The fairy shrine was perched on top of a hill, surrounded by towering marble walls that gleamed. As Knight landed softly outside the gate, Briar's heart raced. She had finally made it to the shrine. She had collected all the magical objects necessary to break the curse. Excitement, nervousness, and fear flooded her all at once, making her chest tight and her hands tremble.

"You three are probably the first humans to ever set foot in the shrine," said Knight, his voice filled with awe. With a slight bow, he opened the gate, leading them inside. "This is Mirella," he said, stopping near an ornate fountain. "She is the luck granter."

In the center of the fountain stood a fairy statue, her smile as serene as a gentle stream. Her hair cascaded like liquid silver, blending seamlessly into her gown, which seemed to flow endlessly, made entirely of water. Her delicate hand held a wand raised high, as if ready to grant any wish with a single wave.

A large, intricately carved bowl filled with gold coins sat at the base of the fountain.

"Mirella is known to bring great fortune to magic rituals," Knight explained. "We should ask for her blessing for your ritual, Princess. Let's toss a coin together. It will bring us much luck."

Knight dipped his muzzle into the bowl, grabbing a mouthful of coins and motioning for the others to follow his lead.

Briar carefully picked a coin from the bowl, her eyes locking with the fairy's gentle gaze. The statue seemed almost alive, its smile radiating warmth and hope.

One by one, they tossed their coins into the fountain. The coins made soft plinks as they hit the water and sank to the bottom.

"Princess, now you have luck on your side. Nothing can stop you from breaking the curse," said Knight, his voice brimming with confidence.

Briar felt a surge of hope and smiled. She desperately needed luck.

"We should hurry," Leon said, glancing up at the sky where the first stars had begun to twinkle. "The moon will rise soon."

"Prince Leon, there is nothing to worry about," Knight reassured him. "We will reach the sacred circle before the moon comes out."

Knight took the lead, his hooves clicking softly on the cobblestone path, and they followed him. The fairy shrine might have looked like an ordinary garden if not for the white marble statues that adorned it and the tangible magic that hung in the air. They passed a mermaid statue, elegantly perched on a rock with her tail coiled around her. Her eyes sparkled with life as if she might leap into the fountain at any moment. A few steps away stood a centaur, frozen in a moment of triumph, his front hooves raised high and a bow and arrow aimed at some unseen target.

Further on, they came upon a majestic unicorn statue. Nearby, a phoenix was captured in the act of rising from a bed of ash, its wings outstretched and ready to soar into the sky.

As they ventured deeper into the shrine, the statues of magical creatures became more numerous and varied—winged horses, ethereal fairies, mischievous goblins, stout dwarfs, fearsome dragons, imposing werewolves, towering giants, and countless others.

"This place honors all magical creatures," Knight said, nodding respectfully at the statues. He lifted his head and took a deep breath. "The air here is thick with magic. It is said that the spirits of our ancestors bless this shrine."

"I always thought fairies never died," Leon mused, his brow furrowed in thought. "Aren't they immortal?"

"Every living being must face death eventually," Theodore said softly. "It's nature's law."

Knight halted before a grand statue of a fairy dressed in an amethyst-colored gown, her head crowned with an ornate diadem. "This is our fairy queen," he said, bowing deeply. The fairy's hair, a cascade of midnight black, framed a face that radiated wisdom and strength. Even though it was only a statue, Briar could sense the powerful aura that surrounded it, understanding why she had been chosen as the queen.

"And here are the Elder Fairies," Knight continued, nodding toward a group of eight statues. Each fairy wore a flowing white gown, their expressions serene and wise, almost indistinguishable from one another. "And there," Knight gestured toward a white circular pedestal facing a shimmering waterfall, "is the sacred circle."

Briar took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Her palms were sweaty, and she nervously fidgeted with the strap of her satchel as they approached the pedestal.

Just a few feet from the marble pedestal, Knight came to an abrupt stop. "One more thing," he said, his tone serious. "Only the person who performed the ritual may enter the sacred circle. The prince and the healer must remain here."

"We will stay here then," Theodore said.

Leon looked visibly disappointed but nodded in agreement. "Fine. As long as the curse gets broken."

Briar gave her friends a reassuring nod and, with her heart racing, stepped toward the pedestal alone.

At the center of the pedestal, outlined in gold, lay the sacred circle. It was a complex and intricate design, filled with an array of magical symbols and sigils, each one meticulously carved.

As if waiting for her, the clouds parted, revealing the full moon. Its silvery rays bathed the sacred circle in a soft, ethereal light. The symbols on the pedestal seemed to come alive, absorbing the moon's glow and beginning to rotate and pulse with energy.

Briar stood in the center, her breath shallow and her heart pounding. She could feel the magic thrumming in the air, a palpable force that filled her with both awe and trepidation. This was the moment she had been preparing for, the culmination of her quest. She took a deep breath and prepared to begin the ritual, her eyes fixed on the glowing symbols that seemed to beckon her to unlock their ancient secrets.

Briar lowered herself onto the cool, smooth edge of the sacred circle. She took a deep breath, her mind racing with the words the forest fairies had whispered to her. She repeated them silently, over and over, like a protective charm warding off her fears.

With trembling hands, she opened her satchel, her fingers brushing against the ancient leather cover of the Book of Spells. She withdrew it carefully, the weight of its ancient magic almost tangible. Unsheathing her sword, she carefully sliced through the rope binding the book. Briar braced herself, half expecting the book to leap from her hands and escape into the night. But it lay still, as if it, too, knew the significance of this moment.

Carefully, she placed the Ancient Book of Spells in the very heart of the sacred circle, ensuring it did not touch any of the shifting, glowing symbols that danced around the perimeter. Each symbol pulsed with a mysterious energy, their luminescence casting eerie shadows across Briar's face.

Next, she retrieved the other magical objects from her satchel. She placed the chunk of gold atop the book, followed by the mermaid flower, its petals shimmering like tiny stars caught in a delicate bloom. Lastly, she took out the vial of fairy godmother's blood and placed it carefully beside the other items.

Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum, each beat echoing the magnitude of the moment. Briar's hands shook as she placed them over the magical objects, her fingers barely touching the cool surface of the vial and the petals of the flower. She closed her eyes, summoning the magic from deep within her heart, feeling it rise like a warm, comforting tide.

Slowly, the warmth spread from the magical objects into her hand, a gentle heat that soon intensified, growing hotter and hotter until it felt as though her hand was aflame. The air around her began to buzz with a soft hum, the first whisperings of the ancient magic she was calling forth.

The hum grew louder, swelling into a thunderous roar that vibrated through the air, shaking the very ground beneath her. The sacred circle itself seemed to resonate with the power, the glowing symbols flickering and shifting in response. Briar bit her lip, her teeth digging into the soft flesh as she pressed her hand harder against the objects.

Suddenly, a brilliant light flared up before her eyes. Hovering above the circle was an orb of light, a perfect sphere radiating an intense, almost blinding energy. It crackled with power, each sparked a tiny bolt of lightning dancing across its surface. The orb grew, expanding rapidly, its glow enveloping the entire circle.

Just then, the orb exploded in a blinding flash of white light. The force of the blast knocked Briar off the pedestal, sending her tumbling onto the ground. Her vision swam with spots, the world around her a blur of brightness.

Though she couldn't see anything, Briar felt the cold marble beneath her cheek and the ringing in her ears. As she struggled to sit up, she heard a sound that sent a chill down her spine—a woman's laugh, soft and mocking, echoing through the air.

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