I'm the scary one. Has she even met herself?

"What about you?" I asked, sitting.

She frowned, then her expression shifted.

"But you're Veravos. The boogeyman of villains."

She paused. "Wait... yeah, that makes sense."

"Did you actually think I was a saint?"

"A saint?" She laughed. "Human-like occasionally, but definitely not a saint."

Human-like. Was that a compliment?

I sighed. "Everyone has dreams. Don't I deserve one too?"

"I've lived by a code—to hunt only villains—but that's just survival. My nature. But that doesn't mean I have to be a monster."

Scarlette shook her head. "No, you don't have to explain. We should've talked about this, Veravos. Still... I'm glad you want this. You deserve to be happy."

Her words settled over me like a quiet warmth.

"Do you think redemption is possible for me?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," she said, taking a bite of the chili chicken.

She froze. Eyes wide. She coughed.

I smirked. Wimp.

"Veravos! What is this?" she wheezed, fanning her tongue, gulping soup like her life depended on it.

And then—

"It's so good!"

I nearly dropped my spoon.

"Do you mind if I finish this?" she asked.

"Yeah, please. I cooked it for you."

Why does it not affect her? That masochist.

She took another bite, unfazed. "So, I never said why I wanted the spell yet."

I arched an eyebrow.

"I want to create a world where fairies can live in peace. Where people aren't judged by what they are. Our origins don't have to define our lives."

She devoured the rest of the bowl. Meanwhile, I quietly ate my lemon-infused fish.

"I think... there might be a way for both of our visions to coexist," I admitted.

We needed to talk now—before the emerald, the scroll, and the Light Guardian came together. What if her ideal reality was my nightmare?

But could the spell work for two realities? No one knew.

One thing was certain—we needed the Light Guardian. The one Judorah and the Dark Fairies had trapped.

I hoped the rumors I'd sown would be enough to draw them out.

Scarlette leaned back, swirling the last bit of soup.

"You know, I've never met anyone like you," she said.

"All these centuries, and there you are. Someone who gets me. And he's the thousand-year-old Dark Fairy boogeyman."

She wasn't looking at me. She stared past me. Then, finally, her gaze locked with mine.

"I'm going to tell you everything, Veravos. Hold this to your heart. Because this is personal."

I set down my fork.

"I'm never like this around people—but you're not people," she said.

She took a slow breath.

"A long time ago, it was just me. I was the first Love Fairy."

She let that sit.

"I was formed at the dawn of magic. I created spells—ancient ones. Then others appeared. Love Fairies like me. Naturally, I became their leader. The oldest, the strongest. But their ways were... different."

"How different?"

"They believed love magic should exist only for survival. A tool. Nothing more. Under King Baltimore, they stripped it of its depth. The art of offensive Love Magic? Lost. Because they arrested me."

She exhaled sharply.

"They called me the Queen of Hearts and Ruin. A deviant. All because I was accused of inciting a riot."

"Tell me more about King Baltimore."

Her face darkened.

"He was the worst. He twisted their ideals into a weapon—poured it into one artifact: the Baltimorean Emerald."

"A device that could reshape reality. Raw, idealistic love meant to 'fix' the universe. Toxic love. The kind that erases truth."

"And what did he want?"

"To be desired. To be adored. To be King."

She clenched her fists.

"He erased me from memory. Became the first Love Fairy in memory. Then their king."

"So the Emerald made people forget you?"

"Apparently only the strongest Fairies resisted. Even Baltimore forgot me." She laughed bitterly.

"But just as he was about to rewrite reality again..." she said, voice lower, "I changed the spell."

"You changed a spell cast on the Emerald? Wasn't it tied to the full moon?"

She nodded tightly.

"Yes. That was the problem. The moon is predictable. Easy. So I severed the link."

"And rewrote it?"

"Now the emerald's power only responds if three things come together: the emerald, the ancient scroll... and a Light Guardian."

"Harder to exploit," I murmured.

"Exactly. It had to be inconvenient. Dangerous. Because reality shouldn't be changed on a whim."

"No one's seen the scroll or guardian in centuries," she added. "That's how I kept it safe."

"So the Emerald didn't work anymore."

"It failed spectacularly. Baltimore locked it away."

"But then they made a mistake."

I raised an eyebrow.

"They released me. An administrative error. With my name erased, I walked free—just another Love Fairy."

"But history repeated itself."

"The elders tried to control me again. And again—I refused."

"Then what happened?"

"I stole the Emerald and ran. They chased. I attacked."

She smiled.

"I used narcissism spells, obsession hexes. Perfected the Love Pentagon. I even withdrew a healing spell I once used to treat the King."

"Chaos followed, obviously."

"And that's when you saw me."

I remembered. That wreckage. That storm of magic. And her, in the center of it all.

"You became my savior," she whispered.

She looked fragile, suddenly.

"I knew you had your own plans. But I let it happen. Because we became something more. Something I haven't felt in centuries."

A tear slipped down my cheek.

She didn't deserve what they did to her. She was the rightful Queen.

Before I could speak, she pulled me into an embrace.

This warmth... why did it feel like I could tell her everything?

"Is King Baltimore still a problem?" I asked.

She pulled back slightly, her eyes dark.

"You already know, Ver..." she whispered. "When I said I withdrew his healing... I meant he's dead. Because of me."

I held my breath.

"In case you needed confirmation... my obsession spell on his guards sealed it."

She turned away, trembling.

"There's no redemption for me," she sobbed.

I held her tighter, pressing her head into my chest.

She was not the villain. She was the victim.

No king remained in the Love Fairy Kingdom.

Only chaos.

She wanted her origin not to define her.

And I wanted redemption.

But was either even possible?