As Gantlos and Musa roused everyone in a panic, recounting Stella's sudden disappearance into a void, the loft filled with a tense energy.

"This is terrible," Duman murmured as he hastily grabbed his sword, his usually playful demeanor now marked by a frown. He had hoped for more time to learn his weapon before he actually had to use it. But above all else, he had to use it to save Stella. He worried he wouldn't be much help. Sky caught his arm.

"Don't worry, we'll get her back." Sky smiled, "and we'll kick those earth fairies right back on their asses."

Ogron wasn't paying attention. Lost in his own thoughts, stood by the window, gazing out into the night. "It looks like the war came early," he said, his voice heavy with foreboding.

————-

The group moved swiftly, assembling in silence as they made their way to Gardenia Beach. The wind seemed colder, the sky dull and clouded. The waves were eerily calm, crashing against the shoreline mirrored the unease within them, each of them silently wondering the same thing: where was Stella, and what did Morgana plan next? They reached the edge of the beach, the cold night air biting at their faces.

Bloom was the first to break the silence. "When we went to Tir Na Nog last time, Morgana had to take us… but we have no way of getting there now."

The group all seemed to pause. A moment of fear flashing across a few faces as they wondered if they were actually unable to get to Tir Na Nog.

Ogron, standing slightly apart from the group, spoke up. "There is a way. All Earth fairies have access to Tir Na Nog," he took a deep breath, for a moment he hesitated —he didn't want to put too much pressure on her too soon, was this the right choice, should she even go into battle? Ogron tried to calm himself, "Roxy, you can get us there."

The group turned to look at Roxy, whose face immediately drained of color. "Wait—what? I barely scratched the surface of my abilities! I can't teleport everyone to Tir Na Nog!" Her voice wavered, panic evident in her wide eyes.

Bloom stepped forward, but Ogron was already beside Roxy, his voice calm, firm, yet surprisingly gentle. "You can do this, Roxy. I know we're pressed for time, but I can show you the spell. We can work together." He gave her a reassuring smile. There was something different about him tonight, his usually commanding presence somehow more comforting.

Bloom felt it too, she was the leader of the winx, but something in the way Ogron guided Roxy made her feel at ease, like she could step back.

Roxy hesitated but found herself nodding. She wasn't sure if it was his words or the way he carried himself, but she felt a strange trust in him at that moment. "Okay," she whispered.

It took 45 minutes, but eventually they had gathered in a circle, everyone linking hands. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as Roxy prepared to cast the spell under Ogron's guidance.

"Focus," Ogron instructed. His voice cut through the tension. "This won't be easy."

The wind began to swirl around them, a vortex of energy forming. The air grew warmer, the magic crackling with intensity. Time itself seemed to blur, and before they knew it, they were hurtling through a portal. The ground vanished beneath their feet as they were pulled through the fabric of dimensions, only to land hard on the rocky surface of a mountaintop in Tir Na Nog. The harsh wet rocky ground meeting everyone's feet and rear ends.

"Why on Earth did you teleport us here?" Musa groaned, rubbing her sore backside as she got up from the ground.

Ogron dusted himself off and glanced around. "The only other option was a forest," he replied nonchalantly. "Given that they still have nature fairies, I didn't deem that a good idea."

"Fantastic," Musa muttered under her breath, though there was no malice in it.

"Look," Ogron pointed to a nearby cave entrance, dark but seemingly secure. "There's a cave here. We can hide away in there, at least for now."

Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing they needed to regroup before advancing any further. The weight of what lay ahead pressed on all of them, but for now, they had a moment to catch their breath, if only for a short while.

————

Stella awoke to an unbearable cold, her skin prickling from the icy ground beneath her. Her legs were exposed, the thin fabric of her pajamas offering no protection from the freezing ice floor. Her wrists were shackled, and every movement sent the sharp clink of metal reverberating through the small, desolate cell. Snowflakes drifted lazily outside a small, barred window, their beauty mocking the fear that clenched in her chest. She had no idea where she was. The chill that invaded her bones made it difficult to think, but her mind instinctively jumped to her friends—the Winx, the Specialists, the wizards—and then Duman and Gantlos. A wave of fear washed over her as she thought of them, wondering if they even knew she was gone.

How long had she been here?

It felt like hours—an eternity even—before she heard movement outside the cell. Stella's head shot up, her heart racing. Three figures stepped into the cold chamber, their presence sending a jolt of dread down her spine. Leading them was a tall, regal woman, her expression hardened into a scowl, though there was an undeniable beauty to her sharp features. To her right stood a shorter woman, her posture fierce, with wild, deep navy hair framing her face like a storm. On the left, a pale woman, her skin as cold and icy as her demeanor, watched Stella with a chilling indifference. She wore a heavy coat, shielding herself from the cold that cut through Stella's very soul.

They gazed at Stella with disdain, their eyes cold and unforgiving.

The regal woman was the first to speak, her voice commanding and filled with venom. "You stand before the Major Fairies of Earth. Your charge is treason…and murder." Her gaze hardened. "The murder of Diana—Major Fairy of Nature."

Stella's heart dropped, her breath catching in her throat. The accusations swirled in her head, but she couldn't gather her thoughts. She had no words, no defense—only fear.

The regal woman stepped forward. "I am Morgana, Queen of Earth. And for your crime, I have decided on the most suitable punishment." There was a chilling smile that flickered across her lips, though it barely touched her eyes. "The removal of your wings…"

Stella's body went rigid. Her wings? She felt her stomach twist violently. Morgana's voice was calm, almost casual, but the cruelty in her words struck like a dagger.

"…followed by your execution."

Stella tried to stand, panic flooding her veins, but the chains held her down, the shackles biting into her skin. She yanked against them, desperation clouding her senses. "No—" Her voice cracked, a raw plea, but it was drowned out by the spell Nebula—the shortest of the fairies—cast over her. Stella's wings appeared, glowing faintly in the cold, dim light of the cell.

"Let me go!" Stella's voice was filled with terror, but it fell on deaf ears.

Aurora, the pale woman with the frozen stare, stepped forward, her presence suffocating. She didn't raise a hand, didn't speak a word, but suddenly Stella's wings were gripped by an unnatural, biting cold. Pain shot through her back as the icy magic snaked over her wings, freezing them in place. The cold was so intense it burned, and before Stella could process what was happening, her wings began to crack under the pressure of the ice. A scream tore from her throat, echoing through the chamber as Aurora's magic seeped deeper, her wings slowly freezing to the point of shattering.

The pain was unbearable.

"You shall suffer as Diana did," Morgana's voice was eerily calm, as if she were discussing something mundane. "Your lifeless body will be a warning to all who dare cross us."

Stella's screams echoed around the chamber, her body convulsing against the chains, but there was no escaping the agony. The women watched her coldly, their eyes unmoved by her suffering.

After what felt like an eternity, Morgana turned away, the other two following her lead without a second glance. The heavy door slammed shut behind them, leaving Stella alone in the silence, her body trembling and her wings broken, frozen, and useless.

She was cold. Cold and alone.