As the two moved deeper into the forest, the trees grew denser and the air heavier with moisture. Shadows fell in thick layers, the sun barely cutting through the leafy canopy. Glacius walked ahead unfazed, frost trailing in every step he took. But as he turned a bend near a mossy hill, he paused.
A small group of aquatic neutrals stood in a quiet clearing — men, women, even children with gill-lined faces and luminous eyes. But what struck Glacius wasn't their presence — it was their stillness.
They weren't running. They weren't screaming.
They were watching.
Their eyes were wide, but not terrified of him. Their bodies tense, as though bracing not for cold — but for something worse.
"They're frozen by fear," Glacius stated, raising a hand. "So be it. If they already accept the stillness, then they deserve preservation." Ice raced out in a clean arc, encasing the neutrals in solid frost.
Peggy shot forward immediately, golden beams cracking through the ice, thawing the people one by one. The neutrals gasped and stumbled, clutching one another, but still didn't flee.
"You always do this!" Peggy snapped. "You freeze people without even asking what they want!"
"They weren't resisting," Glacius said plainly. "They likely understand my ideals. True peace lies in stillness."
"Stop pretending you're some noble hero!" Peggy said, her wings bristling. "You always speak like you're offering a gift — as if freezing them is some kind of mercy — and I'm the villainess ruining your masterpiece!"
Glacius turned to her, calm as ever. "That's up to your belief."
"Ugh, there it is again," she groaned. "You and your 'belief' nonsense. No emotion, no responsibility. Just eternal cold detachment!"
She turned toward the aquatic neutrals now regrouping near a large tree root, whispering among themselves. They didn't look at Glacius. They didn't look at Peggy. Their eyes darted behind toward the forest shadows, bodies trembling.
Peggy's expression softened. "They weren't afraid of you..."
Glacius narrowed his eyes. "What?"
She stepped toward the neutrals, kneeling beside a young one gripping a glowing shell. "They're afraid of something else."
The child trembled, looking up into Peggy's glowing golden eyes but said nothing. The rest remained still—guarded, silent. Glacius watched, indifferent as always, but Peggy took a step closer, her wings unfolding gently like a protective veil. Her natural aura shimmered like starlight through the trees, casting warmth over the frightened group.
"You're safe now," she whispered, voice soft but full of conviction. Her wings sparkled with gentle pulses of radiant light, and her calm presence washed over the aquatic neutrals like the first breeze after a storm. A soft hum filled the air — her fairy aura, a subtle charm not of manipulation, but comfort. It coaxed the truth from even the most withdrawn hearts.
Glacius raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you were good at this," he remarked, arms crossed. His tone was flat, but his eyes lingered longer than usual. "Still... wasting time on them won't stop what's already frozen."
Peggy gave him a glance but smiled faintly, then looked back as one of the neutrals — an older woman with webbed fingers and glowing gills — finally stepped forward.
"The truth is... this island is under her control," the woman said, her voice low and fearful. "General Electrica, of the Thunder Tribe."
Glacius tilted his head slightly. "Thunder Tribe, huh."
The woman continued. "She claimed this island for her new kingdom. Said she would build her legacy here. But all she does is... torment us. She takes joy in it. Pain and fear fuel her entertainment."
Another young neutral spoke up, trembling. "She watches everything. She has spies — in the trees, under the waters. If we even think about escape, she knows. And she comes."
"She's sadistic," added a third. "She shocks anyone who defies her in front of others. Displays her powers to show dominance. Makes us kneel. She calls it... 'conditioning.'"
Peggy's jaw clenched. "But the neutrals outside the forest... they didn't act like they were under threat."
"They're forced to act normal," the old woman replied. "She uses them as bait... to lure others in. Travelers, allies, even wandering spirits. She wants this island to look welcoming so she can keep expanding her reach unnoticed. And anyone who comes in... becomes a part of her game."
Peggy's radiant eyes flickered with fury, but her voice stayed calm. "And no one's tried to fight back?"
"They have," one said bitterly. "You can still find their ashes in the northern valley."
Glacius, who had remained silent for a while, finally cracked a small grin. "Now that's... interesting."
Peggy blinked. "What?"
He stepped past the group, his feet freezing the forest floor again. "A Thunder General who tortures for fun and masks her conquest with fake peace? She's arrogant, dangerous, and confident. I have to meet her."
Peggy folded her arms, eyeing him warily. "Is that your way of promising justice?"
"More like promising a proper confrontation," he replied coolly. "She sounds fun."
Peggy sighed. She knew this was his version of assurance — a calm way of saying he wouldn't let this stand, even if he would never call it "saving" anyone.
As he moved forward into the thickening woods, Peggy turned back to the neutrals. "You've done enough. Stay hidden. We'll deal with her."
"Wait—" one warned, "If you're here, she probably already knows. She has eyes everywhere."
Peggy smiled and tossed her hair back. "Good. I like it when things get noisy."
Glacius glanced back with a rare smirk. "Still naive as ever."
She stuck her tongue out. "Still frozen-hearted as always."
And with that, the two continued their advance, unaware that high above in the canopy, a set of mechanical eyes was already watching, crackling with static electricity... silently reporting their presence.
Inside the deep, storm-powered palace carved into the heart of the forest, lightning surged through metallic trees and coiling wires. A throne of pure voltage sparked at its core, where General Electrica sat lazily sprawled, one leg dangling off the side. Her throne room crackled with pulsing energy and static screens monitored every inch of her island.
A sudden alert lit up the main screen — two figures entering the inner forest perimeter.
Her sharp eyes flicked to the monitor.
"Hm? Intruders?" she muttered, casually waving a finger to enhance the image.
Peggy appeared first.
Electrica rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Ugh. Fairy Tribe. That glowing pest of a princess... interfering in my territory. Doesn't she have flower crowns to knit or sunbeams to dance in?" She leaned forward, her hair crackling with faint blue sparks. "Still...I won't hold back. She came to my kingdom."
But then the screen shifted and she saw him.
Glacius.
Her jaw fell open. Sparks leapt around her hair, and her heartbeat thumped like rolling thunder.
"Is... is that—no, no way. Is this a dream?! My dream prince! Glacius?!"
She nearly squealed, standing up so fast that two of her electric guards were zapped off their feet. Her cheeks lit up pink, and electricity surged with excitement across her armor. Her usually cold and sadistic demeanor melted into something far more deranged.
"He's really here! And... with Peggy?!" Her smile twitched. "No, no, no. That's impossible. He hates fairies. Right? He must be using her... maybe she's his hostage! Or maybe he brainwashed her with that icy charm of his!"
She twirled, giggling like a storm-charged schoolgirl. "That's it! He came all the way to me. My lightning... his ice... together we could freeze and shock the world into eternal submission. Just us. Alone. No annoying tribes. No rules."
She stopped and looked in the mirror, striking a dramatic pose. "Glacius... my king of frost. I'll be your queen of thunder! You don't have to be lonely anymore. You don't need anyone but me!"
Her soldiers watched in stunned silence. One dared to step forward, "General Electrica, orders—?"
But Electrica blasted him aside with a lightning surge. "Out of my way! I don't need babysitters! I have destiny to fulfill!"
She burst through the palace doors in a bolt of lightning, ignoring her guards' panicked attempts to stop her. Sparks shot from her feet as she dashed into the forest, leaving behind a trail of scorched leaves and electrocuted flora.
"I can already see it..." she gasped between crazed, infatuated laughter. "He'll look into my eyes, say he's always admired my raw energy... and then we'll electrify the world together! I'll give up this island. I'll give up everything! It'll just be me and him!"
Her cheeks flushed, her heart racing faster than her lightning bolts.
She was coming.