Cerise Brewen's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Cerise pressed her palm against the shimmering portal's edge. The magic hummed under her dark skin, warm and alive. She pulled her hand back and watched the gateway flicker and fade. Another dead end. She needed to find Rhommie, the only one who could open the right portal home. The Fae Wylds stretched out before her, strange and beautiful. Trees with silver bark lined the path ahead. Their leaves glowed soft purple in the dim light. Cerise gripped her staff tighter. She would need a place to work, somewhere to study the portals. Somewhere safe to plan her next move. Down the winding path, she spotted an old stone archway. Moonflowers grew around its edges, their petals giving off a pale glow. Small blue hyacinths dotted the base, lighting up the ground. This portal led somewhere called Avalon. Cerise pulled out a flower from her pouch. The dahlia's petals shimmered pink and white in her palm. She held it near the archway and watched it spin. The petals turned faster, sensing the magic in the air. She tucked the flower away and turned from the portal. Inside a nearby hollow, she found what she'd been looking for. A glass orb sat in a nest of old bones. Blue lightning danced across its surface, crackling and bright. Cerise lifted it carefully. This would be her tool, her key to understanding how the portals worked. She would learn their patterns, track their energy, and find Rhommie. Then she would go home.