After a long, rainy night, the jovial sun hiked up the sky, showering the land with its iridescent beams and announcing the start of a new day.
Having risen at five in the morning, Sharon, now dressed in a hooded sapphire-blue cloak and dark brown boots, had already gotten ready for their arduous journey. “Come on, lazybones. It’s time.”
Samuel yawned. He looked exhausted even after a night’s sleep, and his auburn curls were a bird’s nest. However, Sharon, full of vigor, was get-up-and-go. She was dead set on rescuing Eva, and she wasn’t going to allow anyone to question that.
“You ready?” she said to Samuel, who had gotten dressed in a matter of seconds. He was now attired in a verdant-green cloak, a small silver dagger strapped to his leather belt.
“Before we go, I want to do one last thing.”
“Oh?”
Samuel pressed his lips to Sharon’s, engaging her in a soft kiss. Although the couple had shared plenty of kisses before, he still had the power to make her insides melt and her senses drown in the blissful oblivion of a world where only the two of them existed. Sharon wanted this moment to be frozen in eternity. She desired nothing better than to live in Samuel’s embrace, to live a wonderful, risk-free life with him and never have to face the threats of the lurking monsters. It pained her, the possibility of never being able to see the love and desire burning in his eyes, to feel what it was like to crave his touch and see his smile, to ache for his presence during his absence. However, Eva’s life was at stake. It was the seriousness of this notion that pulled her back from Samuel.
“No matter what happens, Samuel, I love you.”
“Nothing can happen when we’re together,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “Either we fight together, or we go down together.”
Sharon wanted to say more but didn’t trust her voice enough. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face. “Ready?” Her voice sounded foreign, fake and cheery. But only the pretense of optimism could goad them into action.
Samuel nodded, fierce determination sparkling in his eyes.
The two of them left their snug cabin and ventured out into the dense woods.
Branches and leaves whipped Sharon’s face as she and Samuel sprinted through the woods at top speed. The dewdrops that splattered onto Sharon’s face made her feel cool and calm. She inhaled the earthy, fresh scent of nature’s perfume as she ran.
Draped with leaves and moss, the trees displayed a plethora of greenish hues that seemed to blend into one another. Birds perched on the tree limbs, tweeting a fine chorus. Humming and teasing the leaves, the morning breeze gently swept through the woods. The entire forest was alive with joy.
It was exactly like the day Sharon had set off to vanquish the Snow Giant with Samuel and Eva, only this time, Eva was not with them.
There’s no room for failure, Sharon thought to herself grimly. I must bring Eva back, safe and sound.
***
In the kingdom of Chelvicerra, human orphans were sent to an orphanage. That was where Sharon and Samuel, two outcasts who always found themselves different from the majority, grew up as each other’s childhood sweethearts. The orphans there were trained to fight monsters at a young age. The Justifiers, they called themselves. An organization that had been established to eradicate sinister creatures and bring justice to Chelvicerra.
Sharon had spent fifteen years in the Justifiers and had known Samuel since the day she was there. The two of them started off as bosom friends, but it didn’t take long for their friendship to blossom into romance. In fact, Samuel meant more than a boyfriend to Sharon. To her, he was a partner, a best friend, a brother, a shadow—someone who grew so close to her that he was like a part of herself.
When Sharon and Samuel were twelve, Eva joined the Justifiers. She found her cliche with them in a matter of days. The trio became inseparable, sharing a common dream and lifelong ambition to rid Chelvicerra of all evil and spare children from the fate of being orphaned. Their parents had perished in fights with the monsters that roamed all over the kingdom—evil fairies, ogres, werewolves, vampires, and creatures of all sorts. Sharon, Samuel, and Eva’s mutual yet poignant past brought their hearts together and united them, making them determined to prevent these tragedies from repeating.
After fifteen years of training day and night, fortune smiled upon Sharon, rewarding her efforts with the invaluable opportunity to lead a mission—a quest to kill the Snow Giant, a monster that had been terrorizing innumerable Chelvicerrans and tearing countless families apart. Sharon picked Samuel and Eva to accompany her on the mission, confident about their battling skills. With her golden teammates assembled, Sharon had been expecting a victorious war. However, much to her shock and disappointment, the outcome was less than successful. The trio was whitewashed, and Eva gone.
It was her mistake, her miscalculation, Sharon knew. For days and weeks, she was unable to calm the waves of self-hatred that consumed her entirely. To add insult to injury, her failure had earned both Samuel and her a one-way ticket out of the Justifiers. And to make matters worse, the Snow Giant was still roaming free in Chelvicerra, destroying goodness knew how many families and wreaking havoc.
Today’s game-changing journey was her best chance of salvaging the disaster her overconfidence had caused, Sharon knew. She was well aware of the butterfly effect—how a small, seemingly harmless mistake could result in a catastrophic crisis that could shatter the world and make it collapse at its seams. In order to rescue her lost friend, not a single detail could go wrong.
***
Sharon and Samuel had been traveling in the woods for an hour, and not a single monster had ambushed them, which was surprisingly good news.
No monster would get up at six, wearing their nightclothes in pursuit of two travelers, thought Sharon, the corners of her mouth twitching at that thought. She rounded a tree, and her smile melted away.
A woman sat as though waiting for them on a gigantic periwinkle mushroom. Black curly hair that flew to her shoulders framed her round face. An elaborate dress made of green leaves hugged her slender waist; raindrops glistened on her leafy frock, making it seem as though adorned with tiny diamonds.
“We can’t cross this forest without telling her to move,” Samuel pointed out. The large shrubs and bushes ahead made it impossible for them to go around the mushroom.
“Then we’ll have to make her leave.” With Samuel following closely behind, Sharon approached the woman with great prudence. As she neared, she saw wings with intricate patterns sprouting from the woman’s back.
Samuel’s eyes widened. “It’s...a fairy!”
“Okay, listen to me. Don’t act irrationally and offend her. Mind your manners. Then—”
“Move aside. You’re blocking our way!” Samuel, not bothering to pay attention to Sharon’s words, demanded.
Dumbfounded by his rudeness, Sharon jabbed him in the ribs.
“Is that how you usually address a stranger?” The fairy’s glare implied menace.
Sharon groaned in exasperation. “Excuse me. We come in peace.”
The fairy’s attitude softened a little at her words. “Fine, then. What brings you here?” She questioned in a rather haughty manner. Her indignation at Samuel’s insolence hadn’t quite worn off.
“I’m Sharon, and this is my boyfriend, Samuel,” Sharon replied. “Samuel and I.… Well, we’re on a mission.”
“I’m Felicia,” said the fairy, her voice sounding less aggressive.
“Pleasure meeting you. So Felicia, like I said, Samuel and I are on a mission, and we have to cross this forest. Would you be kind enough to move—?”
“Not unless you answer my riddle,” replied Felicia. “You must get it right on your first attempt, or else...I attack.”
Sharon had the impression Felicia was seeking revenge. She frowned at Samuel, who gave her a look of apology. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options and decided to take her chances with Felicia. “We’ll do our best.”
“Sweet. Intelligent. Sorrow. Terrible. Eerie. Remorse.”
“Is that even a riddle?”
“It is. Go figure.” Felicia beamed a dazzling smile that reminded Sharon of poisoned honey, sweet yet vicious.
“What do these words have in common?” Samuel said, scratching his head.
“Beats me,” Sharon replied, reviewing the ancient riddles she’d read about in her mind. “We’d better solve the riddle, or else.… Wait....” An idea crossed Sharon’s mind at that moment. She closed her eyes. “Sweet, intelligent, sorrow.… S, then an I.… Yes, it fits! I know the answer. It’s not about logic, after all. It’s an acrostic question.”
“Acrostic? What’s that?”
“An acrostic is a poem with several lines. The first letter of the first word in each line spells out a word. So the fairy’s hints were: Sweet. Intelligent. Sorrow. Terrible. Eerie. Remorse. Get it? S-I-S-T-E-R. The answer is sister.” Sharon looked at Felicia expectantly.
“Correct.” She slid off her enormous mushroom and moved aside to let them pass. “Where are you going?”
“We’re on our way to ki—” started Samuel.
“Find the Snow Giant,” Sharon cut in. Not knowing exactly whether Felicia was a potential friend or foe, she had to word her responses with caution. “Why are you asking?”
“Could I.… May I join you?”
“What? Why?”
Felicia’s translucent wings drooped, and her shoulders sagged. “In case you want to know what my six hints had to do with the answer....” She let out a dreary sigh. “I had a half-sister. She was intelligent and sweet and was my best friend when we were kids, even though we had different fathers. One day, she and her two friends set out to fight the Snow Giant, and she never came back. Gone in a terrible, eerie accident, leaving me with sorrow and remorse.” Regret throbbed in Felicia’s voice as she retold the story of how she lost her half-sibling.
“I’m...sorry to hear that.” Sharon’s heart hammered against her chest with excitement. “What was her name?” she asked, although she knew the answer before she did.
“Eva. Eva Warren.”
Sharon and Samuel exchanged looks of incredulity, then explained everything.
“But hold on for a moment,” Samuel pointed out. “We’ve known Eva for more than a decade, but she never mentioned she had a half-sister.”
Felicia tensed at his words. “Eva and I had the same mother yet different fathers. My mother married my father, a male fairy, and had me. After he passed away, Mom fell in love with an enchanter and gave birth to Eva. Eight years later, my stepfather moved out of the house and took Eva with him after he divorced my mother. They only thought for themselves and never cared about how much I loved my sister. I never heard from them again until three months ago, when I received a letter from my stepfather. He wrote to tell me Eva was gone. Probably forever.”
Sharon and Samuel exchanged an uncomfortable look with each other. There were too many unanswered questions.
“But how did Eva end up in the orphanage with us?” Samuel asked.
“She could’ve had a falling out with her father and run away from home,” reasoned Felicia. “I don’t know what happened to her, but since you’re going to find out, may I come with you?”
Anticipation shone in Felicia’s eyes, making it impossible for Sharon and Samuel to refuse her.
Sharon nodded. “Of course.”
A sincere smile brightened Felicia’s face. “Surely, you’re not going to the Snow Giant’s lair on foot, are you? I’ve got a much speedier way of traveling.” She placed a finger on the emerald pendant of her necklace, which was in the shape of a leaf. Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone—in her place was a large green parrot. “Come sit on my back,” she squawked.
Amused, Sharon and Samuel did so. They took off, sailing through the azure sky above the forest. White clouds sailed leisurely below their feet while the three of them discussed their plans.
***
Meanwhile, a mischievous redheaded angel, Sidney, was lurking behind a plump cloud and keeping a close eye on their movements.
“Ooh, trouble, trouble, here I come!” He grinned deviously and flew away in search of his best friend and partner in crime, Marcus the cupid.
“Hey, what’s up, bro?” Sidney jumped up and down to get Marcus’ attention, his white robe billowing behind him like a sail.
“What?” Marcus, who was dozing off on a fluffy cloud he had solidified with magic, murmured in his sleep.
“Guess what?” Sidney was so excited he did three somersaults at once.
“What? The Snow Giant lost a hundred pounds?” Marcus quipped, sniggering at his own joke.
“No, nothing like that, silly. Guess again!”
Sidney seldom got so enthusiastic about anything, so Marcus decided to hear him out. “Hmm, let me see. What about.… Some old hag trespassed into our territory?”
“No, no, and no!” Sidney hollered at the top of his lungs. “It’s a parrot-fairy! Flying right below our land!”
Marcus snorted. “So? Big deal.”
“And it’s not just some ordinary fairy. It’s the one he had a crush on for years! Didn’t he taunt her every day when we were preschoolers?”
“Who? What?”
“Dude, stop playing dumb. Clover’s been pining for her attention for decades! It’s Felicia, bro, Felicia the fairy!”
A grin split Marcus’ face as Felicia’s name was mentioned. “Sid, you should’ve spilled the beans earlier.” Marcus and Sidney were best friends with Felicia’s boyfriend, a leprechaun named Clover, and the two of them believed Clover and Felicia were ready to get married. Cupids loved to prank lovers, and of course, naughty Marcus was not an exception.
“Bro, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Sidney asked as a ridiculous plan formed in that shrewd mind of his.
“Yup. Prankenstein, it’s time! We must take action immediately. Clover and Felicia are in love, but they’re so far away from each other.”
Clover had left for a tour in the mortal world with his band three months ago and would be gone for a year.
“I’m really worried about their relationship. So right now, we must help Clover charm his girlfriend.”
“Exactly. I’ve hoarded dozens of arrows and have them stored in a cauldron of love potion. Boy, I feel like I’m swimming in a pool of excitement! I never thought the potion and arrows would come in handy one day. Let’s go fetch your bow and get things started.” Sidney rubbed his hands gleefully. “Wait, hold on for a second. Where’s your mom? We’ll be dead meat if she catches us red-handed.”
“Mom? Oh, don’t worry. I’m pretty sure she’s trading gossip with Aunt Maisy, our next-door neighbor. Gee, why don’t they get married if they’re—”
“Ahem.”
“Mom!” Marcus, who was caught off guard, jumped about a foot in the air. “Oh, you scared the living daylights out of me. Uh…no, I mean.… It’s such a pleasure to see—”
“Save your talks, son. I have a feeling you’re up to no good. What exactly are you—?”
“Oh, no, no, nothing. Nothing in the world.”
“Fine, but don’t you dare fool me. I don’t want Maisy questioning my upbringing again. I hope that accident you caused last time hasn’t dropped off the radar.”
“What do you mean, Mom?” Marcus played dumb.
“That time when you deliberately emptied a bucket full of water right on Maisy’s head.” His mother replied, annoyed.
“Oh, Mom, that was ages ago. Didn’t I promise to be a good, darling boy after that?” Marcus wheedled.
“Whatever. Boys, behave yourselves. Maisy’s going to teach me a few tips on gardening in the clouds now, and I don’t want you two to screw up while I’m busy. Am I making myself clear? Good, I’m leaving.”
Sidney howled with mirth, his body quaking with laughter. “Wait till your mom finds out—”
“Sid, stop laughing and get those arrows ready right away.” Marcus snapped, his face turning magenta.
A few minutes later, the two boys were finished.
“There, I see them coming!” Sidney yelled, his expression dramatic. “Aim for the green bird. On my count, three...two...one...go!”
The arrow zoomed across the air and missed the target. Instead, it pierced into Samuel’s arm.
“Oh, Sid! What were you thinking? Clover will kill us if he finds out….” An outraged Marcus cursed and pummeled his fist into his knee.
“Are you pushing the blame on me? It’s your archery skills that’s been going downhill,” Sidney retorted matter-of-factly. “You’ve got nobody to blame except yourself.”
“Oh no…,” Marcus muttered. “Look over there.”
The two boys glanced at Sharon and Samuel.
***
“Sharon...,” said Samuel, blushing.
“What?” Sharon, who was deep in discussion with Felicia, snapped.
“I’m in love.…”
“Yeah, right. Felicia, where were we?”
“You were telling me about the battle when Eva charged at the Snow Giant, and he snatched—”
“I have a crush on her,” gushed Samuel. “I can’t stop thinking about her….”
Sensing something suspicious, Sharon scowled. “Her?”
A dreamy smile curled Samuel’s lips. “Her eyes are as black as ebony, her skin as white as snow.… She’s my Princess Charming.”
Sharon’s scowl had become more pronounced than before. “Please, Samuel. Stop goofing around. Snap out of it. Who is she?”
Samuel glared daggers at Sharon. “The Snow Giant, duh.”
Sharon’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish’s. Samuel was bluffing. He had to be. It must have been some sick prank of his.
“Darn it,” squawked Felicia. “Samuel’s been cursed by a love arrow. Oh, how could I have been so dumb…. It was the cupids!”
***
“Sidney, what on Earth did you do to the potion?” Marcus scolded him in utmost dismay. His light brown curls quivered at the thought of the damage they had caused.
Sidney lowered his head. “I don’t know! Someone...someone must’ve messed with or swapped it.”
The boys watched Sharon, Samuel, and Felicia, now fully aware of the damage they’d inflicted on them.
Sharon slapped her hand to her forehead. “Felicia, what are we supposed to do now?”
“There’s only one way.” Felicia’s expression became solemn. “I hate having to do this, but desperate times call for extreme measures. We have to pay Stephen the giant a visit. He’s our only hope.”