Chapter 15:

The Tragic History of the Elves and the New Threat

Rebirth of Science: Empire of Hope

Moris slept long and only opened his eyes in the morning at Ariel’s house. The fatigue from yesterday’s festival had not yet left his body. The melodic songs of the forest birds and the rustling of leaves seemed to gently awaken him. When he came to the table, Ariel smiled warmly at him as she set down the breakfast she had prepared from forest fruits. “Good morning, Moris,” she said in a gentle voice. Moris thanked her and began to eat. Yet a question that had long troubled him lay in his mind. In the middle of their conversation, he spoke thoughtfully: “Ariel… I want to know the history of the elves. Why do you hate humans so much?” Ariel’s face changed slightly, the joy in her eyes giving way to solemnity. She sat silently for a while, then said: “Only Queen Mia can truly answer that question. I understand your intention. Come, I will take you to her.” When they entered Queen Mia’s audience hall, the grandeur of the palace built within a tall tree was immediately felt. The light spread from magical lamps hanging on the branches. Mia sat upon her throne. She looked at Moris for a long time without averting her eyes and began to speak: “Human, what do you wish to know from us?” Moris bowed his head: “I wish for humans and elves not to be enemies but to live together. But before that, I must understand your sorrow and suffering. Why do you hate humans so much?” he said in a steady tone. Mia remained silent for a time. Then she sighed deeply: “This subject is painful for us, but I see your sincere heart. Come, I will show you everything,” she said. They went toward the library. The building itself was a wonder: pillars carved from massive tree trunks, magical light cascading from the ceiling, and a faint fragrance filling the air. Thousands of ancient books and rolled parchments lined the shelves. Mia took a thick, dust-covered book and gently opened it. Her voice sounded as if it came from the depths, bringing past centuries to life. “One hundred and fifty years ago,” she began, “humans and elves lived in peace. But everything was changed by one man. He was the cruel king who founded the Kingdom of Ostania.” Her voice trembled, and a spark of unending grief appeared in her eyes. “He seized power. He oppressed his own people and, to strengthen his rule, declared war against the elves. He spread the false ideology that ‘humans are the superior race.’ From then on, our fate turned into tragedy…” Mia slowly turned the pages. Each picture, each inscription told of sorrow. “Elven villages were set ablaze. Our daughters were sold into slavery. Our sons were forced into armies and made to fight against their own people. Our most sacred trees — the heart of the forest — were consumed by fire. To us it was as if the world had ended.” She gently closed the book.

“After that massacre, only a few of us survived, and we were forced to take refuge in the deep forest. But the human hunts to enslave us have still not ceased…” The hall fell into silence. Even the magical lamps seemed to dim for a moment. Moris lowered his head, lost in heavy thought. “So… what humans did left an unhealing wound in your hearts…” he said softly. Mia gazed at him for a long while. In her eyes distrust and a faint warmth struggled against each other. “That is why we have never trusted humans. But you…” she paused briefly, “…you seem different.” Moris took a deep breath and answered firmly: “If I understand the wounds of the past, perhaps we can build the future together.” Ariel stood silently by his side. In her eyes a faint glimmer of hope seemed to shine. “And if you want to hear the truth, speak to the one who witnessed that war with his own eyes. This is our advisor, Elder Eldran,” she said. In one corner of the hall, Eldran slowly lifted his head. His face bore no wrinkles, yet in his eyes lay the sorrow of centuries. He looked coldly at Moris. “I will never forget what humans like you did. I saw my village burn before my eyes. Our daughters were dragged away. Our sacred tree was engulfed in flames. That night my entire family was slaughtered. And you are a descendant of that people. Tell me, why should I trust you?” Moris’s voice trembled as he spoke: “My purpose is to ensure that mistake is never repeated. Perhaps you will not trust me. But I will bring justice to the elves.” Eldran let out a bitter laugh and said harshly: “All of you begin like this. But in the end greed devours everything.” He turned away. Moris watched him leave, his heart aching. Then he knelt before Queen Mia: “Your Majesty, I understand your grief. I ask forgiveness for those humans. But not all humans are cruel. The cruel ones are only those in power. They oppress not only you but the common people as well. Taxes, inequality, injustice — all are in their hands. Their goal is only domination. For that they even restricted science. But I wish to change this. I ask for your trust.” At that very moment Rocky came to Moris’s side. His eyes shone, and with a voice that broke the silence of the hall he spoke through thought: “Hey, elves! This man speaks the truth. I am a Levian tiger. We bow to no one, we are drawn only by honesty and sincerity. I chose to follow Moris of my own free will. His heart is pure. His intent is justice.” The elders in the hall were shaken. One whispered: “A Levian tiger…” “It has chosen a human as its companion!” “History has never known such a thing!” Mia’s eyes widened, and she whispered: “So… you chose him of your own free will. This changes everything…” At that moment a loud shout was heard from outside. Breaking the silence of the hall, at the edge of the square two elf soldiers were quarreling, swinging a sword and a magic staff. “You are weak! With such guards we cannot protect the forest!” shouted the one with the sword. “And you are a fool! Do you think everything can be solved by force?!” shouted the sorcerer, hurling a fireball. Suddenly their anger slipped out of control, and the sorcerer created a massive fireball and hurled it to the ground. 💥 A huge explosion! A part of the forest trembled, thick smoke rose into the sky. The gathering panicked. At that moment an elder appeared through teleportation, shouting: “Stop! What have you done?!” The soldiers knelt, bowing their heads. “Forgive us… it won’t happen again!” The elder could not contain his fury: “The most sacred principle of the elves is unity! Without unity, who are we?! What will remain to distinguish us from the humans who tried to annihilate us for centuries?! With your actions today, you have become like them!” A fearful silence spread. From the place of the explosion thick smoke rose, the surface of the ground darkened, some stones had melted. Looking closer, strange greenish minerals glittered beneath the soil. It was uranium. But none of the elves yet knew how dangerous it was…

The next morning the forest still bore the traces of yesterday’s explosion. Trees in the shaken area were burned, and smoke was slowly rising. But this sight did not stop the elf children — they were playing nearby. As they chased each other, suddenly one of the children stopped. His eyes grew hazy, he put his hand to his forehead, and staggered. “My head… it’s spinning… my heart…” he whispered in a weak voice. The others panicked and screamed. Nearby adult elves rushed over. They began pulling the children away, but one of them, still not understanding what had happened, touched a charred tree at the site of the explosion. At that moment his palm turned pitch black as if it had been burned. “AAH!” he cried, yanking his hand back. As he stumbled backward, he suddenly began to cough. At first it was just an ordinary cough, but soon his sputum was stained with blood. The gathered elves became alarmed and immediately carried him to the sacred tent where healer Estis was waiting inside. “Lay him down!” Estis ordered urgently. First he extended his hands over the unconscious child and cast a healing spell. A green light enveloped the boy, and soon his breathing eased and color returned to his face. “This child will live…” Estis sighed in relief. But when he turned to the injured adult elf, the situation changed drastically. Estis poured all his strength into the spell, but the light flickered weakly and then went out. The elf’s body convulsed and blood spurted from his chest. “This is impossible…” Estis gasped. “The spell… has no effect!” Those beside him grabbed his hands in desperation, but they too recoiled in horror — their palms were turning black as if burned. “No… no! This is not a disease… this is a curse!” Estis said, his eyes wide with terror. At that moment the tent door swung open and Moris entered. His face was grim, his eyes full of concern. Seeing what had happened, he collected the thick dust rising from the dead elf’s body into a special container. When he activated his instrument, the indicator immediately shifted into the red. “No… this is not a curse!” Moris said in a firm voice. “This is radiation! It is invisible, but it brings death. You must all stay away from that place at once!” The elves stared in bewilderment, glancing at each other. They did not understand the word “radiation.” Then Ariel stepped forward and looked at Moris: “I will tell them everything you said,” she promised. Then in the elven tongue she shouted: “This is not a curse! Moris says it is an invisible poison! It kills slowly. If you go there, you will all perish!” Panic spread in the hall. Just then a young soldier ran in, breathless: “Estis! More elves were in that area… two of them collapsed and are suffering! We are bringing them here!” As soon as Moris heard this, he shouted: “No! Do not touch them with bare hands! If you bring them like that, you too will die the same way!” Ariel immediately translated. But one elf objected angrily: “Who are you to order us?!”

Moris slammed his fist on the table. “There is no time to argue!” he barked. “If we do not stop this, the forest will be uninhabitable for a thousand years!” When Ariel translated his words, silence fell over the tent. The elf who had shouted earlier turned pale. Without hesitation Moris opened his bag and pulled out a special radiation-protection suit and gas mask, quickly putting them on. His movements were resolute yet swift. “I will bring the wounded myself,” he said, looking around at everyone. “None of you must approach them! Not even if it is your own kin. If you do, you will die in the same torment!” Ariel relayed his every word exactly. The elves’ faces reflected both fear and doubt. But what struck their hearts most was that Moris was ready to risk his own life to protect others. Moris walked with heavy steps toward the radiation zone. The device in his hand crackled louder with each step, and he could only reach out to the wounded using special manipulators. His actions were a blend of bravery and scientific method: he was no longer just a healer, but like a scientist-soldier acting in an extreme situation. Moris placed the two elves into special bags and carried them to a safe area. Every movement was calculated, every moment critical. After bringing the wounded, he kept his mask on as he approached Queen Mia. “Your Majesty,” his voice growled metallic through the mask, “the forest is under an invisible threat. You did well to give orders. No one must go near that area. I will try to cleanse it, but please, keep everyone away!” Though worry filled her face, Mia remained composed: “You did right, Moris. We trust you. Save us!” she said. Following her order, elf warriors secured the contaminated area strictly. No entry was allowed. Moris, clad in heavy protective gear, checked his instruments again. The gauge needle was deep in the red, shrieking constantly. He saw the melted uranium, the area heavily contaminated. His mind raced: “All the elves are watching me… If I don’t cleanse this, the place will become a second Chernobyl. Every mistake will cost lives.” He stood near the molten core for a long time. The alarm from his instrument pierced his ears. “In my world, they failed to stop such disasters… Chernobyl, Fukushima — all turned into tragedy. But in this world I am not alone. Here there is science, and there is magic. Only by uniting them can I save this place…” Suddenly a thought struck him: “Uranium is metal. It responds to magnetic fields. If I strengthen the field and gather the core… I can isolate the most dangerous part. There is no other way!” Adjusting his mask, he raised his palms. As he concentrated the magnetic field, the ground roared as if the earth itself trembled. Uranium dust spun in the air, swirling into a single point, until at last it formed a glowing green sphere. The elves gasped. “What is he doing?..” Ariel said nervously. “What kind of magic is this? We have never seen such a thing…” whispered one soldier. Ariel shook her head: “This is not magic… it is something else…” Moris gritted his teeth, coughing blood as he held the sphere. “This is gamma radiation from radioactive isotopes!” he shouted. “It cannot be seen, but it will kill you all! This is the deadliest form of poison!” The green sphere grew larger, casting a cold light all around. Moris strained to hold it, but his body weakened, his head spun. His blood pressure rose, blood filled the inside of his mask. “God… I am losing strength… but I cannot stop…” The elves panicked: “He is collapsing!” “Will this destroy us too?!” Ariel cried out: “Moris! Stop! You will kill yourself!” “No!” Moris roared with his last strength. “If I stop, the forest will be lost forever! This is not mere fire, this is the source of death! You do not understand!” At that moment he gathered all his might and hurled the green sphere skyward. The sphere blazed like a sun, soared above the clouds, and exploded. In the blue sky an artificial “star” appeared, dazzling, then vanished.

The elves fell to their knees in awe. Many saw it as a divine sign. Moris collapsed to his knees, exhausted, his vision dimming. His hands trembled, his breathing shallow. “I should not have stopped… but… the forest is safe…” he whispered, coughing blood. The elves stood in silence. They understood one thing clearly: this man had risked his life to save their forest. Elf warriors and the queen’s envoys rushed to Moris as he fell. They could not comprehend what they had witnessed, but one thing was certain: this man had saved their forest at the cost of his own life. From that moment on, their view of him changed forever. When word reached the palace, Queen Mia stood by the tall window of her high chamber, gazing at the sky. Though the green light had long vanished, it still echoed in her heart. She whispered, yet her voice filled the great hall: “Today, thanks to one man, our future has been preserved…” The elders bowed their heads in silence. Hearts that once distrusted and rejected the stranger now began to fill with faith. … Moris slowly regained consciousness and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ariel’s worried face by his side. Nearby stood Queen Mia, the council of elders, healers, and guards. The room was hushed, as if all had been waiting for this moment. “You have awakened… we were so worried,”

Queen Mia said with a warm smile, her voice filled with motherly kindness. Moris stirred weakly and whispered: “The forest… is safe now…” His words spread like sunlight through the room. The elves murmured with joy, some even shedding tears. One elder who had once declared, “a stranger cannot be trusted,” rose and stepped forward with heavy steps. Regret lined his face. Kneeling, he bowed his head: “We were wrong… You saved our people. Please, forgive us…” he said with a trembling voice. Another elder added in a low tone: “The forest is indebted to you. You have proven worthy of our trust.” Queen Mia spoke words that sounded less like speech and more like an oath: “From today, you are not only our guest, but our ally, Moris.” Ariel wiped her tears, leaned close and whispered: “See… now they all believe in you.” Moris, weak but smiling, nodded. Then in a faint but clear voice he said: “I am not a hero. This is the duty of a scientist. To stop danger is my responsibility. I only did what I was meant to do.

” His simple words struck their hearts even more deeply. The elves bowed their heads in silent gratitude. Queen Mia said softly: “You have brought faith and new hope into our history.” At that moment Moris glanced at Rocky beside him. “This is all we can do,” he whispered. The tiger nodded through telepathy: “Yes. Always together.” Ariel smiled, her heart nearly bursting: “You make yourself seem so ordinary… but for us, you changed everything.” Moris took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I did what I had to do. Nothing more is needed.” The elves in the room remained silent. On their faces was a mixture of wonder, gratitude, and respect. One thing was certain: from that moment on, Moris was no longer merely a guest or a scholar — in the hearts of the elves, he had become a living legend.