53 Suspicion

*Swoosh*

The trio dashed through the dense jungle, their footsteps blending with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of beautiful birds.

As they navigated through the winding paths, they were having a conversation about their recent gains and power-ups.

"A stoner realm?!" Ash blurted out, his tone laced with incredulity.

Ray chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, you heard it right."

"That must have been quite something." Bryan commented.

"It was…quite something but at the same time, extremely dangerous."

Bryan brushed away a branch and said, "That I have no doubt."

"If I didn't know any better, I would have lost my sense of self in there." Ray briefed about his experience.

"At least, yours was kinda enjoyable. I had to face a freaking evil shadow, of all things!" Ash groaned with a slight shiver running down his spine.

Ray perked his eyebrow, "An evil shadow? So, like your own shadow became somehow evil?"

Ash shook his head and said, "Not exactly. My shadow or the shadow wasn't even part of me which I do think was fucking weird. Then suddenly, it wore the most evil and devious grin I've ever seen, and went all ape shit on me, trying to bring down my spirit and shit."

"Fool."

Ash looked at Bryan and was giving him the stink-eye, "Who, me?"

"Haha." Bryan chuckled and clarified, "Not you, the shadow. The shadow was a fool."

"I agree with Bryan. You're the brightest person we'd ever have the chance to know and become best friends with. If anything, the shadow probably became afraid of you." Ray said with a big smile.

"When are you ever wrong?" Bryan rhetorically asked him.

"I am when the situation calls for it." Ray smirked.

Hearing them, Ash couldn't help but feel elated and extremely happy in his heart. He felt like could do anything and everything with his two best friends…apart from the obvious of course.

"Oh right!" Ash jotted his hand.

"What?" Ray looked at him.

Ash's mischievous grin spread across his face like wildfire, "You guys wanna hear a joke?"

"…"

"You're going to say it regardless of our choice, aren't you?" Bryan said with a deadpan voice.

"Haha!" Ash chuckled and excitedly said, "Aw man, you guys know me very well!"

*Sigh*

Ray sighed in defeat and motioned for him to continue with his…joke.

"Alright, Ash, go ahead. Let's hear it."

"Ahem!" Clearing his throat dramatically, Ash prepared to deliver his joke, "How do astronauts organize a party?"

"…"

The silence that followed Ash's question was deafening, as Bryan chose not to engage, while Ray reluctantly played along, "I don't know, Ash. How do they organize a party?"

With a gleeful twinkle in his eye, Ash delivered his punchline with gusto, "They…'planet' in advance!"

"…"

"…"

"HAHAHAHHAHAHA!"

Ash was laughing his ass of while the other two exchanged blank stares, their eyebrows twitching in defeat.

Ray, unable to resist the infectious laughter, joined in, chuckling at the sheer absurdity of the joke. "Well played, Ash. Well played."

Bryan simply shook his head as a small smile formed on his face.

Their banter continued as they weaved through the jungle. Their jokes and playful jabs brought moments of levity amidst the seriousness of their newfound powers.

*Crunch*

Their footsteps crunching on fallen leaves and twigs, they noticed a peculiar sight up ahead. A solitary figure stood still, a silhouette against the backdrop of lush greenery.

Curiosity piqued, they approached cautiously, their senses on high alert. The woman stood tall and elegant, her silhouette bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun.

As they drew nearer, they recognized the delicate features and ethereal aura that surrounded the woman.

"The Ethereal Fairy?" Ray was surprised and muttered just loud enough for the other two to hear.

Ash squinted his eyes and slowly said, "She looks like her."

"But why is she here?"

Bryan nodded, his realistic mind contemplating the possibilities of why she would appear here, "It must be something of great importance if she has ventured into this remote jungle."

Ash, his curiosity getting the better of him, took a step forward, eager to greet a fellow Prime Disciple. However, Ray instinctively held him back, his intuition warning him that something was amiss.

"Wait, Ash!" Ray whispered, his voice laced with caution, "There's something off about this situation. Why would the Ethereal Fairy randomly appear here, that too directly in our path?"

Bryan frowned and said, "Unless she has something to do with us."

The trio immediately scanned their surroundings, looking for any signs of danger or hidden motives. The jungle remained eerily silent, as if holding its breath, amplifying the sense of unease that hung in the air.

"Haha." A gentle and melodious chuckle echoed through the air.

"I'm already aware of your presence, fellow juniors." The Ethereal Fairy said with a gentle smile, and continued, "And fret not, I'm alone in this encounter."

The trio hesitantly walked over before stopping a few metres away from her. Ray's suspicions had sparked a collective sense of wariness within them, causing Bryan and Ash to wholeheartedly trust in his discernment.

As they drew closer, the Ethereal Fairy's serene smile remained unchanged, her eyes reflecting a hidden desire unbeknownst to them, "How are you faring, my fellow juniors?"

"We're doing good." Bryan curtly responded.

Ray's intuition continued to nag at him, compelling him to seek clarity from the Ethereal Fairy. With a glimmer of skepticism in his eyes, he cautiously spoke up, his voice laced with a hint of suspicion.

"You appear before us unexpectedly, Ethereal Fairy." Ray began, his tone measured and deliberate, "Forgive me for being…impolite, but may I ask what are you doing here?"

The Ethereal Fairy maintained her serene composure, her gaze meeting Ray's with unwavering calmness.

"I arrived here because I've heard something interesting happened in the Chaotic Forest." She replied, her voice carrying an air of quiet confidence, "Now, that wouldn't have to do anything with the three of you, would it?"

"We're not sure of the 'situation' you're talking about, Ethereal Fairy." Ray replied with a blank face and continued asking, giving no time for the Ethereal Fairy to speak or take control of the conversation, "Is there anything you need from us, Ethereal Fairy?"

The Ethereal Fairy's smile remained fixed, but there was an unsettling glint in her eyes as she gently chuckled, "Please! Don't call me by that moniker. It creates a sense of distance between us. Just call me Fiona."

Ash stepped forward, a polite smile on his face, "Fiona, it was nice to see you again. But we really must be on our way."

"Oh, what's the hurry?" Fiona said as she walked closer to the trio, her demeanour becoming more invasive as she spoke in a subtle seductive tone, "Why not spend some time with your beautiful senior?"

'She's acting weird…very fucking weird!' Ray squinted his eyes with extreme caution.

"I must apologize, Ethereal Fairy. We appreciate your…offer, but we have pressing matters to attend to." Bryan refused with an adamant tone, maintaining a safe distance between them.

Fiona's smile widened, but it suddenly held a hint of malice, "Such determination."

She mused, as she gently caressed her silky hair, "You three make me question my beauty but then I realize that this is what makes everything so beautiful and satisfying!"

Ray discreetly placed both his hands on Bryan's and Ash's back. Bryan, the ever watchful, spoke with a guarded expression, "What is it that you want from us?"

An awkward silence descended for a brief moment before the Ethereal Fairy sighed and said with a sweet yet disgusting smile, "Stubborn but at the same time, perfect. To answer your question, I want you. All three of you."

""Huh?"'

The trio's expression immediately faltered as they tried to understand what had come out of her mouth.

A predatory satisfaction suddenly filled her face as she purred, her voice like honey laced with venom, dripping with captivating allure, "Ah, the exquisite beauty of draining a person's vitality. It is a delicate dance, my dears, a symphony of power and submission."

Her fingers delicately caressed the air, as if mimicking the act of extracting life essence. The air trembled with a gloom, as if it recognized the imminent darkness that was about to unfold.

"The lifeforce, the essence that animates us all." She continued, her voice a melodious whisper that sent an eerie shiver down the spines of the trio, "To drink from its well is to taste the very essence of existence, to savour the ecstasy of stolen vitality."

Her eyes sparkled with a twisted delight, relishing in the perverse pleasure of her own power. She revelled in the beauty of control, the pleasure of witnessing someone's vitality wane under her touch.

"In the act of draining a life, one becomes a goddess of transformation," she declared, her voice rising with a fervour that bordered on intoxication. "To witness the lifeblood flow into oneself, to witness the fading light in their eyes, is to hold dominion over their very soul."

"To take their essence is to become a vessel of power and beauty," she murmured, her voice now a seductive whisper that wrapped around her listener like a silken snare. "Their lifeforce becomes my own, fuelling my desires and granting me eternal youth and power."

Her eyes gleamed with a sinister radiance, reflecting a memory of the twisted pleasure she derived from the exquisite art of draining a person's lifeforce.

An electric tension hung in the air, as the trio watched her monologue like a madwoman. Ray's suspicions came to being, and now they were faced with a dangerous enemy way beyond their league.

"Give us a fucking break!"