The 4th stage of Fairykind

Arcane Ascension

Written by Endrise

Life will spiral into death, and death sparks life once more. There will be always another stage of existence for someone, whether it be in another form, another shape.

— Local Fairy discussing the topic of death

Everyone knows that Fairies have three stages of life: larval, pupal and adult form. However, some believe there to be also a fourth stage for Fae to obtain, one as a being of pure magic.
Though evidence for it is difficult to prove, many believe it to be true, even amongst Fairykind themselves. The problem lies in documenting it, with few even being capable or aware of the fourth stage.

The 4th Stage

The common theory goes that like with a pupal stage, a Fairy's adult form acts as a cocoon to another stage in their lifecycle. As they age, their form absorbs magic and warps the inside of their anatomy, causing it to dissolve and break down into pure magic itself.
Once their body gathered enough arcane energy to fuel a metamorphis, they abandon their physical form for something more magical. A metaphysical existence that leaves their former body, uniting them with the very concept of magic as an almost limitless being.
However, theories suggest in doing so that a Fairy's idea of self disintegrates as well, leading to initial "death" of their being. Others believe that most Fairies do not survive the metamorphis because of their environments, lacking the required resources to properly evolve into a higher being.
Some also suggest that many of them do achieve their fourth stage naturally, but that many mistake them as a natural death for the Fairy. Certain subcultures of Fairy even associate the idea of death as a sign of them moving onto a higher existence, celebrating it rather than mourning their loss.

Forcing Ascension

Certain beliefs think that exposing Fairies to large quantities of arcane powers could force out the fourth stage through sheer excess, but the few tests that tried to do often lead to disaster.
The most common issue is Intestinal Liquification, causing the Fairy's insides to break down and result in bodily harm way before they could achieve such a 4th stage. As such, most research doing so is considered unethical amongst scholars and other researchers of the Fae.