Once Upon a Time... Part 3

Synopsis

This is a story about a world completely different from our own. A story of demons and other mysterious beings.

The Elf and the Flying One-Eyed Ray

Once upon a time, near a deep forest and a large lake, there was a village of elves.
When the moonlight hit the lake, it would shimmer like silver, the fish would swim energetically, and the elves lived quietly, grateful for its blessings.

However, from one day on, the water in the lake began to turn murky.
The fish disappeared somewhere, and dark bubbles began to float to the surface.

Could the lake have been cursed by evil magic?

The elves of the village whispered anxiously.
No one knew the cause, and even the elder of the forest could only tilt his head, saying, 'This is the first time I have seen such a thing.'

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Then, one night.
An elf girl named Lilia found something glowing by the shore of the lake.

It was— a flying one-eyed ray.

A black body that seemed to be wrapped in the darkness of the night.
Large fins that spread out gracefully.
And in the center, a single glowing eye.

Lilia caught her breath in surprise.

The elves had feared monsters since long ago.
But this ray was quiet and seemed sorrowful.

Timidly, Lilia asked.

Are you the one who made the lake murky?

The ray looked slowly at Lilia and answered in a low, soft voice.

No. But I know who did.

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As the ray's eyes glowed, the lake water rippled, and deep in the bottom,
a dark, shining hole became visible.

"What is this...?"

Lilia strained her eyes.

"The seal is broken. Something evil is flowing out from there."

At the bottom of the lake, there used to be a sealing stone to contain evil things.
Now, it was cracked, and black sludge was overflowing.

"I have to fix it... but how can I reach the bottom of the lake?"

As Lilia said this, the ray gently spread its wings.

"I will take you."

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Lilia, riding on the ray's back, closed her eyes with a bit of anxiety.

"Take a deep breath. Leave yourself to the wind and the water."

The moment the ray's voice said that—

Lilia's body floated up lightly.
She fluttered over the lake,
and eventually, as if being sucked in, headed to the bottom of the lake.

Cold water enveloped the two of them.
However, strangely enough, she did not feel suffocated.

A faint light leaked from the ray's body,
illuminating the dark water.

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Eventually, they reached the very bottom of the lake.

There, there was— a large sealing stone .
However, its surface was deeply cracked, and from it,
a black shadow was shimmering and oozing out.

"At this rate, the lake will keep getting polluted...!"

Lilia immediately chanted a magic spell.
However, the cracks in the seal did not budge at all.

"My magic alone is not enough..."

At that moment, the ray closed its eyelids just a little.

"I will lend you my power."

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The ray's single eye began to glow with a pale blue light.
That light poured into Lilia's hands as if gently soaking into them.

—The power of a monster and the magic of an elf mingle together.

A faint light ignited at Lilia's fingertips.
She chanted the sealing spell once more.

"Sealed power, sleep once again."

Then, the sealing stone trembled faintly.

And—

The cracks were sealed up, little by little.

"I did it...!"

The sealing stone returned to its original form, and the black sludge vanished away.

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Riding on the back of the ray, Lilia slowly returned to the surface of the lake.

The lake water became clear,
and the fish are jumping and splashing.

"It's healed...!"

Lilia rejoiced.

The ray answered quietly.

"You did not fear the monster. That is why you were able to save the lake."

Lilia smiled, looking just a little bit happy.

"It's because you helped me."

The ray's single eye
shimmered just a little bit more gently.

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That night, the lake once again shone in silver.

The elves rejoiced, but
Lilia did not tell anyone about the ray.

——Because the elves still fear monsters.

However,
ever since then,
in the night sky over the lake,
one could sometimes see a black shadow fluttering by.

Each time, Lilia
would smile softly.

"Let's talk again sometime."

The ray said nothing,
just quietly flapped its wings.

🌙🌿💧

——For now, the end.

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