The question hangs in the air.
Oberon doesn’t hesitate. “We’re heading for the end,” he says plainly. “To break the curse over the fae and restore their powers.”
For a heartbeat, Lord Ferngull goes still. Then something flashes across his face.
“Restore them? With no word from the outside, we’d given up hope of such things,” he says, leaning forward slightly, interest sparking to life. “You believe that’s possible?”
Cassius answers this time, measured and calm. “We don’t believe. We know.”
Lord Ferngull exhales softly, almost like a laugh, though there’s something unsteady beneath it. “Gods,” he murmurs, shaking his head once. “What an important mission.”
His gaze drifts, then sharpens again, something waking behind his eyes. “As you know, nothing can change the fact that I’m an earth fae.” His fingers flex on the table. “But I miss the connection to life.”
He glances toward the stone beneath us, toward the walls, as if listening for something that no longer answers.
“The stone used to speak. The roots would bend at my will. The soil itself would shift beneath my command.” His mouth tightens faintly. “Now… it’s distant. Faint. Like trying to grasp something just out of reach.”
Then his gaze lifts back to us, intent. “And you’re telling me that could be restored?”
“Possibly. The goddess, Varua, has stated that our powers will be restored, and this maze destroyed, if we can make it to the end of the labyrinth,” Sylvian offers with a shrug.
There’s no hiding it now. The hunger. The hope.
“When the labyrinth came, it didn’t just trap us and cut off from the rest of the fae,” he continues, leaning forward slightly. “It dulled what we are. Left us with fragments of what should be whole.”
His eyes lock onto Sylvian.
“But if you reach the end… if you truly can break the curse…” His voice lowers, but the intensity in it deepens. “Then you would be giving us back everything.”
“Well, hopefully we’re coming close to the end,” Ashton offers.
“We haven’t seen it yet, but that’s possible,” Lord Ferngull says, but I can sense the doubt in his voice.
Are we really not even close to the end?
His attention returns to us fully, something like eagerness beginning to take shape beneath his composure. “You know, as crazy as it sounds, I was glad to find you in that pit tonight.”
Oberon’s gaze sharpens slightly. “Glad?”
“Yes,” Lord Ferngull says simply. “You’re the first fae outside of my court that I’ve seen since the labyrinth rose. The first connection to the outside world in…” He pauses, as if the number no longer matters. “Longer than I care to count.”
A quiet heaviness settles over us both.
“But now,” he continues, leaning forward just slightly, “you tell me you intend to end this curse. To restore our magic. And in doing so, maybe destroy this fucking labyrinth.”
There’s a sharp, hungry intensity beneath his words.
“I would be a fool not to help you.”
Ashton lifts a brow. “Yeah?”
Lord Ferngull’s smile returns. “You’re offering hope,” he says. “That tends to inspire enthusiasm.”
Cassius watches him carefully. “And what would that help look like?”
“Guidance,” Ferngull replies without hesitation. “There are paths through the labyrinth most never find. Places where the terrain shifts less. Creatures that can be avoided… if you know how.” His gaze sharpens slightly. “I can show you routes that will save you days. Possibly even save your lives.”
Oberon studies him for a long moment, unreadable. “So, you just expect us to trust you?”