Sitting near the window, her silver hair flowing around her like silk, crimson eyes lost in her own thoughts, she barely noticed the footsteps approaching her room — until the doorknob rattled and turned.
She looked up, and two palace maids stood in the doorway.
"Come with us," one said curtly. "The emperor has asked for an audience with you."
Her eyes widened slightly in shock. "Why?" she asked. "Did you ask him why?"
The maids flinched but didn't meet her gaze — her eerie red eyes always made them uneasy.
"Are you out of your mind?" the other one snapped. "We're lower class. We can't question His Majesty."
She didn't respond, only gave a slight nod, rising from her seat. Without another word, she began walking toward the Throne Room.
Walking toward the throne room, she overheard whispers from a group of maids.
"Why is His Majesty even calling her now?" one maid murmured behind a pillar.
The other scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? She's come of age. It's about time they kicked her out."
"And to think," the first one hissed, "her mother climbed into the bed of the Emperor's own brother… and now this girl lives like royalty."
They giggled cruelly, their words meant to sting even though they thought she couldn't hear.
She did. She always did.
But their words didn't break her. Not anymore.
I'm Elaris Veyne, though no one here calls me by my real name. To them, I'm just the witch's daughter — the cursed girl with black magic crawling in her veins.
I don't even know if my mother was really a witch or not. All I know is I was happy when she was alive. I don't remember her face clearly, or most of my memories with her. But I'll never forget the day the empress killed her right in front of me.
That was the day my dark magic woke up — like it was screaming inside me, thirsty for vengeance.
And now, I want to take back everything the empress stole from me and my mother.
The heavy doors creaked open, swallowing the sounds of the corridor behind me. Inside, the throne room stretched wide and empty—except for two figures standing stiffly near the far wall.
A maid and a guard. Both looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. Their eyes darted nervously, refusing to meet mine or the Emperor's gaze.
Even in their fear, I caught the way they trembled—like they sensed the storm lurking inside me.
The Emperor's voice cut through the silence, sharp and commanding. "This is Liora, your maid, and Kael, your guard. You'll be seeing a lot of them."
He stepped closer, eyes never leaving mine. "You can't stay locked away in this room forever, Elaris. Your power isn't something to hide — you have to learn to control it. Or it will control you."
His words hit harder than I expected. Control. Not just of magic, but of my fate. This was no longer about surviving in the shadows. It was about facing what I was — and what I could become.
Emperor Kaelen. The name alone made people tremble — the most powerful man in the empire, or so everyone said. Stories painted him as a god among mortals, a ruler with iron will and unmatched strength.
But I know better.
Behind the throne, the real power belonged to Empress Seraphine. She pulled the strings, made the decisions, and crushed anyone who got in her way — all while Kaelen played the part of a ruler.
He was nothing more than a pawn, a mask the empire wore to hide its true face.
And that face? It was cold. Calculating. Dangerous.
The Emperor's gaze hardened. "Elaris, you have to learn to control your power. If you don't... if it ever spirals out of control, I won't hesitate to end it — to end you."
His words slammed into me like a blade.
Then he nodded toward the maid and the guard. "Liora and Kael will keep watch over you. They're here to protect you... and to make sure you don't become a danger to this empire."
I shifted my gaze to them. My crimson eyes — cold as frozen steel — locked onto their faces.
They stiffened. Their fear was so obvious it tasted like iron in the air.
I met the Emperor's cold gaze and nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Bowing low, I turned and stepped away, the heavy silence of the throne room swallowing my footsteps like a quiet storm.
Behind me, Liora and Kael trailed—silent shadows tethered to my every move.
A slow, knowing smirk spread across my lips.
This was just the beginning.
From now on, the game had changed.
I was no longer the pawn.
I was the storm.
And revenge was coming.