Airovale Episode 7: Deceptive Time

Deceptive Time begins as a hunting trip and blossoms into forbidden romance. Aden and Kira, the fae elder's daughter, share banter that disarms defenses, then a kiss that literally unlocks magic. She reveals how fae control the island's savage beasts—why guardians patrol the jungle, why every creature bends to their will.

Beneath the waterfalls, Kira dares to invoke an ancient human-fae spell. The underground river carries them through darkness to a lost city glowing with mosaics and glyphs—truths buried by centuries. Here, among crumbling domes and luminous inscriptions, they discover the island's devastating secret encoded in stone: one day on the island equals one year beyond its shores.

Suddenly, everything makes terrible sense. The villagers' urgent insistence on swift departure. Their pitying silences. Every moment Aden and his crew linger is theft from loved ones back home—days for them, decades for family. The crew's parents age into elders. Children grow unrecognized. Entire lives slip away while they argue over fire-stone and treasure.

Aden races back to warn the crew, but Barra—wounded in pride and fury—demands a duel. Aden has kissed his betrothed, violated sacred custom, dishonored their host. In the clash of love, law, and vanity, the stage is set for tragedy. What was once a story of treasure becomes a countdown. The cost is no longer gold—it is years. This is Airovale, where time itself becomes the enemy, and the clock has already stolen more than anyone knows.

← Previous: Law of Exchange | Next: Mystic Portal (Finale) →