The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

The castle continued its unhurried advance.

In the rooftop garden, the little witches huddled together by the railing, their four little heads close together, their eyes following the shadows of the trees, the startled deer and birds in flight... Every scene made them gasp in amazement, as if they could never get enough of it.

The castle's pace quickened subtly, its massive feet rising and falling with each step creating a gentle breeze that rustled the new leaves on the treetops. Yet, the castle remained incredibly stable, not even causing a ripple in the flower tea in Sylph's cup.

"Mom, are we in a hurry?" Sylvia keenly noticed the change in speed.

“Hmm,” Moran walked to her daughter’s side, “If we want to catch the sunset over the sea of ​​roses, we’ll have to hurry a little.”

Dorella's ears twitched, and she immediately turned around, her eyes sparkling: "The sunset over the rose field is absolutely gorgeous! I've watched it so many times and I never get tired of it."

Evelyn slowly sat up straight: "Today...it seems to be a cloudy day."

The little witches all looked up, and through the gaps in the canopy, they could indeed see the grayish-white clouds.

Tessa sighed in disappointment, "What a pity! But if we stay overnight in the rose garden, we might be able to watch the sunrise tomorrow!"

Moran blinked. "A cloudy day is perfect. I'll show you something special."

As evening fell, the castle emerged from the last shade of the Starlight Forest.

Suddenly, the view opened up before us, revealing a sea of ​​roses stretching across the plains, with layers of pink, crimson, and snow-white roses that extended to the horizon.

The wind swept across the sea of ​​flowers, swirling up the delicate petals.

"Wow! We're already at the rose garden?" Tessa shook Evelyn, who was almost asleep again. "Wake up! We're at the rose garden."

Dorella stood on tiptoe, her little hands gripping the railing as she peered out: "Why can't I see my hollow treehouse?"

“We’ve only just left Starlight Forest,” Sylvia said, pointing to the end of the flower field. “Your home is near the other side of Sunset Forest, which is still far from here.”

Evelyn rubbed her eyes and leaned closer to the railing, looking up at the sky covered by thick clouds, muttering softly, "The clouds are getting thicker and thicker... We really can't see the sunset."

The air became increasingly humid, and the distant sky was a hazy gray, with no trace of the sunset in sight.

The little witches had a hint of regret in their eyes.

Just then, Moran, who had been sitting in the wicker chair enjoying her tea, put down her teacup.

She got up and walked to her daughters, looked up at the seemingly impenetrable clouds, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips: "Who said that? Stand firm, little ones!"

She gave a soft reminder, and then—snap her fingers crisply.

"Om-"

On either side of the base, the pair of magical wings that had been folded up suddenly unfurled!
"Hold on tight to the railing." As soon as Moran finished speaking, her magical wings gracefully pressed down, and the entire castle lifted lightly off the ground.

The flowers and plants in the garden swayed slightly in the same direction, the teacups on the coffee table rippled, and the little witches' skirts and hair were gently lifted by the upward airflow.

"Flying, flying..." Dorella's eyes widened.

The castle rose steadily, a damp mist rushed towards us, and the surroundings were quickly swallowed up by gray clouds. All that could be seen was churning gray and white, and the only sounds were the wind and the low rumble coming from the core of the castle.

Tessa gripped the railing tightly, her face flushed with excitement, her eyes shining brightly: "We're going into the clouds!"

Sylvia held Moran's clothes tightly with one hand, while her other hand couldn't help but reach over the railing.

The cool mist slipped through my fingers, leaving a damp sensation: "Mom, so clouds are just damp mist?"

Moran bent down and picked her up, letting her sit in his arms. "Yes, water vapor evaporates and rises into the air, where it condenses into fog when it cools." As soon as he finished speaking, the gray-white scene in front of them suddenly became bright.

The castle pierced through the last layer of damp fog and broke through the gray sea of ​​clouds.

In an instant, the world suddenly became clear.

Above was a clear, boundless deep blue sky, not yet completely dark, still imbued with the velvety blue of twilight.

On the western horizon, the last rays of golden-red light burst forth from the gaps in the clouds, like a molten river of gold cascading down, dyeing the undulating sea of ​​clouds with an extremely magnificent color.

Below, the thick clouds that had just obscured everything had now transformed into an endless, fluffy, and soft pure white field.

The rose bushes have lost their exact form; only in the occasional glimpse of their hazy colors through gaps in the clouds can one catch a glimpse.

The light of the setting sun spilled in from the side, gilding the castle's exterior with a flowing golden edge and painting a warm glow on every upturned face in the garden.

“It’s so beautiful…” Dorella said softly.

Evelyn's sleepiness had vanished completely. She leaned on the railing, her chin resting on the back of her hand, her gaze following the sea of ​​clouds, her voice tinged with a dreamlike haze: "We really... are flying above the clouds."

Tessa excitedly pointed to the enormous shadow the castle cast on the sea of ​​clouds. The shadow moved slowly with the flight, its outline clear, even the outstretched wings of light were clearly projected: "Look! The castle's shadow! How majestic! Like a giant bird!"

Sylvia clung tightly to her mother, her little hands gripping Moran's shirt, her eyes fixed on the burning sky ahead.

After a long while, she looked up at her and asked softly, "Mommy, will the castle... be able to fly like this in the future?"

“It can take you above the clouds anywhere you want,” Moran looked down at her.

Lilith had somehow walked up to Dorella, gently put her arm around her daughter's shoulder, and pointed to a faint outline below the sea of ​​clouds: "Look there."

As dusk deepened, the clouds occasionally parted due to the wind.

Looking down through a relatively wide gap in the clouds, near the edge of the flower sea and towards the Sunset Forest, the outline of an exceptionally tall tree gradually becomes clear.

"It's a mutated hollow tree from our family's tree..." Dorella said with delight.

As the afterglow gradually sank into the distant mountains, the colors shifted from fiery to gentle, finally transforming into a lingering crimson-purple hue on the horizon.

Against the deep blue sky, the first stars began to emerge, sparse yet pure in their brightness.

The castle began to descend slowly.

It pierced through the thinning clouds and returned to the damp night.

Continue eastward until you reach the seaside.

The coastline is winding and rugged, and the outline of the cliffs in the night resembles the spine of a sleeping giant.

The castle gracefully swept across the sea of ​​flowers, finally landing steadily atop a cliff overlooking the sea at the eastern end of the flower field.

The moment the giant foot touched the rock surface, it slightly bent its knees to cushion the impact, without even stirring up a speck of dust.

The wings slowly folded, and the castle crouched down once more.

In the garden, the little witches were still leaning against the railing, gazing at the white waves gently lapping against the rocks below the cliff. (End of Chapter)