Fairy Tail: The Faint Smile in Earthland

Date: End of July X788 — Shortly After the Games

Location: Outer Halls, Sealed Monastery Ruins

The entrance to the monastery looked cracked and broken. Strange glyph lines ran across the stones like thin veins glowing in moonlight. As Teresa stepped inside, the air felt heavy, almost pulling at her cloak. Every step she took echoed in the darkness, as if even the sound was scared to move away from her.

The main hall stretched forward into deep shadows. The walls were covered in old murals showing mages kneeling in front of a giant robed figure with no face. All of them looked like they were bowing in complete surrender.

Teresa stopped. Her golden eyes scanned each mural carefully. She touched one of the hidden glyph lines with her finger, feeling the leftover magic buzz against her skin.

"They didn't worship peace," she said softly. "They worshipped giving up. Submission."

She kept walking. The walls got tighter, turning into narrow hallways lined with cold, empty braziers. Old mana energy hung in the air like thick fog, making every breath feel heavy.

Her breathing stayed calm. Her energy (Yoki) spread out quietly, mapping each corner and hidden door ahead. A slow, deep echo pulled at her senses from below, like a second heartbeat, but not quite hers.

Outer Garden Hall

A sudden scraping noise broke the silence. Teresa stopped and turned slightly. Beyond a fallen arch, a thin, hooded figure dragged something heavy across the floor.

It froze, then slowly turned toward her. Part of its mask was broken, revealing dry, sunken skin and empty eyes.

"Visitor…?" it croaked, voice rough and dry.

Teresa didn't answer.

The figure tilted its head, shaking slightly.

"No… not a visitor. A blade. A blade with no song."

It dropped the heavy staff it was dragging. Clawed hands twitched, glowing faintly with mana. It charged at her.

Teresa calmly stepped aside. As it lunged past, her sword snapped up in a smooth arc, slicing through its mask and chest in one motion.

The creature staggered back, reaching out as if begging.

"Sing… for me… please—"

Then it fell backward and went still. Mana smoke drifted from its wound and faded into the cold air.

Teresa lowered her sword, eyes steady. She stepped forward without pausing, each step calm and firm.

Inner Cloister

The hall opened into a courtyard garden. Dead vines clung to cracked pillars, and dry water channels cut through the stone floor like scars. In the center stood a large round gate covered in glyph lines that glowed faintly as she came closer.

In front of the gate knelt a broken statue, its head bowed and hands pressed together in prayer. Teresa stopped and looked at her reflection in the shiny surface of the gate.

For a moment, her mind drifted. She pictured Romeo in the arena — standing steady, his blade in hand, the small blue-white flame glowing like a quiet promise.

She remembered his words before he left for the Games:

"I'll fight like you taught me, Master. But not as you — as me."

Her chest tightened slightly. She didn't move, but her hand shifted a little on her sword.

Suddenly, a loud crack interrupted her thoughts. Teresa turned sharply.

In the far corner of the courtyard, the stone floor split open. A clawed hand pushed up, followed by another. A twisted creature pulled itself out, bent at strange angles with glyph lines burned into its skin.

Its glowing eyes locked on her, and its mouth began a low, broken chant.

"Return… silence… return…"

It lunged. Teresa stepped forward to meet it. As it rushed her, she thrust her sword straight through its throat.

It convulsed, the chant breaking off, and fell lifeless to the ground. Mana spilled out like smoke, fading fast.

Cloister Gate

She turned back to the big round gate. She placed her hand on the glyph lines. Mana currents shifted under her skin, reacting to her energy.

The ground shook slightly. The glyph lines on the gate moved and folded, opening like a large mechanical eye. Behind it, a staircase spiraled down into a deep red glow.

Teresa paused at the top.

She felt the old echoes of the monastery in her mind: people kneeling, blood pooled at altars, silent prayers begging for an end to something they didn't understand.

Her eyes narrowed. Her face stayed calm and cold.

"They locked it away… but they didn't stop it," she said quietly. "That's my job now."

She began walking down, each step echoing softly.

South Ridge Camp — That Evening

Romeo sat by the campfire, cleaning his sword. The blue-white glow of the blade flickered gently, like it was breathing along with him.

Macao stood nearby, arms crossed, smiling proudly but tired.

Kinana approached and set a warm cup next to Romeo.

"You've come further than most mages ever dream of," she said.

Romeo looked up, gripping the cloth tighter.

"Do you think she saw me fight?"

Kinana paused, then nodded.

"She may not have watched with her eyes… but she felt it. She always knows."

Romeo looked down at his sword, its reflection shining back at him.

"I'll keep moving forward," he whispered. "One day, I'll stand beside her. Not just follow her."

Kinana smiled, brushing his hair lightly.

"That's the true Fairy Tail spirit. And your flame."

Monastery Spiral Descent

At the bottom of the stairs, Teresa reached a heavy double door. The glyphs on it glowed softly, shifting in a slow, uneasy rhythm. Her golden eyes glowed faintly in the dark. She breathed in and out slowly.

She lifted her sword just a little, catching the red light on its edge.

"I choose my silence," she whispered.

Then she stepped forward.

The door started to open.