Chapter 1: Forest Born

The crystal vase shattered against the wood floor, pieces flying everywhere. I pulled my hand back, staring at the mess.

"Dammit," I muttered, kneeling to pick up the shards. My fingers shook as I gathered the bigger pieces, careful not to cut myself. Heat flooded my face, my heart beating way too hard for just breaking a vase.

Not the best way to start my coming-of-age day.

I put my hand on the floor, feeling the tree's heartbeat under my palm. "Sorry about that," I whispered. The wood warmed under my touch, accepting my apology. A nice tingle ran up my arm, weirdly pleasant.

My small room had been grown from the heart of a huge oak, like all homes in Sylvan Glade. Blue light came through leaf-windows that moved with the breeze, making patterns on my simple stuff: a moss bed, shelves that grew right out of the walls, and now, one less crystal vase.

I dumped the broken pieces into a woven basket, then turned to the carved wooden chest that held my ceremonial clothes. Today marked my twenty-third year, the age when all within the Glade formally connected to the community's unified energy. At least, that was how it worked for everyone else.

As I slipped into the silver-blue dress, a rustle at my doorway drew my attention.

"Nova? Are you decent?" A cluster of young forest spirits hovered at the entrance, their translucent forms shimmering with barely contained excitement.

"Come in," I called, adjusting the dress around my shoulders. The fabric, woven from luminescent spider silk, felt cool against my skin.

Three spirits drifted into the room, trailing motes of light. They were younger than me by several years, still in the playful phase before responsibility set in.

"You broke something," Petal observed, her voice like wind through leaves. "Your energy's all spiky."

I smoothed my hands down the dress. "Just a vase. No big deal."

The spirits exchanged glances.

"What?" I asked, sharper than intended. "Just say it."

Thorn, the bravest of the three, floated closer. "Is it true what they say? That your energy's different? That's why you need the special ceremony?"

"Who says that?" I asked, stepping toward him. Electricity ran down my back, my skin suddenly hot.

Thorn floated backward, bumping into Breeze. "Everyone knows. The way you feed isn't like us."

My fingers curled into fists at my sides. "And what exactly does 'everyone' think they know about me?"

"That you don't feed right," Willow whispered. "That's why the Elders watch you so carefully."

"That's not - " I started, then stopped myself. What was the point? I'd had this conversation too many times.

Instead, I turned to my small writing desk and picked up the journal I'd kept for years. Flipping it open, I ran my fingers over entries I'd made. I'd written down careful observations of my differences, and questions the Elders had always dismissed.

"I feed differently, yes. That's why today matters." I closed the journal and tucked it into a pouch at my waist. "Now, weren't you three supposed to be helping with the ceremony preparations?"

The spirits glanced at each other again.

"We wanted to see if you needed help," Breeze said, "But, since you don't, we'll be going now." She mumbled a few words that I didn't catch as they turned to leave.

I gripped the edge of my desk, feeling the wood creak beneath my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I focused on relaxing my hold before I broke something else. The entire Glade had been walking on leaves around me for weeks, as if my coming-of-age might trigger some catastrophe.

Maybe today I'd finally get some answers.

***

The crystal shrine stood at the center of Sylvan Glade, a massive structure formed from living crystal that had grown over centuries, nurtured by the community's combined energy.

Nearly everyone in our isolated community had assembled. There were forest spirits in their translucent glory, tree guardians with their bark-like skin, even the rarely-seen wind dancers had manifested for the occasion. Everyone except the water nymphs, who rarely left their sacred pools.

As I walked the final path to the shrine, conversations hushed. Gazes followed me. Some were curious, others wary, a few openly hostile. I kept my eyes fixed on the shrine steps where the three Elders waited.

Elder Sage stood tallest, his form like an ancient oak. He was solid and unwavering, with eyes that held the depth of centuries. Beside him, Elder Cypress remained partially merged with the tree from which he took his name, roots spreading beneath the crystal floor. Elder Willow, the only female among them, had draped herself in flowering vines for the occasion, her normally flowing form more defined today.

"Nova Wilder," Elder Sage intoned as I reached the bottom step. His voice was formal, showing none of the warmth I'd known in private lessons.

I bowed my head slightly. "Elders. I'm ready."

Elder Sage's expression remained unreadable. "Approach the connection stone."

At the center of the shrine platform stood a single crystal, larger than my head, pulsing with blue-white light. Everyone in Sylvan Glade connected to it during their coming-of-age, joining the collective energy network that sustained our isolated community.

Everyone except, apparently, me.

As I climbed the steps, Elder Willow stepped forward, placing a restraining hand on my arm. "Nova," she said quietly, "remember what we practiced. Control your pull."

I nodded stiffly, shaking off her hand. We'd "practiced" for months, yet every attempt ended in failure.

The assembled crowd formed a circle around the shrine as I approached the stone. The Elders positioned themselves at three points around me, creating a triangle of power.

"Place your hands on the stone," Elder Sage instructed.

I reached out, my fingers hovering just above the crystal's surface. This was the moment I'd waited for my entire life.

I lowered my hands.

The instant my skin touched the crystal, I knew something was wrong. Rather than the gentle merger I'd been told to expect, I felt a violent pull. The connection stone flared brilliantly, its light pulsing erratically. Energy rushed into me like water into a void, far more intense than during any practice session.

Gasps erupted from the crowd. Elder Cypress stepped forward, placing his gnarled hands over mine, trying to modulate the flow.

"Control it, Nova," he urged, his voice strained.

But I couldn't. The energy felt too good, filling an emptiness I hadn't known was there. Heat bloomed in my belly, shooting outward until my skin felt too tight. My breath came faster, my back arching as pleasure rushed through me. I wanted more. The crystal's glow began to dim as I pulled harder.

Elder Sage barked a command, and Elder Willow slapped her hands against the stone from the opposite side. Together, the three Elders forced a barrier between me and the community's energy.

The connection snapped, throwing me backward. I stumbled but caught myself.

"What happened?" I asked, confused. "Why does this keep happening?"

Elder Willow wouldn't meet my eyes. Elder Cypress looked troubled. It was Elder Sage who finally spoke.

"Because you are not like us, Nova Wilder. You never have been."

The words hit like a physical blow. "What does that mean? I've lived here my entire life. I was born here - "

"No," Elder Sage interrupted. "You were not."

The crowd murmured, shifting uncomfortably. Many had heard rumors, but this public confirmation changed everything.

"Twenty-three years ago," Elder Sage continued, his voice carrying to all present, "during the Darkness Moon, I found you at our western boundary. An infant, wrapped in a crystal-woven blanket, with this around your neck." He held up a small pendant I'd never seen before. It was a purple crystal wrapped in silver wire.

I stared at it, speechless.

"You were left at the edge of our protective mist," Elder Cypress added. "We brought you in, raised you as our own."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We believed it kinder to let you feel you belonged," Elder Willow said softly.

"Kinder?" My voice rose. "To lie to me my entire life? To let me think something was wrong with me when I couldn't connect like everyone else?"

The crystal shrine trembled slightly, responding to my surging emotions. Several younger spirits drifted away from me, their forms flickering anxiously.

"Control yourself, Nova," Elder Sage warned.

"I'm tired of being told to control myself when I don't even know what I am!" I stepped toward him. "What am I?"

A heavy silence fell. The three Elders exchanged glances, some unspoken communication passing between them.

Finally, Elder Willow sighed. "You are a succubus, Nova."

The word meant nothing to me, but the reaction from the crowd was immediate. There were shocked whispers, several spirits were physically retreating, and parents were pulling their children back.

"A what?" I asked with a frown.

"A being who feeds on passion and intimate energy," Elder Willow explained, her voice gentle but firm. "Your hunger is different because you require a deeper connection than we do. We sustain ourselves on ambient energy such as sunlight, growth, and the natural cycle of life. You, however, need more."

The implications slowly dawned on me. "So I've been starving? All these years?"

"We've provided enough to sustain you," Elder Cypress said. "But yes, not enough to thrive. Not your natural sustenance."

I looked around at the faces of the only community I'd ever known, seeing fear, disgust, and in some, a horrible kind of vindication. They'd always sensed I was different. Now they knew why.

"There's more," Elder Sage said. "The timing of your arrival was significant. There was a prophecy - "

"A prophecy?" I laughed bitterly. "Of course there was. What does it say? That I'm a monster? That I don't belong here?"

"That darkness spreads beyond our borders," Elder Cypress interjected. "The signs we've seen match those that were foretold. The corrupted water, disharmony in the forest songs, and creatures fleeing from the outer lands."

"What does that have to do with me?" I demanded.

"The prophecy speaks of one born of passion who will either stem the tide or hasten it," Elder Sage said gravely. "One with three essences combining in power."

I shook my head, backing away. "This is insane. You've hidden my entire identity from me because of some ancient prediction?"

"We've protected you," Elder Willow said. "Prepared you as best we could without triggering your hunger prematurely."

"Protected me?" My voice rose again. "You've crippled me! I don't even know what I am or what I can do!"

The shrine crystals hummed in response to my anger, their pitch rising uncomfortably. Several spirits covered what passed for their ears.

"Which is why you must undertake the trials," Elder Sage declared. "To safely awaken your true nature and determine whether you will be our salvation or our destruction."

The crowd's murmuring grew louder, some openly objecting now.

"Trials?" I asked.

"Three guardians will teach you about the essences you must master," Elder Willow explained. "Vitality, intuition, and passion."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you must leave Sylvan Glade," Elder Sage said plainly. "Your awakening has begun. Without guidance, your hunger will grow uncontrollable. You'd endanger everyone here."

I looked around at the community that had raised me. It now revealed to be little more than reluctant caretakers. The truth crashed down hard: I'd never truly belonged.

"Fine," I snapped, turning away from the Elders. "I'll do your trials. And then I'm leaving."

I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the way they parted before me, some pulling back to avoid even brushing against me. My vision blurred with unshed tears that I refused to let fall.

Behind me, I heard Elder Willow call my name, but I didn't stop.

***

The meditation pool lay in a secluded clearing far from the crystal shrine, its waters perpetually still despite the small stream that fed it. I dropped to my knees at its edge, staring at my reflection in the perfect mirror surface.

I still looked the same: pale skin that seemed to glow, long hair that faded from deep purple to silver at the tips, eyes that changed between blue and violet.

The water rippled suddenly. I hadn't touched it. A strange feeling ran through me, like the water and I were somehow linked.

"Your feelings change things around you," Elder Willow said from behind me. "That's part of what you are."

I didn't turn around. "My kind. Funny how that never came up in twenty-three years of lessons."

Elder Willow sighed and settled beside me.

"What else haven't you told me?" I asked. "What else about myself don't I know?"

The water rippled again, more violently this time. Small waves splashed against the banks.

"That's precisely why we kept the truth from you, Nova," Elder Willow said, gesturing at the disturbed pool. "Your emotions connect directly to your power. Without proper training, you could have harmed yourself or others."

"So instead you let me think I was broken." I picked up a stone and threw it into the water, smashing my reflection. "That I couldn't connect right because I was doing something wrong."

"We should have done better," Elder Willow admitted. "But we did what we thought best with what little we knew. There are no other succubi in Sylvan Glade. We only had old books to guide us."

"These trials," I said, changing tactics. "What exactly do they involve?"

Elder Willow reached into the folds of her flowing garment and withdrew a small pouch. "You must collect the essence of vitality from the water nymph Lyric, the essence of intuition from the tree guardian Marcus, and the essence of passion from the wind dancer Zephyra."

She placed the pouch in my hands. Inside, I found three small crystal vials.

"Collect how, exactly?" I asked, suspicion growing.

Elder Willow's form flickered slightly in discomfort. "Through intimate connection. The exchange of energy that is natural to your kind."

The pieces fell into place. "Sex," I said flatly. "You're talking about sex."

"A deeper connection than mere physical coupling, but yes, that's the form it will take," Elder Willow confirmed. "It's how succubi naturally feed and grow stronger."

I laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "So I've not only been starving energetically, I've been denied a fundamental part of my nature. Anything else I should know?"

"Nova - "

"No, I want to know," I insisted, turning to face her fully. "What else is part of being a succubus that you've kept from me? Can I fly? Shapeshift? Read minds? What other abilities have you suppressed?"

"We haven't suppressed anything," Elder Willow said, though her flickering intensified. "Your powers would have developed naturally through proper feeding. They still will, during the trials."

"Convenient that these trials involve me having sex with three different beings," I said bitterly. "Was that your idea or theirs?"

"This isn't a punishment, Nova. It's the safest way for you to come into your power. Each guardian represents an aspect you must master."

I tucked the pouch into my belt. "And once I complete these trials? What then?"

"You'll return to the crystal shrine for your awakening ceremony. If successful, you'll fully come into your power and understand your role in the prophecy."

I stood, brushing dirt from my ceremonial dress. "And if I'm the destruction your prophecy warns about? What then?"

Elder Willow didn't answer immediately. When she did, her voice was soft but resolute. "That's why the trials matter, Nova. They'll reveal your true nature to us, and to yourself."

A rustle at the edge of the clearing drew my attention. A young forest spirit named Fern hovered there, partially hidden behind a flowering bush.

"Fern," I called. "How long have you been there?"

The spirit drifted forward reluctantly. "Not long. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Unlike the others, Fern had always been kind to me, though she was several years younger. Her form glowed a warm amber rather than the typical blue-green of most forest spirits.

"I'm fine," I said automatically.

Fern drifted closer. "I never believed what they said about you," she offered hesitantly.

"And what did they say?" I asked, curious despite myself.

Fern's glow dimmed slightly. "That you were different. Dangerous. That you might destroy the Glade someday."

"Fern!" Elder Willow admonished.

"It's the truth," Fern insisted. "The council has debated for years whether Nova belongs here. Some wanted her sent away long ago."

Elder Willow's form rippled with agitation. "These matters were not for general discussion."

"But everyone discussed them anyway," Fern countered. "Everyone except Nova."

I looked between them, coldness settling in my heart. "So the entire community has been talking about me, fearing me, while smiling to my face?"

"Not everyone," Fern said quickly. "Some of us saw how hard you tried to belong."

"I appreciate that," I said, surprised by how much I meant it. "But it doesn't change what I need to do now."

I turned back to Elder Willow. "Where do I find Lyric?"

"The sacred pool at the northern boundary," she replied. "But Nova, perhaps you should rest first, process what you've learned."

"I've wasted twenty-three years not knowing who I am," I cut her off. "I'm not wasting another day."

I started toward the forest path, then paused to look back at Fern. "Thank you for being honest with me. It's refreshing."

The young spirit's glow brightened. "Be careful, Nova. The guardians don't make their trials easy, even for those they welcome."

I nodded, then left the clearing. Behind me, I heard Elder Willow calling out instructions that I ignored.

I'd spent my entire life following their rules, and where had it left me? A stranger to myself, feared by my community, lied to by those I trusted most.

No more. Whatever these trials held, whatever being a succubus meant, I would discover it on my own terms.