I wake up. I am in a fluffy bed in a cosy wooden chamber. Outside, instead of prison walls, there is a thick rainforest. Birds are chirping. One would think I'm in some tropical getaway. It soothes my heart greatly, after all these hideous months of being locked up in a cage, like an animal.

My wounds are bandaged. At once, I recollect everything - how Dagur and I struggled against the pursuers and he and Knut killed all of them.

"Ah, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Knut gets up from his silken armchair (I gather the silkworm fairies have helped make it) and puts his hand to my forehead, to measure my temperature. When he gets assured I'm fine, a bright smile forms on his face. He bends down and gives me a passionate kiss.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Theo!"

"I'm so happy to see you again, Knut..."

I hug him tightly. He embraces me in his sturdy arms. We cover each other in kisses. We've indeed longed for each other a lot while separated during that entire prison break.

I ask about Dagur's condition. Thankfully, he too is alright now and is resting in another tree-house Knut has built specifically for him on the top of the tallest tree since Dagur enjoys coldness and the night sky, and the top of the tallest tree has all of that.

Knut then tells me everything about their adventures while Dagur and I were still in the prison. It turns out that after my breaking into the fairy district and opening their cells, the fairies indeed managed to escape and catch up with Knut and his parties. The barrier was already broken by Knut, so the fairies didn't even need to use Honorée's powers. When they caught up with Knut and the others in the ocean, they reached the continental shores together and hid here - in the Sacred Grounds (Now that I look out the windows, some dragon bones can indeed be seen scattered here and there).

Knut and the plant elementals helped build these tree-houses, while the silkworm fairies (just as I had expected) helped sew the linen for beds, armchair covers, tablecloths, and other needful material. Water elementals helped with the water system, while fire elementals helped build stoves and other utilities, on their part. So, in a few days that Dagur and I were in the prison or the forest, our friends managed to build a little settlement all on their own. Knut has placed an impenetrable barrier with the help of Honorée (Knut's three elements are unrivalled in power, so their add-up to Honorée's fairy barrier has made it unbreakable, unlike Nanny's one in the prison). I am still surprised as to why Nanny hadn't used Knut's help with her barrier before. If she had, Honorée would've never escaped and I too would've never gotten my inspiration for the prison-break plan.

Knut has already told all the parties about how the deviants had been lying to us about the infected humans - that they do not emit the same particles as the inborn deviants do. It has made me so shocked even back when Dagur mentioned it, that now I can't help but ask Knut:

"But if we don't emit those particles, doesn't it mean we won't infect other humans? If that's so, then it means we all can return to our homes, right?"

"Yeah, Shon and the others asked me about that too..." Knut scratches the back of his head. "Unfortunately, it is not so simple, Theo. Even if all that's true and, technically, you can return to your homes, for now, it's still impossible. Human society believes we are monsters - a danger to them. Deviant society sees us as a potential danger that can overthrow them if our community grows in size. So, we're considered an enemy to both of them. We've made this place - the Sacred Grounds - our temporary refuge, but we cannot leave it yet. Even if you return to your families, they'll only send you to a new restricted area, either designed by deviants or humans, it doesn't matter. Our battle is far from over. In fact, it's just begun. Now, we must fight not against a physical enemy like we did back in the prison, but against false ideologies."

I want to object, but as I give it some more thought, I realise Knut is right - we cannot leave yet, no matter how we might want it. Humans still consider us monsters, and deviants think of us as a menace. We must fight both against human and deviant societies. It is indeed just the beginning, as Knut has said.

"But don't you worry about it," he smiles and caresses me on the head, "We'll think about it when we settle down. For now, you need to rest. I'll go get you something to eat. You must be starving."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." I smile back. "Thank you, Knut."

"No problem, Theo."

Knut gives me yet another kiss and leaves my chamber. I remain alone with my thoughts, but not for long. My friends - Yelen, Annabelle, Rufus, Shon, and Honorée - enter, while many others are waiting down below (as I've said, I'm in a tree-house), yelling and cheering for me.

I should've expected it - when my breakout plan succeeded and we're free now, I would become everyone's idol. Privacy is something I should bid goodbye to, because, apparently, I'm a celebrity now.

"Theo! Thank goodness you're alright! Ah, I'm so happy! We were dead worried about you!" Yelen wraps me in her arms and even applies her snow-white raven wings to squeeze me.

"Theo! Thank you so much! I was so scared that evil warden would kill you for what you did!" Honorée sheds tears as she embraces me.

"Ah, Theo! So good you're alright!" Shon hugs me, "I was worried!"

"Ugh, you always have to do that, huh? Give us heart attacks and then turn up all fine and healthy! Ugh, I'm so glad you're alright!" Annabelle scolds me as always and then hugs me tightly.

"Heyy, our troublesome chick! So good to see you!" Rufus laughs. For someone who should've been worried like my other friends, he seems way too calm.

"Thank you, guys. I've missed you too." I smile with gratitude nevertheless, for they've always been supportive, and continue to care for me even now when all is over and we're free.

After we exchange the tales of our adventures, they all leave. All save for Annabelle. She instead takes a seat on the edge of my bed and looks at me with apparent sorrow:

"By the way, I heard from Knut... about Dagur."

"Oh, so you know?"

I widen my eyes - she was so into Dagur she's even asked Knut about him?

"Yeah, he told me he was the warden."

"Oh... So, how do you feel now?"

I really am curious - Annabelle was always into hooking up with administrators back in the prison, to get the best of it. She saw that as the only possible salvation from the miserly prison life, apart from befriending all sorts of people from the different districts who would share their food with her during winter. So, now that she's been one of the key figures in letting the breakout succeed, and then found out she's been crushing on the biggest and the most dangerous fish she could possibly hook - the warden, how would she feel?

"I... don't know." she shrugs. "He's the most handsome man I've ever met... Ugh, think what you will, Theo! Don't look at me like that!" she frowns, for I really am looking at her in a daze, hearing she still considers Dagur handsome. "Yeah, I like him! Our tastes differ, okay? Well, what I was saying is... He was very helpful and sweet even back when we were still devising the plan. I can't believe it's the same guy who would kill every prisoner and even the administrators - his own subordinates - whenever he felt like it!"

"Yeah, I too have mixed feelings about him - the guy who turns out my boyfriend's beloved brother and the tyrannical ruler of our prison all at the same time, who's also the one to have helped us break out for God knows why..." I shrug. "He said it was because of Knut, but I don't know, really. I'm not sure what to think."

"Yeah, exactly," Annabelle agrees. "Well, it was a little shocking, but... I guess I can let it slide. After all, the main thing is we're free and can take it easy for a while... All thanks to you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Theo. You really are a great girl."

"Heh, you're giving me too much credit, Annie. You played a big part in it too, you know it."

We hug each other like the best friends that we are. Then, Annabelle leaves me alone.

Soon, Knut returns with a tray of delicious roasted meat, and I feast like the queen that I am, with my beloved boy by my side, the people who truly consider me a precious friend (unlike my family who heartlessly tossed me away), and an unclear but still a bright future ahead.

Yeah, fate sure is a mysterious thing. You think you have it all figured out, and boom, it throws completely unpredictable surprises at you. Yet, in the end, you find out it was not some wrathful God's curse or your paying for your unknown crimes, but simply a new path to take, new amazing things to experience, new hardships to overcome, and new heights to reach.

During these few months, I've had the most hectic roller coaster of my life. But, I guess, all's well that ends well, and this one has certainly ended well. I can say I'm happy. It's not what I expected last year when I was finishing the first course of my degree at my university, and I'm not where I thought I'd be, but I sure feel happy.