CHAPTER 3: The Seeds of Rebellion

The next day, the girls resumed their work obediently. Himeji now stayed close to the pink-haired girl and Etsuko as they tended to the fields. Etsuko crouched beside the pink-haired girl, gently guiding her hands. “Focus your Elyssence here,” she instructed, placing her hand above the soil. “Channel just enough energy to nurture the seeds. Too little and nothing grows. Too much… and you risk destroying the natures.”

The pink-haired girl concentrated, her fingers grazing the earth. Energy pulsed from within her, and a healthy plant emerged—taller and more vibrant than the others, making the nearby girls pause and stare in surprise at how effortlessly she had grown it.

"W-Wow..! Are you sure you're not an Elyssian?" Etsuko asked in awe. "Y-You have an amazing ability...! D-Did you use too much energy?" Himeji added, her voice cutting in with concern.

"Ah, not really. I only used a little bit," the pink-haired girl replied with a small smile.

The two girls exchanged glances, still wide-eyed with surprise.

“Liar…” Murasaki muttered, her eyes narrowing as she glanced toward the neglected garden with the glowing Sapphire Heart placed in the middle, surrounded by twisted vines and cracked soil. It had barely dimmed, as if she had used almost no energy at all.

From afar, the Warden observed quietly through binoculars, his posture rigid with authority.

His assistant—the Overseer, Ryven, remarked, "She's impressive. Her ability is rare."

“This creature isn’t Elyssian,” the Warden replied coldly. “Where did you find her?”

“My men found her lost in the woods,” Ryven explained, his voice slowing as if recalling the moment. “They saw her kneeling beside an injured animal, using her hands to heal its wounds. "

As they approached, she looked up at them with those green eyes.

"Where are your parents?"

"I... lost them..." she replied.

The guys chuckled. "Aww, that's too bad. We'll help you find them~" Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes, and the girl knew they had other intentions. She simply stared at them as if she could see through their lies. Then, without a word, she followed.

"So we thought... we would get the chance to recruit one last member, even though she was an outsider."

The Warden’s eyes glinted with suspicion. "How foolish can you be? She's an outsider—there’s no reason to trust her. She hasn’t even told you where she comes from."

Ryven looked a bit trouble, "Well... she seems harmless—"

"For now. Of course."

Ryven fell silent, sensing the weight of the Warden's stare. His front-sided hair fell out of place, betraying his otherwise composed appearance.

The Warden leaned closer, his gaze cold and unwavering. "Watch her closely. If she’s a spy, I’ll deal with her myself. And if she causes trouble... so will you."

Ryven nodded stiffly, the tension tightening his chest. "...We’ll keep an eye on her."

As the pink-haired girl noticed the other girls struggling to grow their plants. Etsuko murmured,

“Ever since we moved here, the food we get keeps getting smaller…”

“Yeah, and the guards keep most of it for themselves,” Himeji added.

“It’s not fair... They’re not the ones working...” the pink-haired girl whispered angrily.

“Don’t say that too loud,” Himeji warned.

At the moment, they returned to work. But as they chatted, “By the way, what’s your name?” Etsuko tilted her head curiously. They hadn't had the chance to get to know her since yesterday, but now Etsuko finally managed to bring it up. The pink-haired girl took a moment of hesitation, she seemed reluctant to answer before she finally made up her mind.

“M..Maika,” the pink-haired girl replied giving them an awkward smile,

“Maika? That’s a pretty name!” Himeji said with a smile.

“Where are you from?” Etsuko asked.

“It’s… a long story,” Maika replied evasively.

The girls stare at each others trying not to press her further, awkwardly they said "S-sorry about that.."

But Maika shook her head, "It;s fine, really." she continued to use her Elyssence.

The plants she nurtured grew larger and healthier than any the other girls had produced once again.

"W-Wow…! How did you do that?" a nearby girl asked, approaching with wide eyes. "That's amazing..."

"I know, right?" another girl chimed in.

They watched Maika stepped toward the girls who were too tired to continue. "Here, let me help you." With a soft touch, she coaxed small clusters of blueberries from the soil and handed them out. "Shh... Don’t let the guards see."

"W-Wha... Thank you... um..." the girl whispered, staring curiously at Maika.

"Just call her Maika!" Etsuko cut in with a bright smile. "She's the legendary Elyssence user!"

The other girls gasped, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Wow, really? Are you serious?" one of them asked, her voice brimming with awe.

Maika’s face flushed as she quickly waved her hands in protest.

"N-no! That’s not true...!"

Nearby, Murasaki’s eyes narrowed as she watched the other girls enjoying the berries. Her friend, Yami, beside her nudged her shoulder.

"She’s awesome! We can’t do that."

Murasaki shot her a sharp look. "Enough. She’s just showing off."

"You're jealous, Murasaki~" Yami teased with a playful grin.

"Why would I be jealous?" Murasaki shot back, her tone sharp with annoyance.

"Well... you're the most skilled Elyssence user in our group. Even the guards have high expectations of you sometimes."

"High expectations? Oh, Please." Murasaki scoffed, rolling her eyes. "They don't care about us— they only want our results. The moment you’re no longer useful, they toss you aside." The thought of the guards made her feeling disgusted. She knew their type all too well— easily swayed by her seductive allure, though she never let them take more than what she allowed.

"Oh, come on now. I was just saying... that outsider might be an interesting rival for you. You know what I mean?" Yami smirked,

"Yami, just focus on tending your plant. She's not worth my time."

"Fiiine~" Yami sighed, returning to her task.

"GYAAH!"

Suddenly, a sharp yelp broke the air. A nearby girl stumbled mid-step and fell onto her back, her hands trembling as panic flickered in her eyes. "What's going on..?" The other girls started to take a look.

With a harsh crack, a dark tree with twisted bark burst from the soil, its roots spreading rapidly beneath the ground. Life drained from the surrounding plants—leaves shriveled, stems withered, and flowers collapsed into dust.

Cries of alarm rippled through the field as the other girls scrambled back, "Our plants! What have you done!?" their panic rising with each inch the roots claimed. “I..It’s the Duskwood...” Etsuko gasped. “If someone’s too overwhelmed, their Elyssence turns corrupt and kills everything nearby..!”

“That’s horrible..” Maika gasped.

Before anyone could react, the guards moved in swiftly and thrust his blade piercing through the girl’s heart. The sickening sound of steel tearing through flesh echoed across the field as blood seeped from the girl's wound. She collapsed to the ground, the life draining from her body in an instant, leaving only the cold finality of death.

Because that was the only way to destroy the Duskwood.

“Yuzuki-chan!!” a dark brown-haired elf girl screamed, falling to her knees beside the body.

The Warden approached, his boot accidentally stepped on the blood and paused. "Tch. Filthy, even in death. Should’ve let the Greeds tear her apart—at least they'd find some use for this trash." He sneered.

The Greeds are monsters that emerged a few years ago, triggered by the apocalypse that struck certain regions after the war ended. The name alone sent a chill through the young girl, the corpse's best friend.

“P-Please, don’t take Yuzuki to the Greeds! I’m begging you!” the girl cried, clutching his leg.

The Warden kicked her face away. “She’s nothing but meat now. The Greeds will feast well tonight.”

“No! Please!” She continued to cry begging for him.

A guard grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back, shoving her to the ground. “Get back to work!”

The girl sobbed uncontrollably, gathering Yuzuki's limp body into her arms. Unmindful of the blood seeping into her clothes, she clung to her tightly, as if refusing to let death take her away.

Meanwhile other girls huddled together, not a single one dared to rise— their eyes fixed on the blood-soaked in the earth.

The Warden’s cold eyes scanned the field ignoring the girl whining, before narrowing upon the cluster of blueberries that make the girls began to tremble, as whispers of fear escaped their lips.

"What party are you throwing during work?" he accused, as he strode toward them.

“I grew them,” Maika declared, cutting through the tense air. She stepped forward boldly before Etsuko could stop her.

“An amateur trying to play hero again?” the Warden snickered, “Growing a few extra plants won’t save you. It won’t make you special.”

Maika dropped to her knees in a dogeza bow, her forehead pressed to the dirt. The sudden act of submission caused a heavy silence to the air.

"Please… give everyone more food. They need energy to work. Or else, this mistake might happen again." Her voice trembled but held firm, echoing against the stillness.

The Warden's eyes widened briefly before his gaze hardened.

“You ungrateful brat!” a guard barked, but the Warden raised a hand.

“Enough.”

His cold eyes locked onto Maika. “You’re smart… Too smart.” He crouched down, gripping her chin. “You want more food? Fine. But you won’t get any. Grow it yourself… Without the Sapphire Heart.”

He gave her a smirk before he released her roughly and walked away as the guards dragged Yuzuki’s body from the field.

Maika clenched her fists as she watched the girl who had cried over Yuzuki’s death. The sorrow in her eyes only strengthened Maika’s resolve.

I’ll get us out of here. No matter what it takes.