The full moon floated above the imperial hunting grounds, bathing the vast forest in a cold, silver glow. Crackling bonfires dotted the edges of the woods, marking the campsites of nobles and dignitaries who had come for the grand annual hunt — a tradition Seraphina was expected to host.
Seated atop a gleaming obsidian horse, Seraphina wore a deep crimson hunting outfit embroidered with golden threads — the perfect image of imperial dominance. The masked Empress who ruled without mercy.
The mask still covered the upper half of her face, and her long white hair flowed freely down her back, catching moonlight like strands of silk.
"My Empress," Kael, her loyal assistant, rode beside her, his voice low. "Everything is prepared. However..." His green eyes flicked toward the forest uneasily. "I sense unusual energy tonight."
"Divine beast," Seraphina whispered, feeling the faint tremor in the air too.
This year, the hunt was different. Word had spread that a divine beast, a creature of immense power, had been sighted near the imperial grounds. Capturing or taming it could raise someone's status beyond imagination.
"And the heroine?" Seraphina asked, almost absently.
Kael grimaced. "Lady Elowen has entered the hunt under Count Valder's invitation. She claims to be here for a 'spiritual journey.'"
Seraphina almost laughed. Spiritual journey, my foot. She had already caught glimpses of Elowen's carefully curated "innocent" persona cracking — the sharp glint of ambition behind her doe-like eyes.
Tonight, under the cover of darkness, Seraphina intended to find out exactly how far that ambition reached.
Deeper in the forest, the group scattered. Nobles formed smaller teams, each hoping to bring back the most impressive prey. The male leads moved separately:
— Riven, the stoic knight general, marched alone.
— Eren, the cunning duke's heir, assembled a small force to maximize his chances.
— Lucien, the masked sorcerer, walked casually without companions, humming a tune that made the trees shiver.
And Seraphina? She moved like a ghost among them — silent, unseen.
A strange pull guided her deeper into the woods until the trees grew ancient and gnarled. Suddenly, she heard it — a roar, powerful enough to shake the ground. The divine beast had appeared.
But she wasn't the only one drawn to it.
Across the clearing, Lady Elowen stood, her white gown glowing eerily in the darkness. Behind her, a shadowed figure — unmistakably one of the male leads — knelt before her, offering a crystal vial.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. So much for purity and helplessness.
The heroine was performing a forbidden binding ritual — trying to claim the divine beast's power for herself!
Before Seraphina could react, the beast burst into view — a massive silver-furred wolf, its eyes burning gold, a collar of broken chains clinking around its neck.
It charged straight toward Elowen.
Seraphina didn't think — she moved.
"Shield!" she commanded, her hand flashing out.
A dome of shimmering dark light enveloped Elowen and the man with her, just as the divine beast slammed into it with enough force to rattle the ground.
Elowen staggered back, eyes wide, before fixing Seraphina with a look of loathing... quickly masked under a trembling "thank you."
"You should be careful," Seraphina said coolly, lowering the shield. "Things in the dark bite hard."
Behind her mask, Seraphina smiled grimly. Tonight, she had seen a glimpse of the heroine's true face. And she would not forget it.
The hunt was only beginning.