Only priests, their students, mages, and I knew the art of manipulating mana, yet my brother, an ordinary man, wielded it effortlessly. I realized, in that moment, that he must have secretly infused my healing mana with dark energy during the war. The smoke wrapped around me, immobilizing me. One of the tendrils reached for my lavaliere, trying to rip it from my neck. But then, something brilliant emerged from the crystal—a radiant form took shape. It was the Queen Dragon.
The battle became a clash between two legends—my brother, fueled by dark mana, and me, alongside the Dragon Queen. The fight was brutal. Then, without warning, a thick fog covered the battlefield. Amidst the chaos, my brother stabbed me in the back with his sword. But before he could celebrate his victory, the Dragon Queen lunged, sinking her sharp teeth into him. She tore him apart and swallowed him whole.
I felt myself collapsing, but before I hit the ground, the Dragon Queen caught me and swallowed me as well. My vision faded to black.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the arms of a poor farmer's wife. She was smiling at me. I tried to speak, but my voice was weak—like a newborn's. When I lifted my hands, I saw they were small and chubby. I had been reincarnated.
The farmer had wanted a son, while his wife longed for a daughter. Their arguments over small things escalated constantly. The man was a drunkard, and the fights between them continued until I turned six. Then, one day, in the heat of an argument, the farmer's wife took her own life. The very next day, he threw me out.
Homeless and starving, I scavenged for food—even if it was rotting on the street. But soon, I decided stealing was a better option. I became a thief, living in filth among scampering mice. The villagers complained to the emperor, and the soldiers hunted me. Though I evaded capture for a long time, they finally caught me and dragged me before the emperor.
He ordered my imprisonment, but then the Empress noticed the lavaliere around my neck. 'Little girl,' she asked, 'where did you get that?' I had completely forgotten about it.
The Empress studied it from her throne and gasped. 'The Blood Tear of the Dragon Queen!'
The entire hall erupted into whispers.