The first thing I notice is dirt under my fingernails. Not the ethereal chambers of the supposed Faerie castle, not the floating furniture or star-bright mirrors – just plain, ordinary earth. My head throbs like I''ve gone ten rounds with a drill sergeant, and my mouth tastes like I''ve been gargling sand.
"I got rufied by my own supposed sister! That backstabbing, fairy-dust throwing..." I push myself to sitting position, taking in my surroundings.
A sleek backpack sits nearby, its material similar to my clothing – definitely not standard REI gear. I inventory its contents: water bottles filled with liquid that seems to shimmer, packages of what might be food (though the script on them looks like constellations having a seizure), basic medical supplies, and something that looks suspiciously like a glowing compass.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]You have accessed your first Inventory item.
Basic Survival Pack (Fae-Enhanced) detected.
Initiating power calibration...
The words appear in my vision like a video game HUD, golden and shimmering. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I blink hard, but the text remains. "Either I''m having the mother of all hallucinations, or..."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Calibration complete.
Current Power Level: 2
Available Skills:
? Basic Magic Manipulation (Locked)
? Enhanced Physical Capabilities (Active)
? Elemental Affinity (Locked)
"Right. Because being a supposed fairy princess wasn''t enough – now I''m living in a LitRPG." I stand up, testing my balance. Despite the situation, my body feels... good. Better than good. Like every muscle has been upgraded to premium specs.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Enhanced Physical Capabilities activated.
Current bonuses:
? Strength +20%
? Agility +15%
? Stamina +25%
A twig snaps in the distance, and my enhanced senses – apparently part of the package deal – pick up movement about fifty yards out. Something big is moving through the underbrush, and it''s definitely not a deer.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Danger detected.
Combat Tutorial initiated.
"Tutorial? Now?" I whisper-hiss at the air. "How about we skip the tutorial and go straight to the ''not dying'' part?"
The bushes part, and I find myself face-to-face with what can only be described as a nightmare wolf – if wolves were the size of horses and had glowing runes rippling through their fur. Its eyes lock onto mine, burning with an intelligence that sends chills down my spine.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
First Combat Encounter detected.
Enemy: Fade Wolf (Level 5)Recommendation: Run.
"Yeah, no kidding," I mutter, already scanning my surroundings. Years of combat training kick in as I assess the terrain. Large tree to my left – potential cover. Loose branches everywhere – possible weapons. The wolf''s head tilts, almost curious, before its muzzle pulls back in a snarl that reveals teeth like obsidian daggers.
I feel magic stirring inside me, wild and untamed, but I push it down. Using unknown powers against a clearly magical creature? That''s asking to get killed. Instead, I fall into the familiar combat stance that''s kept me alive through countless sparring matches.
The wolf lunges, and muscle memory takes over. I dive and roll, snatching up a thick branch as I move. My body remembers every drill, every training session, every lesson in survival. As I come up to my feet, I grip the makeshift staff with the same confidence I''d shown hundreds of trainees.
"Alright, big guy," I mutter, circling to keep the large tree between us, "let''s see if those fancy runes help with basic physics."
The wolf attacks again, but I''m ready. I dodge its snapping jaws and bring the branch down hard on its nose – one of the most sensitive areas on any canine. The beast yelps, more surprised than hurt, but it''s enough to make it back off.
I use the moment to break into a sprint, vaulting over a fallen log. The wolf follows, exactly as I''d hoped. I grab a handful of loose dirt and wait until it rounds the log. As it lunges, I spin and throw the dirt straight into its glowing eyes.
The wolf snarls, but there''s something different in its stance now – wariness. It''s no longer facing prey, but a warrior. I keep my branch ready, maintaining the optimal distance I''d taught my students for staff combat. "Not so fun when your dinner fights back, huh?"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
To my shock, the wolf actually seems to consider this. Those intelligent eyes study me for a long moment before it does something completely unexpected – it bows its massive head and backs away, disappearing into the forest like morning mist.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Combat encounter survived.
Experience gained. New tactical options available
<div>
I collapse against the tree, my arms trembling from adrenaline and exertion. The branch, now cracked and splintered, falls from my grip. "So," I say to the empty forest, "this is what sister dear meant by ''bringing me home.'' Dump me in monster-infested woods and wait to see if I survive?" I take a long drink from my water bottle, feeling strength flow back into my limbs. "Message received, sis. Game on."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
STATUS UPDATE - Post Wolf Encounter
Level: 3
Experience: 1,200/2,100
Notable Achievements:
? First combat victory
? Basic Magic Manipulation unlocked
? Enhanced Physical Capabilities discovered
Current Mission: Survive the Wyldwood
Note: Initial powers still heavily restricted
Combat efficiency improving.
New skill unlocked: Tactical Analysis
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Quest Updated: Survive and Thrive
Current Objectives:
? Master your combat skills
? Navigate the Wyldwood
? Find your way back to the Summer Court
? Optional: Figure out why your sister is being so sketchy
"At least the interface has a sense of humor," I mutter, pushing myself back to my feet. The sun – or whatever passes for a sun in this realm – is starting to set, painting the sky in colors that definitely don''t exist on Earth. I need to find shelter before dark, and something tells me that wolf wasn''t the most dangerous thing lurking in these woods.
I shoulder the backpack, checking the glowing compass. It pulses with a warm light, pointing what I assume is north – though in a place like this, who knows what north even means?
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Navigation System activated.
Tracking enabled.
Warning: Multiple hostile entities detected in area.
"Wonderful." I start walking, keeping my senses alert and my newly discovered magic simmering just under the surface. "Just another day in the life of Sergeant – sorry, Princess – Kali Santos. Survive basic training? Check. Handle endless paperwork? Check. Get kidnapped by a fairy sister, drugged, dumped in magical woods, and forced to level up like a video game character? Sure, why not? Add it to the resume."
The trees seem to whisper as I pass, and somewhere in the distance, something howls – definitely not my wolf friend from earlier. This is going to be a long night.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Quest Status: In Progress
Current Power Level: 3
Health: 85%
Status Effect: Slightly Sassy
"Oh, shut up," I tell the HUD, but I''m grinning despite myself. If this is how I have to learn about my supposed magical heritage, I might as well embrace it. Besides, what''s the worst that could happen?
The forest darkness seems to deepen around me, as if accepting that challenge.
Game on, indeed.
áine POV
áine burst into Kalina''s chambers, her heart thundering against her ribs like a war drum. "Kali, I''m so sorry about the sleeping spell, I—"
The words died in her throat as she took in the empty bed, its silk covers thrown back as if in haste, still holding the warmth of her sister''s presence. The scent of summer roses – Kalina''s natural aura – lingered in the air, mixing with something darker, more ancient.
"No," she whispered, her voice carrying none of its usual musical lilt. Instead, it cracked like ice in spring thaw. "No, no, no."
She whirled toward the doorway where two of her most trusted guards stood at attention, their armor gleaming with the enchanted light of the eternal summer court. "Where is Princess Kalina?" The question came out sharp as winter frost, making both guards flinch. The temperature in the room plummeted, delicate patterns of ice crystallizing on the windowpanes.
"Your Highness," the first guard stepped forward, confusion evident in her crystalline eyes, "the only person we''ve seen enter or leave this room was yourself." The guard''s hand rested nervously on her sword hilt, fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against the moonsilver pommel.
"What?" áine''s fingers curled into fists, frost crystallizing in the air around them like suspended stars. "That''s impossible. Search the castle, every corner, every shadow. Alert the Shadowhound patrols. Find her!"
As the guards rushed to obey, their footsteps echoing down the marble corridors, áine turned back to the empty chamber. Something wasn''t right. The air held a lingering trace of magic – not the familiar signature of the castle''s protective wards, but something else. Something forbidden. Something that made the ancient magic in her bones recoil and sing at the same time.
She approached the bed, her fingers hovering over the rumpled sheets. There – like a whisper of smoke in still air – she felt it. Teleportation magic, but not the crude spells used by common mages. This was old magic, royal magic, woven with an expertise that spoke of centuries of practice.
"Impossible," she breathed, her eyes widening as the familiar energy signature wrapped around her senses. The castle''s defensive enchantments were woven from the very essence of Tír na nóg itself, strengthened by generations of Summer Court magic. No one could teleport in or out without royal blood and...
The realization hit her like a physical blow. Royal blood. áine''s hand clenched around the bedpost, frost spreading across the ornate wood in jagged patterns that mimicked ancient battle runes. Her breath caught – there was something hauntingly familiar about the signature, something that made her ancient heart stutter. It felt like... but no, that was impossible. Her older sister had fallen in the War of Burning Crowns. She''d watched her fall, seen her body consumed by the dark flames of the Unseelie Court''s most deadly weapons.
Yet the magical residue pulsed with that same fierce protectiveness, that wild streak of defiance that had been Maeve''s trademark. The same magic that had once turned an entire battlefield into a crater of destruction when áine had been wounded. The magic that had made Maeve both beloved and feared throughout the realm.
áine''s fingers traced the air where the teleportation spell had torn reality, following the familiar patterns she''d seen her sister weave a thousand times before. The magic responded to her touch, sparking with recognition – recognition that shouldn''t be possible if this truly was just someone mimicking her sister''s techniques.
"Oh, little flame," she whispered to the empty room, her voice thick with worry and a desperate, dangerous hope, "what have they done with you? And why does their magic feel like our sister''s?" The last word came out choked, heavy with three centuries of grief and questions.
Behind her, the ice continued to spread, turning Kalina''s chambers into a glittering replica of the Winter Court''s halls. If Maeve was truly alive, if she had taken their youngest sister... The temperature dropped another ten degrees as áine''s power responded to her turbulent emotions. She needed answers, and she needed them now.