Flora tugged the sleeves of her sweater as she turned the corner.
Her cheeks, along with her entire body, tingled with warmth. It was little wonder, as she gazed down at herself. Clothed in heavy leggings, fur-laced boots, and a long sweater dress, she was fully prepared for her day. Or at least she was until a few hours ago.

When she had dressed, her mind was filled with images of all the things she anticipated doing with Helia that day as they explored Christmastime in Gardenia. They were going to have brunch at the Christmas market, then stroll around the city looking at the light displays before touring the city’s botanical gardens. It wasn’t a very elaborate agenda, but it suited the duo just fine—mostly as it would allow the two some quality time alone together, something they were in desperate need of.

When they had first started dating, back at the end of Flora’s second year at Alfea, the two would often find small ways to sneak away between classes, commitments, and even missions to meet. It was cute and created cherished memories. The two had hoped, following the end of their education and missions, they would be able to have a more traditional time together—more formal dates that would allow them the endless hours of listless pleasure.
They were still waiting on that one.

Before either of them truly knew it, or even could converse on the matter, they found themselves relocated to Earth on another mission. Without the ever-watchful eye of their teachers, they had been able to meet more. But quality alone time never seemed to last for more than a very short segment of time.

And after the final battle between themselves and the Wizards of the Black Circle…
They both knew a conversation was in order.
A conversation Flora hoped she could muster the courage to start during their leisurely stroll around the coastal city. One, in fact, she started to allude to as they walked towards the beach together.

Until Helia’s phone chimed. Upon taking the call, Helia’s calm demeanor changed and drew a serious expression. One Flora associated with the look that always lined his face during high-pressure and high-stakes undertakings. Just seeing her boyfriend’s stiffened posture and expression amidst the bright and joyful cheer all around them left Flora with a lump in her throat. Her leafy green eyes scanned the area; there was no sign of disarray. That is, except for that of a small child crying as they dropped their soft pretzel on the sidewalk.

“Yes, I understand, and I will arrive promptly,” was all Flora could make of Helia’s conversation as he ended the call. After drawing a swift breath, Helia slid his phone into his jacket pocket and allowed his gaze to fall upon his concerned girlfriend.

It went without saying that their plans had changed, but what Flora hadn’t necessarily expected was to be transported back to Magix. Never mind being en route to Headmaster Saladin’s office inside of Red Fountain.

Despite having spent a fair amount of time at Red Fountain, perhaps more than your average Alfea fairy, Flora had never ventured into the administrative section of the academy. So as the duo turned each corner, Flora couldn’t help but allow her gaze to circle around the changing landscape. At one point, Flora found herself studying the wall’s dressing with such intensity that she hadn’t realized they had arrived at their destination: an imposing steel door with the school’s crest.

Drawing a breath, Helia’s casual posture morphed into that of a soldier ready to enter the battle arena as he raised his hand to knock. With only a couple of timely taps against the surface, a voice from the other side of the frame called out, signaling Flora and Helia to enter. As Helia grabbed the metal door handle, he looked over his shoulder at his girlfriend, offering her a warm smile and nod before pushing open their entry.

Despite the aesthetic favoring darker-hued neutrals and the lack of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the headmaster’s office in Red Fountain shared many similarities to that of Faragonda’s office back at Alfea. With the core focus being a large and imposing desk placed in the center of the room adorning the space. Behind the large metal table was a figure that seemed a bit too small in stature, and even demeanor, to be truly in place in such a sterile environment.

With a wide, brimming smile lining his face was Saladin. As the older man looked up from the various holographic screens on his desk, his eyes locked with his visitors, bringing out a twinkle in his eye that, like magic, brought warmth to the space. The headmaster’s warm laugh gave off an echo as he began to slide out of his oversized chair, his hands clasping around his cane as he circled towards the front of the room.

“Helia, it has been far too long, my dear grandson.” As he began to move closer to the couple, the strength of his voice increased. “I am glad to see you again. And Flora,” Saladin gestured towards the brunette and gave a small wink, “what a pleasant surprise. Faragonda has told me some about the mission you girls have been undertaking on Earth the past few months. I must applaud your efforts, and I do hope to have the occasion to hear all about it. Perhaps even find a chance to slip off to Earth, provided I can pry Faragonda away for more than a moment.”

Now, standing before the two, Saladin stood. The warmth and excitement that was displayed on his face moments ago slowly faded, the spark of excitement in his eyes slowly dimming like air being deflated from a balloon as the reason for their appearance once more returned to the forefront of his mind. “Though I long to hear about your missions on Earth, for the moment, I am afraid we must divert away from that conversation.”

Taking a step back, he extended a hand towards the second table in his office. This one, a long oval fixture with a screen overlay on the top and several small stools clustered around it. “For now, I ask that you take a seat so we can begin debriefing.”

Without hesitation, the two followed behind the headmaster and took their respective spots on both sides of Saladin. With a wave of a hand, several holograms digitalized—from various still photographs, to reports, and lastly, a projection of a little too familiar sight: Shadow Haunt.

Flora could feel a lump form in her throat. Suddenly she wished her biggest challenge was stirring up a conversation with Helia.

–

“This shouldn’t be too challenging,” Helia began after stepping out of the small aircraft. With a swish of his long, dark blue cape, Helia turned and offered a hand to Flora. The fairy, now clothed in more adventure-appropriate attire, gave a girlish grin as she accepted her boyfriend’s hand to steady herself on the rocky terrain now underfoot.

But her cheeks weren’t only flushed due to the act of chivalry from her beloved but also from her own wavering anxiety.

True to Helia’s words, their mission was simple. All things considered, it would be an elementary training mission for first-years: explore the underground of Shadow Haunt and confirm or deny the validity of the recent reports of growing dark magic levels. A rudimentary case of getting in, fighting some monsters, and getting out. Or at least it would be—if it wasn’t Shadow Haunt of all places. The darkest point in all of Magix, where light magic fizzled under the weight of the darkness, and time was always of the essence.

Scrunching her toes in her boots, Flora gave a reassuring smile. “Of course. And with our history here, it shouldn’t be anything too challenging.”

Flora’s answer must have been convincing, as Helia seemed none the wiser to the small beads of sweat trickling down the back of her neck. What Flora didn’t quite notice, as she tried to suppress her nervousness, was a small flashing look of concern that crossed Helia’s face, furrowing his brows as he quickly analyzed the reason for Flora’s overly bright response. Though he wanted to be the supportive boyfriend he was, something told him pressing the issue at the moment might not be ideal—largely because he, too, wanted to salvage their preexisting plans.

“Alright then, let’s get moving.” Helia reached into his utility belt and retrieved a flashlight before slowly making his way into the first tunnel that would lead them to the heart of Shadow Haunt. As the beam of light illuminated the pathway, a small flock of bat-like animals began squalling as they hurtled past the couple and toward the greying sky.

With the impact leaving their clothing and Flora’s hair fluttering in the wind, Flora felt a small shiver creep down her spine. Welcome back to Shadow Haunt.

–

Both Flora and Helia had been on more missions than either one of them could completely recall. During those missions, they had often ventured with their respective groups or with their larger groups combined. Though, on occasion, Flora could find herself in smaller teams. Often paired with Bloom and Stella, other times with Musa and Aisha, and even more uncommonly, a couple of her friends and a Specialist or two. But never once had the love-struck couple ventured off on their own.

So, as they slowly made their way down each passageway, that realization came to fruition. Yet it bore no bearing. To pass the time, the two chatted back and forth, no differently than if they were grabbing drinks at the Frutti Music Bar. They swapped stories from their work, anecdotes from living with their friends, and even their latest personal projects. Apparently, thanks to the threat of the Black Circle being neutralized, the two had found some more moments to spare for their personal creations. After explaining some of Flora’s new developments with Earth’s medical herbs, Helia began to detail some of his newfound inspiration from Earth’s nature.

Perhaps the conversation about Helia’s newly filled sketchbook was too riveting for the couple, as before they knew it, they had somehow managed to miss a turn—or was it they turned incorrectly?—and had arrived at Downland.

After straying into the city, the two had unknowingly drawn a great deal of unwanted attention, as the citizens did their best to entice the fairy and Specialist to join them for the anniversary of the marriage of their king and queen. Though Flora was looked at with intrigue, Helia found himself the subject of love-struck women with very persistent personalities.

It was only when an old guard intervened that the growing crowd of onlookers thinned, and the couple was able to find their way back to their defined trail. If it wasn’t happening to them, they would have found the entire affair humorous. And for that very reason, they both unanimously agreed to never divulge the details to their friends.

Bar a few, possibly serious, marriage proposals for Helia, the mission was going well. As expected, a few very minor monsters crossed their path, but they were nothing that a few strikes from Helia and a blast or two from Flora couldn’t resolve.

It was thanks to this that the ball of anxiety that had once settled in Flora’s stomach began to untangle, and her desire for her planned conversation diminished. In its place grew a sense of marvel as Flora began to pay closer attention to the nature around her. Unlike most of her friends, Flora hadn’t been strong enough to enter Shadow Haunt during the mission to save the pixies at the start of her second year. Her magic hadn’t been strong enough against the darkness, leaving her to stay behind and only hope for her friends’ success. For some time, it had been something that weighed Flora down as she compared herself against her friends. But now, with so many years passed, and her magic much stronger, it didn’t have the same impact.

Flora was a Believix fairy now. And at the moment, she felt as strong and powerful as she did on any day of the week. The effects of Shadow Haunt didn’t seem to be impacting her. It was truly a victory for her past self.

–

Helia’s scream shook Flora to her core.

It had happened so fast—faster than even Flora’s mind could process in a single moment. After a tread, they had made it to the heart of Shadow Haunt, and Helia and Flora quickly went to work gathering the energy level data and samples. It had been a bit longer of a process than they had first anticipated; perhaps their clumsiness could be accounted for due to their lack of experience with magic technology. Even so, they kept pace with their work. Despite neither vocalizing it, both had hopes of acting steadfastly in hopes of enjoying their Christmastime.

To achieve that, they needed to heighten their focus on the task at hand. As they had become hyperfixated on their work, their guards had dropped, allowing a large and imposing monster to creep up behind them. It wasn’t until it released a high-pitched cry that it struck down both Flora and Helia, sending the two flying in opposite directions.
Having fallen on her head, Flora’s vision blurred as her head began to feel heavy, resulting in her movements becoming jerky and lacking proper direction. And thus, the ultimate prize for the monster. Unlike the women who had flocked to Helia, this

monster could sense Flora’s magic—and it was intent on making Flora its next victim.
From his side of the clearing, Helia felt just as rough. But seeing Flora, laying disoriented and defenseless with the monster’s gaze locked on her, Helia felt a wave of fear that left his heart’s pounding echoing in his ears. With deep, unsteady breaths, Helia gripped his chest as he forced himself to stand and reclaim his weapon. If there was one thing Helia was certain of, it was that he would never lose someone he cared about—not again, not ever.
Drawing forth all his might, Helia charged forward, attacking the monster with one strong movement in hopes of at least getting his foe away from his girlfriend long enough for her to recover enough to free herself from her present state.

Fortunately, it was enough to achieve his objective. His blow had sent the monster back a few feet from Flora, but it had also enraged it. To the extent that it now became focused on Helia. He hadn’t taken a moment to account for the monster’s attributes—mainly the strength it possessed. A fact that became clear as it began to chase after Helia until the two neared the edge of the clearing.

Frantic to keep the monster at bay, Helia used all his tricks and moves. Some had effect, but in the end, they hadn’t been enough to truly stop the monster—and somehow ended with Helia being pushed from his narrow standing ground at the edge of the clearing. As Helia dodged an attack, he lost his footing, sending him backwards and quickly falling. It was only thanks to a combination of luck and reflexes that Helia managed to grab the ledge.

But it didn’t halt the yelp that reflexively escaped.

It was that yelp that snapped Flora back to reality. That gave her the internal push to work past her pain. Though she felt uneasy as she forced herself to her feet and her vision remained blurry, it was the fear that powered her adrenaline. The fear of losing the one she loved.

She had lost one person recently, and she wasn’t going to lose anyone else. She wouldn’t allow Nabu’s passing to become a faded memory when it was a warning of the danger she now faced.

Drawing her hands up above her head and extending her first two fingers to form the shape of a ‘v’, Flora’s voice echoed through the clearing. “Flora! Magic Winx, Believix!”
Flora felt her clothing melt away as she began to transform, and the familiar tug on her back as her large, shimmering wings sprouted from her back. Though her body moved through the motions of her transformation, it was only a bright and blinding light that anyone else could see.

That same bright, shimmering, and sparkling light drew the monster’s eye, gathering its attention back on herself.

Transformation complete, there stood Flora, dressed in her glistening clothing, the shine of her wings illuminating the dark and cold space. Feeling her power flood her veins, she felt strong and ready to do everything in her power to eliminate her adversary.
Emotions running rampant, Flora clenched her fists. Her body hummed with magic as a faint green glow enveloped her. The stronger the emotions, the stronger the magic. That line played in her mind as what she needed to do became clear.

A small line of tears streamed down her cheeks as she extended her hand forward. Her stern eyes narrowed as she channeled her magic. In time with the beating of her heart, Flora began sending off attack after attack at her foe. Though the first two attempts hadn’t landed, her third was stronger and nailed the monster right in the chest. Thanks to the greater impact, it had slowed the monster down. Not enough to stop it completely, but enough that it gave Flora enough time to prepare herself for what she hoped would be her final attack.

Drawing her power and calling for nature’s aid, Flora gave her next spell her all. After releasing the bright green energy toward her opponent, she found herself losing her balance. Her wings felt heavy, as if now unable to support her own weight. If that was due to her injuries being deeper than she expected, or her magic now being sucked out by the dark forces of Shadow Haunt, she didn’t know. Nor, at that moment, did Flora care much for the answer.

All she cared about was her results.

And this time, her final spell had done just what it was intended to do. The energy overcame the monster before destroying it outright.

“Thank Dragon,” Flora managed between breaths before her knees buckled. Her body might be close to being tapped out, but Flora wasn’t done. With what was left of her energy, she began to drag herself to the ledge. Her heart still pounding so loud it could echo through the space. As she got closer, Flora held her breath. Try as she might, she could only faintly choke out Helia’s name. But the full name wasn’t able to form—only the first syllable.

“I’m here, Flora.” Helia’s voice broke through Flora’s fears as his arm appeared over the edge and he began to pull himself up. Sluggishly, Helia was able to bring himself back to safety. Disheveled, he looked up, his eyes meeting Flora’s.

Neither with much energy to spare, they crawled toward one another until they were close enough to embrace. Tears flowed between the two of them as both their fears were laid to rest.

“Let’s get back… to Gardenia…”