I sat alone in the dark.
By now, I was used to the humidity, the silence, and the voice in my head that wouldn't shut up.
I had been forged from magic itself. I didn't need food or water.
Did that make me easy to forget?
Perhaps.
I had no visitors. I was my only company.
I'd been here for what felt like an eternity.
A forgotten legend.
But I haven't forgotten what they did to me.
How could I?
Every memory stayed sharp—preserved like something sacred and poisonous.
People probably moved on without me—
One crack of light at a time—
visible only through the tiny crevice in the stone ceiling above.
It leaked whenever it rained. That explained the humidity.
I sat under that stream of light because it was the only thing that reminded me I was alive.
It was literally my ray of hope.
I lost count of the days. Weeks? Months?
Who knows.
Time doesn't bother keeping score for people like me.
Then—a snap at the door.
The lock gave way.
Had my wish for freedom finally come true?
I couldn't believe it.
I heard voices.
"The doors are now all broken, as commanded," said one voice.
"Wait… are there any prisoners here?" came a second, deeper one.
I slipped into the shadows, instinctively.
Did they seriously forget about me?
"There's nothing on record, and I don't see anyone here," said the first.
"Well then, time to report to King Baltimore. He can redevelop this place—expand the courts or whatever."
King Baltimore?
Redevelop?
Excuse me?
Their footsteps faded. The front gate creaked.
Silence returned.
So… should I leave too?
Were they serious?
Was this a trap?
I decided to be brave for a few seconds.
All my hope hadn't amounted to nothing after all.
I opened the door slowly, careful not to make a sound.
Bare feet. Tiptoes. My body pressed against cold stone.
A shriek echoed from the corridor.
I froze.
Oh. Just a bat.
Charming.
I crept forward, past rusted gates and forgotten halls, until I reached the front entrance.
And there it was.
Sunlight.
Real, glorious, untamed sunlight.
It poured through the opening like molten gold, spilling across the broken floor.
I stood one step away from it—
freedom so close I could taste it on my tongue.
I let out a shaky sigh—
the kind that starts in your chest and ends somewhere behind your eyes.
A tear slipped down my cheek.
Not from grief.
From unbelief.
This was real.
This was happening.
Yes.
I am that Love Fairy.
The one they locked up and left to rot.
And yes…
They forgot all about me.