The kingdom of Kaelith was a jewel in the world of men, a prosperous land under the reign of its sovereign, Valdran Kaelith. A just king, respected and loved by his people. His wisdom and kindness were legendary, and it was said that he was destined to share his throne with the reincarnated goddess, the one who would bear the true power and watch over the kingdom's future.

But Valdran, though he believed in the legends of his ancestors, had never sought this prophetic queen. He ruled with honor and needed no one to affirm his power. Then Sophia entered his life, a commoner with enchanting charm and a cunning mind who appeared when the prophecy resurfaced, claiming to be the incarnation of the goddess. The king's advisors, blinded by hope, believed in her. Even Valdran, initially wary, eventually grew attached to her beauty and seemingly gentle nature.

She performed 'miracles' before the court: strange lights dancing around her, prophetic whispers that seemed to come true. The people adored her. The crown was offered to her, and she became his queen. But the dream turned into a nightmare when her deception was uncovered by a loyal servant who caught her negotiating the purchase of new illusions from a magic peddler. The glow of her false powers faded in an instant.

The betrayal shattered Valdran. The woman he had loved and believed to be his destiny was nothing but a greedy manipulator. He publicly dethroned her, stripping her of her title and banishing her to desolate lands. Crushed by this affront, Valdran became a cold, distrustful, cynical king who no longer trusted anyone and renounced the prophecy that had led to his greatest humiliation.

Peace did not last. In the shadows, Sophia, consumed by hatred and thirst for revenge, made a pact with a dark force. Transformed into an evil entity, she swore to destroy Valdran and take his kingdom. Her power was very real this time. Curses fell upon Kaelith: fields rotted under blackened skies, nights became haunted by unknown shadows that chilled the blood, and entire villages vanished into terrifying silence.

The kingdom's sages declared only the true reincarnated goddess could counter this evil. The prophecy had never been a lie. Valdran had to find her, whether he wanted to or not. Initially refusing to believe, he quickly realized his own power would not be enough to push back the shadow gaining ground. With a handful of loyal knights, he set off on a quest across known and unknown lands.

His journey led him to a small, remote village, far from palace grandeur and court intrigues. An insignificant place where he felt, for the first time in a long while, something strange in the air - a faint warmth amidst the growing cold of his world.

He did not yet know that it was here he would find her. Not because of an empty prophecy, but because of the awakening of a power he could no longer deny...

The young woman knelt before the throne, her wrists marked by the chains the guards had placed on her. Her gaze, however, was not that of a frightened prisoner. She held her head high to the king, her eyes burning with a determination he did not yet understand.

Valdran Kaelith rose slowly, his imposing figure draped in his onyx cloak. His steely gaze descended on her with controlled coldness. There was neither anger nor impatience in his expression, only the calculated distance he imposed on all those who dared stand before him.

'Explain yourself,' he commanded, his deep voice echoing in the throne room. 'Who are you to dare bear this mark?'

The knights and advisors held their breath. They had seen their sovereign crush men for less than this. But the young woman did not avert her gaze.

A barely perceptible smile passed over the king's lips, almost a shadow.

'Speak,' he insisted, his tone almost amused. 'Or should I make you regret your silence?'