Nobody hears the scream. At least, none of Kayley's comrades do.
But a frost fairy who happened to be flittering by catches a glimpse the girl, horrified by something hidden underneath the shelter of the trees.
Periwinkle wrings her hands together, just a soft white glow hovering above the dance floor. She nervously glances from left to right, pointed ears pricked and listening.
No sign of Terrence. No sign of Flora.
Peri had convinced them they were better off spitting up, and they allowed her to carry on her way. They believed she was sticking with their original plan, searching for a way out of the game, or a way to shut it off entirely.
But she knows neither of those are an option anymore. Even with magic on their side, they are no match for the technological genius that created this game. And besides, the fairies and Eli came here on a different mission - Scar just happened to get in the way.
Huffing a shaky breath, the fairy flitters through the trees, carefully skimming the area Kayley had been viewing when something had terrified her. Even with her frosty glow, she can't make out too much in the heavy darkness of the forest. The thickness of the trees is overwhelming, with their large trunks and blossoming leaves. She shudders, uneasy by the feel of the spring season scents. Winter is her prime season, and through she's spent the past few months living with her sister experiencing the other seasons, nothing calms her and strengthens her magic like the cold.
A whimper startles her out of her thoughts, and she jerks through the trees, fluttering in front of a frantic Kayley. Sprinkling her icy magic, she steadily grows into her human length, and grips Kayley by the elbows. A glance to her left allows her to see the rest of the gamers, twisting and twirling, enchanted by the music at the other end of the floor. Too distracted to realize something has gone array.
Good. This is what Periwinkle needs.
"What happened?" She presses, forcing the girl to peer straight at her. "What did you see?" Her hand flits down her dress, fingers daintily slipping inside a nearly invisible pocket. Her fingertips brushes against a cold, glass vial.
Kayley stutters, shaking her head. "I saw him. Scar. He's here. He's in the game." She whips her head back around in that exact direction. "I think he's here for Ariel... For all of us." Her wide eyes glisten with tears in the muted lighting, but the water doesn't stream down her face. Her lips curl into a menacing, angry scowl. "He's going to kill us all."
Peri swallows the heavy lump building in her throat, bits of icy particles growing around her feet. "Scar is here. Right now?" A cold shiver runs across her spine, for once not brought on by her icy abilities.
Kayley nods, sniffling. She's a mix between fearful and determined to fight.
Laughter drifts across the dance arena, but neither girl nor fairy move.
"There's no way to defeat Scar - not physically." Periwinkle whispers, fingers curling securely around the glass hidden away inside her pocket. "He's gone through years of training in fighting techniques. He's part lion, for crying out loud." Her voice catches, terror choking out her words. "And he's manipulative. He's get inside your mind, make your worst fears a reality."
Years ago, before Periwinkle had decided to leave behind Pixie Hollow to find Tinkerbell, Queen Clarion had called all the fairies together to discuss the threats of the Earthen Realm. Hades, lord of the Underworld; Pitch Black, the Boogie Man; Maleficent, the most feared Dragon sorceress of all time. But Scar had spooked Peri beyond belief. He'd murdered his own brother, sentenced his nephew to a cruel fate, killed countless people mercilessly. Never mind the tricks he used to get into people's heads, twisting their thoughts around in a way that made them believe they were the bad guys, not him.
