The next morning came heavy with a strange hush. Magnolia, usually buzzing even at dawn, seemed slower to stir—like the town itself felt the weight of something looming. The sun broke over the rooftops in pale gold, and Fairy Tail's hall filled gradually with returning chatter, light footsteps, and the clink of breakfast plates.
Y/N sat at the far end of the guild, fingers drumming against the mug in his hand. Steam rose from the black coffee, but he hadn't touched it in minutes. His mind was a battlefield of shadows and names: The Broken Circle, Verdant Destruction, Dragon Force...
He'd barely slept.
The memory of the cult leader's chant echoed like a curse in his head. "Green Flame of the Abyss... vessel of ruin..."
"Y/N."
Diana's voice cut through the haze. She slid into the seat across from him, the early morning light catching in her dark hair, her amber eyes already scanning his face.
Y/N tried to smile. Failed.
Y/N: "Didn't think you'd be up this early."
Diana: "Didn't sleep. You either, I'm guessing."
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Diana leaned forward, elbows on the table, her voice lowering.
Diana: "You went straight to Makarov yesterday. Didn't even stop to say a word to me or Masumi."
Y/N: "It was urgent."
Diana: "So is this team. So is trust."
The word landed harder than she intended, and she looked away quickly, exhaling.
Diana: "Look... I know you think you're protecting us by holding back. But you're not alone in this fight, Y/N. Whatever you're carrying—whatever that crystal was—I saw the look on your face when you pulled it out of your coat. I felt it."
Y/N hesitated.
He wanted to tell her. She deserved the truth. But Makarov's warning still burned in his mind.
Y/N: "I know. Just... give me time."
Diana met his eyes. After a beat, she nodded—but her gaze stayed sharp.
Diana: "Fine. But if you shut us out again... I'll drag the truth out of you myself."
Y/N gave a dry chuckle.
Y/N: "Fair enough."
Before either could speak further, the double doors burst open with a crash.
Levy rushed in, her face flushed from sprinting, a bundle of papers clutched in her arms. Behind her, Wakaba and Macao stumbled in, grim expressions replacing their usual smirks.
Levy: "Master! You need to see this!"
Makarov appeared at the stairwell, still adjusting his robes.
Makarov: "What now...?"
Levy reached the front, breathless, and handed him the bundle.
Levy: "It's from the Rune Knights. Word from the North—another guild's been hit. Wiped out."
Gasps rippled across the guild.
Wakaba: "It wasn't a fight. It was a cleansing. No survivors."
Makarov's jaw clenched. He flipped through the parchment, eyes scanning names, seals, sigils.
Makarov: "Dragon Fang. A minor guild... but old. Ancient ties."
Masumi, who'd just descended the steps, froze mid-stride.
Masumi: "That name... Didn't their founder study draconic runes?"
Levy: "Exactly. And that's not all. The Rune Knights say the site had a residue—same magical signature as that crystal shard Y/N brought in."
All eyes turned toward Y/N.
Y/N stood slowly, guilt and fury twisting in his gut.
Y/N: "They're accelerating."
Diana: "What do they want?"
Y/N's voice dropped, low and cold.
Y/N: "To find the other vessels. To unseal the other beasts."
Masumi stepped forward, fists clenched.
Masumi: "Then we stop them. Simple."
Makarov's voice boomed over the hall, silencing the rising chaos.
Makarov: "No one acts without orders. We don't charge blind into something this deep. Not this time."
Wakaba: "Even so... someone needs to scout the site."
Y/N didn't hesitate.
Y/N: "I'll go."
Makarov's eyes locked with his.
Makarov: "Not alone."
Diana: "I'm going with him."
Masumi: "So am I."
Y/N opened his mouth to argue—but shut it. Instead, he nodded.
Makarov: "Fine. The three of you, take Levy's report. Go quiet, scout the remains, and report back. No engagement unless provoked."
Levy handed over the map with marked coordinates.
Levy: "It's a two-day trip if you take the mountain pass. Watch for magical traps—they found seals embedded in the forest near the ruins."
Diana tightened the straps on her boots, already shifting into mission mode.
Diana: "Let's move."
Masumi cracked his knuckles, sparks dancing across his skin.
Masumi: "About time we got some action."
Y/N looked back once as they reached the guild door—his gaze meeting Makarov's.
The old man gave a nod of silent understanding.
Outside Magnolia – Two Days Later
The trio crested the ridge as the first signs of smoke came into view.
Not new smoke—residue. Old. Clinging to the trees like a scar. The forest before them was blackened, trees turned to ash, the air thick with arcane pressure.
Diana knelt beside a shattered stone, fingers brushing a symbol half-buried in dirt.
Diana: "Same markings. Broken Circle. They were here."
Masumi crouched a few feet away, brow furrowed as he studied a crater in the ground. Inside it: a scorch mark in the shape of a spiral.
Masumi: "This wasn't just magic. It was a ritual."
Y/N stepped into the center of the ruin. The moment he did, his Dragon Slayer senses flared—something called to him. Not alive. But still pulsing faintly beneath the soil.
He knelt.
And found a second shard.
Identical to the first—but cracked, leaking threads of corrupted green flame.
Y/N: "They're leaving these behind... as beacons. Traces."
Diana: "Breadcrumbs for others to follow."
Masumi: "Or to lure the vessels in."
Suddenly, the wind shifted. Leaves rustled—and the shadows of the forest stirred unnaturally.
Masumi's hair stood on end.
Masumi: "We've got company."
From the treeline, five figures emerged. Hooded. Robed in tattered symbols.
The Broken Circle.
One stepped forward, arms outstretched.
Cultist: "The Verdant Flame walks willingly into the ashes."
Y/N's eyes ignited with green fire.
Y/N: "You're not taking me."
The cultist smiled.
Cultist: "We don't have to. You're already awakening."
The ground shuddered. The crystal shard in Y/N's hand pulsed.
And from the earth behind them—something began to rise.
A seal.
Cracked.
Bleeding green light.
Diana: "Y/N!"
But he was already moving, flames roaring to life as he lunged toward the cultist.
Y/N: "No more running."
To Be Continued...