She raised Meryl's sword, which she had picked up from the ground, aiming to plunge it into Meryl's heart.
"I should be the one saying that," said Meryl with a faint smile. Then flames burst upward from her body and engulfed Darsila completely.
Darsila screamed in pain, trying to run as the fire clung to every inch of her body, but Meryl didn't let her escape. She grabbed her leg and pulled her down. Picking up the fallen sword, she cast one last glance at Darsila, who writhed beneath her foot.
She raised the sword high, then drove it straight into her burning enemy's heart... and Darsila died as the blade pierced her chest.
The sword fell to the ground. Meryl exhaled deeply before looking up at the sky. It had turned to a dark blue, with hints of orange spreading along the edges.
It seemed the sun would rise again over this forest—but today would be different… it would rise over flames consuming everything.
Meryl closed her eyes for a moment to sense the threads of life connected to her friends. Alvin and Tulip were safe, but Elena was facing some trouble. Her physical condition was the weakest.
She had to go to her friends now. So Meryl pulled the house from her 'inventory' and threw it into the sky, shouting at the same time, "Miss Cloud, please grow bigger!"
The house grew in size in the blink of an eye, and a rope ladder descended from the middle door of the wooden fence. Meryl grabbed the first steps, then the house rose into the sky.
She climbed the remaining steps until she reached the top and entered the garden. "Miss Cloud, I'll give you Tulip's location to head there." Tulip was the closest to her position, and Meryl knew that from the life thread in Tulip's heart.
As the house soared through the sky, Meryl stared down at the forest below. The red flames were everywhere, and the trees had turned into charcoal fragments.
I wonder if this forest will grow back after Darsila's death? Meryl silently wondered as she watched the scenery pass beneath her quickly, due to the house's rapid flight.
The house suddenly descended, and then the right side of it lowered, forcing Meryl to cling to the fence to prevent herself from rolling across the garden. "What happened, Miss Cloud?" But the house didn't respond.
When Meryl finally managed to lift her head, her eyes fell on someone sitting on the ground, surrounded by raging flames. Meryl focused her eyes for a moment before breaking into a wide smile… It was Tulip!
Her smile didn't last when she realized that the child was exhausted, and the fire could reach him at any moment. Meryl ordered the house to deactivate its 'invisibility' feature from the barrier, making the house visible in the sky.
"Tulip!" she screamed, waving her hand. At first, her voice didn't reach Tulip's exhausted ears, but what made him lift his head with effort was his lady Ivara's message.
"Meryl?" Tulip's lips moved without sound, his eyes filled with shimmering tears from the nearby flames. Meryl had come for him! His friends hadn't left him behind!
The house descended low enough for Meryl to jump. She embraced the almost naked Tulip, then pulled back from the hug, placing her hands on his face and asking with concern, "Are you okay, little one?"
Tulip's tears poured down, and his features furrowed as he gave a tired nod of his head. "Did someone do something to you?" Meryl asked angrily when she saw that he was nearly naked, with only a piece of cloth around his waist.
Tulip shook his head again, and Meryl sighed in relief. She lifted him into her arms and returned to the house.
Since nothing had happened as she feared, Meryl decided to search for Alvin and Elena, and once they had rested, she would ask Tulip what had happened to him in her absence.
Tulip lay in the garden, staring at the sky which was moving quickly, with a light breeze coming from the transparent barrier surrounding the house. Finally, some rest after so much fighting and scorching heat.
She placed a pillow under his head, then covered him with a light blanket and gently said, "Rest for a while."
Tulip raised his fingers with difficulty and wrote something, then sent it to Meryl: "Where are Alvin and Elena?"
"We're going to them. Don't worry, they're fine." she said kindly before returning to watch the forest, searching for Alvin.
Alvin, running through the flames from one place to another, was nearly losing his mind. He had been searching for Elena for over an hour and still hadn't found her.
Mr. Pie had left the conversation a few hours ago, so Alvin couldn't ask him about her whereabouts.
His heart ached with fear at the thought that she might be dead. Every time this thought entered his mind, he felt his nerves burning.
"Elena!" he shouted again with worry, even though he didn't feel her presence nearby. He ran again, this time in a different direction. He cut through some burning branches that blocked his path, searching with his eyes.
"Alvin!" A scream reached his ears. Alvin quickly turned toward the sky to find Meryl there, waving at him from the garden of the house. Meryl threw down the rope ladder after the house descended a little lower.
Alvin thought Elena was in the house; surely Meryl wouldn't leave her in the middle of the fire. So, he grabbed the ladder and quickly began climbing the steps. "Where is Elena?" he asked as soon as he reached the garden.
"We're going to her now," Meryl replied, handing him a water bottle.
"Is she okay?" Alvin asked with fear. Meryl looked at him for a moment, contemplating his worried expression, then nodded gently. "She's probably tired. I'm providing her with treatment through the life thread."
Alvin sighed in relief, finally feeling his tense nerves relax as well. He sat on the grass, his chest rising and falling quickly. It felt as though mountains had been lifted off his back.
But suddenly, he remembered Tulip and asked with concern, "Where's Tulip?" He had assumed he was with Meryl, so he hadn't focused on searching for him.
Meryl pointed behind him with her index finger, and Alvin quickly turned to find him there, indeed… and he seemed to be… asleep.
How had he not noticed him? They were already so close… Alvin sighed in relief upon seeing Tulip was okay. It seems that his thoughts of Elena made him focus on nothing else.
"Is he okay?" Alvin asked with concern. Tulip's face was really dirty, and Alvin noticed some blood as well.
"Yes. He just needs some rest," Meryl answered, keeping her eyes on the forest. "Since you're okay, maybe you'd like to help me look for Elena."
At the mention of Elena, Alvin immediately moved to lean on the wooden fence, staring down below. "Are you sure this is the right direction?"
"Yes, the life thread is leading me here," she answered briefly.
From a distance, Alvin spotted the body of Lady Grace. It was surrounded by a transparent circle of light, clearly preventing the flames from reaching the lifeless body.
Nearby, he noticed someone lying on the green grass. That long black hair… Alvin recognized it immediately; it was Elena. He didn't wait for the house to descend, instead leaping from the height and slowing his fall by jumping over some burning logs.
Elena was unconscious inside the barrier surrounding Lady Grace's body…
"Alvin, don't try to cross the barrier. It could be defensive and explode your body!" Meryl shouted from above, but Alvin ignored her and ran toward Elena.