Erza slept soundly that night, exhausted from the extreme events and the shocking news about her friend. By morning, she was determined to reach Princess Lucy's castle immediately and uncover the truth.

"I recommend you don't return," Natsu warned her. "If she finds out you willingly chose not to kill me, she'll be very angry with you, and she will most likely punish you severely."

"I'm not frightened," she said boldly. "I must know the truth. I must know if our friendship was genuine."

"I believe it was," he replied. "Lucy has done some deplorable things, but deep down in her heart, all she wants is to be loved and accepted."

"Strange. She wants to kill you, yet you hold so much compassion for her. Why is that?"

"Let's just say it's because I know her very well—well enough to understand that her reasons for her actions are, in a way, understandable."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say, but know this: whatever you may find out about her when you get to the castle, try not to judge her—at least not too harshly. She wasn't always the way she is now, and it was my fault that she ended up like this."

Erza didn't fully understand what Natsu meant. She tried to get him to be more specific, but he couldn't tell her anything more. After thanking him again for saving her twice and providing her with a place to stay, she set off for Lucy's castle.

When she finally arrived, she was greeted by the princess herself, who wore a pleased expression.

"Is it done?" Lucy asked. "Did he drink it?"

"No. No, he did not," Erza replied, her expression cold and filled with betrayal.

"I see..." Lucy said, looking disappointed. "I guess he figured out who you were and what you were really up to, so he evaded you?"

"He figured me out, but he didn't evade me."

"He didn't?"

"No. In fact, he saved my life twice, even knowing what I was trying to do to him," she said. "And it turns out we both had very different ideas about what you wanted me to do."

She pulled out the bottle.

"You told me this was a potion that would take away someone's power if they drank it. But that's not what it really is, is it?"

Lucy looked anxious, as if she had been caught red-handed—which, in a way, she had.

"This is poison, isn't it?" Erza asked, trying to keep her anger in check. "You were going to trick me into killing him! You lied to me!"

"I had to! It was to spare you the guilt of knowing you killed someone! Someone who, I might add, is an evil killer."

"You're still lying to me! He's no killer! At least not in the way you described! He saved me twice, even knowing that you sent me to kill him! What kind of evil killer would do that?!"

"It's a trick! One to get you to betray me! Don't be fooled. He has no kindness or goodness; he only wants to destroy everything I hold dear so I'll give in to him."

"Enough with the lies! I know the truth! All of it! The beast told me everything!"

"Beast?" Lucy's expression suddenly darkened. "What beast?"

"The Shadow Beast! He told me how you only befriended me so you could use me to do your dirty work! Is that true?!"

Lucy didn't answer. Instead, her face grew darker, filled with rage. Without a word, she walked over to a nearby crystal ball placed on a table and grabbed it. For a moment, Erza thought the enraged blonde was going to break it, but instead, she did something very unorthodox—she began talking to it.

"You vindictive little bastard!" she screamed at the orb. "Why must you always torment me for your own sick amusement?!"

For a moment, Erza thought Lucy had lost her sanity. Why was she shouting at an inanimate object?

"Who are you talking to?" Erza asked.

"I'm talking to your new friend!" Lucy snarled. "Gray! The shadow beast! I bet he's at his castle right now, watching us through his mirror with that smug grin on his face!"

She turned her attention to the crystal ball.

"Enjoy it while you can, monster! I'll get you for this! You think this will stop me? You think you can just ruin my plans? Think again! I will not stop! Ever! Not until he's dead!"

"So it is true," Erza said, her voice steady. "You were using me to kill Natsu. Was our friendship just a lie?"

Lucy's expression softened, guilt washing over her.

"No," she replied, her voice trembling. "At first, I was using you, but over time, I grew fond of you. I considered you my friend."

"Then why did you still try to become a murderer? Why deceive me? Why want to kill an innocent man?"

"He is not innocent!" Lucy snapped. "You don't really know him! You don't know what he's done!"

"But he hasn't killed your subjects, has he?"

Lucy hesitated. "No, he hasn't."

"I knew it! He doesn't deserve to die!"

"That's not your decision to make!"

"It's not yours either!"

"There's so much you don't understand, Erza! If only you knew what he did to me! It was unforgivable, the most evil act anyone could commit."

"What? What did he do to you that warrants such hatred?"

"I trusted him once, and he destroyed something precious to me. The most precious thing in my life. That betrayal has scarred me in ways I can never recover from! He is a killer! He took an innocent life, and because of his knight-in-shining-armor facade, no one believes me! So I had to lie to protect you from his deception!"

"I don't believe you."

"What do you mean you don't believe me?"

"You've lied to me so much that I don't know whether to trust you now."

"But you're my friend! Friends are supposed to trust each other!"

"Friends are also supposed to be honest! They shouldn't trick or deceive each other! If you can't be honest with me, then I guess we can't be friends anymore!"

Lucy's heart sank at Erza's words. She felt a pang of regret but also anger. Erza had been lost, hungry, and alone when Lucy had first met her. She had thought she found someone who cared, only to discover it was all a lie—one that nearly led to the death of an innocent man. A true friend wouldn't betray that trust.

Erza opened her mouth to speak, but Lucy's demeanor shifted from hurt to fury.

"You're just like everyone else!" she cried. "No one really wants to help me! They all prefer the conquering hero, ignoring the sins he's committed! You're right, Erza! We can't be friends anymore if you choose him over me!"

The intensity of Lucy's glare sent a chill down Erza's spine. It was as if Lucy had transformed into a dark entity consumed by rage. But the terrifying truth was that this was Lucy's true self.

"Five seconds," Lucy said coldly.

"What?" Erza stammered.

"That's how long I'm giving you! You have five seconds to get out of my castle before my guards throw you into the dungeon, where you'll rot for the rest of your life!"

She raised a finger. "One."

"You can't be serious," Erza protested.

"Two." Another finger went up.

"Lucy, this is crazy! You can't do this!"

"Three."

As she held up a third finger, the royal guards began to enter the room. Realizing this was no joke, Erza bolted for the door. By the time Lucy reached four and five, the guards were in hot pursuit, arrows flying and gauntleted hands reaching for her. She stumbled but refused to fall; she couldn't afford to be captured.

Spotting a window across the room, she recognized it led to the moat surrounding the castle. It was a fifty-foot drop, but at least there were no rocks below—just water. She had to take the chance. With guards closing in, she ran toward the window and leaped. SPLASH! She hit the water, and the guards peered out, assuming she had drowned. But Erza had survived. Instead of surfacing immediately, she swam beneath the drawbridge, hiding until she was sure they had left.

Once she reached a secluded edge of the moat, she pulled herself out of the water, her mind racing. Not only had she discovered that her best friend had been lying to her, but now Lucy wanted her imprisoned—or worse. Just last week, they had shared tea, laughing about the ridiculousness of nobles. Now, it felt as if their friendship had never existed. Erza had never truly had a friend before Lucy, so the betrayal cut deep. She recalled her mother's words when she had left home, warning her that no one would ever care for her. At that moment, doubt crept in.

"No!" Erza told herself fiercely. She wouldn't believe that now. She wouldn't return to that woman. Not after how far she had come. Yes, she had been hurt and betrayed, but she wouldn't let that define her. She could find another friend, but she only had one life to live, and she would live it to the fullest.

Though heartbroken, Erza refused to let the betrayal consume her. She would move on and perhaps find a real friend who would support her through this difficult time. For now, she needed to rely on herself. With renewed determination, she brushed herself off and left the castle, ready to embrace whatever lay ahead.

...

Greige stared at the illustration of the soaking wet peasant woman leaving the castle. Once again, he couldn't help but compare her appearance to Elkis's. Flipping through the pages, he studied each illustration and found that nearly every character resembled someone he had seen in Edolas. The maiden tending to roses looked like his teacher, Juvina; the knight climbing giant beanstalks resembled Nakku the mechanic; the beast lurking in the shadows bore a striking resemblance to the peculiar detective Gren; and the princess with the dark heart looked just like Mayor Lusha.

It was strange. Why did so many characters in his book resemble the people of Edolas? It couldn't be mere coincidence. Surely, it had to mean something, but what? What did it all signify?

When he reached the last page of the book, he discovered a part of the story he had never read before. How odd—it was a book he had owned for ten years, yet he had never noticed this final tale. The illustration depicted a character resembling Elkis, clutching a young man in a room shrouded in darkness. Beside them lay the character who looked like Nakku, unconscious on the floor, while the figure resembling Lusha stood over him, a twisted glee etched across her face.

"She had finally done it." Greige read. "Princess Lucy had cast her curse which would rip everyone away from the people they loved most and send them to another world. One where time would stand still, where all the people of Fiore would be trapped, where they would forget who they were and have false memories replace their real ones. In this new land Lucy believed that she would be the only one happy here while everyone she deemed her enemy would be miserable but actually she would be just as miserable as everyone else so all the hurt and damage she caused would be for nothing."

When he finished reading that part he turned to the next page and started reading it.

"But all hope was not lost. For you see all curses can be broken and this one was no different. It was said that one day two children who grew up in this new land and possessed a magic of their own would discover this town and through love they would break the curse and destroy the ultimate evil that started the darkness to begin with."

He looked at the illustration on the next page. It was of a modern day town and not just any modern day town, one that was exactly like Edolas. It even had the sign at the front that read: Now Entering Edolas.

"Okay this isn't just weird anymore." Griege said. "Now it's spooky."

"Five minutes til dinner kids!" Elkis called. "Take this time to wash up!"

"Okay!" Nasha called back. She walked by Griege's room and stopped at his doorway. "Come wash your hands for dinner."

He didn't respond. He just continued to re-read the last few pages of the final story in the book.

"Hey did you hear me? It's almost time to eat so get ready."

"Nasha." Griege said nervously. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"It's kind of a weird thing to ask but I really need to know your answer on this."

"Alright shoot."

"Do you believe in magic?"

"What?"

"Do you believe in magic? Fantasy? Myths? Fairy tales?"

"Uh...No." She said as if it was obvious. "Of course not. Who the heck under age five believes in any of that?"

Griege didn't answer.

"Hold up don't tell that you actually believe in that."

"Well I don't know for sure if I do but-"

"Griege you're ten years old. I think it's time you put away the fairy tales and stories of magic and start believing in reality."

"Nasha I said I don't know if I believe in it. I didn't at all before now but..."

"But what? What's changed?"

"I'm worried that if I tell you'll think I'm crazy and make fun of me."

"First of all I don't bully people. I got bullied myself in my last few foster homes so I would never allow myself to sink so low. As for thinking your crazy well that depends on what it is you're going to tell me."

"Maybe I should just show you instead."

"Show me what?"

He opened the book wider so she could see better and flipped back some pages.

"Now keep in mind that I don't know for sure if I believe this or not but I'm convinced that it means something."

"What means what?"

"Just read these last few pages."

"You want me to read a story book? I think I'm too mature for that."

"I'm not asking you to read the whole thing just the last few pages."

"Why?"

"Because it'll give you a better understanding of what I'm about to tell you."

"Fine."

And she began to read those final pages.

So now you all know why Lucy hates Erza and Greige is starting to put the pieces together. But why does Lucy hate Natsu so much? What made her so evil? And will Greige and Nasha be able to figure out what's really going on in the small town of Edolas? The plot thickens.

Next chapters will provide Gray's backstory and how he became the beast that he is while Elkis finds herself in some trouble and looking to a very unlikely source for help. Stay tuned.