The Echoes of the kingdom

Last night, we were mermaids. We were the masters of the deep, gliding through the endless water realms, our scales shimmering as we raced toward the sun’s golden light piercing the surface. But that was a dream—a fleeting memory of a freedom we no longer possess.

In the physical world, the Kingdom of mysteries lay in ruins. The Forest of Eternal Seasons, once a vibrant tapestry of autumn’s gold and spring’s bloom, had not been entirely erased as the first reports suggested. It still stood, but it was a ghost of itself—a skeletal, grey shadow of its former glory.

The Great Storm had struck with a supernatural fury. It hadn’t just broken branches; it had torn the very fabric of reality, dragging people and pieces of the ancient woods into a dark, parallel realm. This was no natural disaster. It was a curse, woven by the cold heart of the Evil Queen. Those trapped in that “Otherworld” were worse than dead; they were hollow. Their identities had been stripped away, replaced by false memories and alien lives. They walked as strangers to their own souls.

Back at the Academy of Hasar-Adar, the air was thick with panic. The survivors—those lucky or cursed enough to remain—were in an uproar. Fear spread like a contagion. Would there be another wave? Another curse?

The frustration was a physical weight. The storm had taken Anakin, their King and the stalwart leader of Winterland. Even worse, his two most promising students had vanished into the gale. Without their King, the kingdom felt like a ship without a rudder, drifting toward certain doom.

“Everyone, calm yourselves!”

The voice of Abigail the Fairy cut through the chaos like a silver blade. She stood atop the cafeteria stage, her wings twitching with suppressed tension. “Despite the horrors of the night, the Academy must endure. We will proceed. After breakfast, report to your classrooms. Order is our only shield.”

In the shadow of the doorway, Hagar and Isha watched the scene. The two pirate sisters had spent years under the brutal expanse of the open sky, sleeping in the mud and the rain, hunted and hungry. To them, the Academy’s roof was a luxury they still didn’t quite trust. They had travelled the breadth of the world to find their friend, Amanda with the Axe, and together they had sought a future here.

They weren’t alone. Standing with them was Karinne, the daughter of the very Queen who had cast the curse. Karinne surveyed the cafeteria—filled with trembling fairies, whispering witches, and displaced trolls—with a look of pure coldness.

“This isn’t a school,” Karinne spat, her eyes narrowed. “It’s a zoo. I can’t believe I ever set foot in this pathetic cage.”

Hagar and Isha ignored her. Hagar’s eyes were fixed on the “Pirate Table.” It was a mess of unwashed ruffians looking lost. “Where is Captain Youthful?” Hagar whispered. The boisterous, stubborn man who never took ‘no’ for an answer was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe the curse took him,” Karinne shrugged, turning to leave. “Who cares? I’m out of here.”

“Quiet, both of you,” Isha hissed, her eyes locked on Abigail. “I want to hear what Mother Superior says. If anyone knows how to break a Queen’s curse, it’s her.”

On stage, Abigail’s expression softened for a fraction of a second. “This is a task for the fairies now. If you have questions, come to us. Aby, out.” She swept off the stage with practiced grace.

Hagar moved to follow her, her pirate instincts screaming for action, but Isha’s hand clamped firmly onto her shoulder.

“I need to talk to her, Isha!” Hagar protested.

Isha shook her head, watching the swarm of panicked students already mobbing the fairy. “Look at them, sister. She’s drowning in their fear. We won’t get the truth in a crowd. We wait until we can get her alone. We need a plan, not a riot.”

Hagar let out a long, jagged sigh, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. “You’re right, sister. But we’re pirates. And pirates were never born to wait.”

Isha offered a grim smile. “I know. But this time, it’s the only way we survive.”