Lucina
My breath hitched, the scent of expensive perfume mingling with the metallic tang of fear. The man lay before me, his dark hair fanning across the luxurious purple of his robe, now undone to reveal a chest etched with dark blue runes. They were no mere markings—they writhed like shadows over his skin, a sickness made visible, consuming him from within.
This is worse than I imagined… I thought, placing my hand near the glowing wound. Has he been suffering like this for a long time?
The glow intensified under my touch, a blinding white light that screamed across my vision, chaotic and violent. My heart pounded. I drew my hand back, mind racing. The corruption coursing through him was almost tangible, a malignant force pressing against my own energy.
I turned to the dark-skinned maid standing nearby. "Titi! Send for help—hurry!" My voice carried a sharp edge of urgency.
"YES, MA'AM!" she replied, dashing off, worry etched into her features.
I clenched my fists, white hair shimmering under the dim light. The stakes were brutally clear: If I don't heal him… he'll die.
But as I gazed down at him, panic twisted into despair. The illness was overwhelming; I could feel it clawing back against my power. Even if I pour everything I have into him, will it even be enough?
Even so, I couldn't stand idly by. Kneeling closer, I whispered, "I won't let you die."
I pressed both hands to his chest, focusing every ounce of strength into a soft, blue-white light. My healing energy surged, a tide of intent against the tide of corruption. There's no one else here… I thought, feeling the burden of being the only line between life and death.
The backlash was immediate. Pain shot up my arms, searing into my chest. My teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut, but I could not release him.
My heart… it feels like it's being torn apart! A phantom image flickered through my mind: a monstrous shadow clutching a blood-red heart—the vessel of my power, shredded by the corrupted energy I tried to repel.
Memories rose unbidden: a small, tearful girl surrounded by dark, forbidden books. I am paying for all the sins I committed for my sister's sake. A bitter, corrosive doubt followed: Did I really do it for her? Or just for myself?
I shoved the thoughts down. Survival came first. I poured the last of my energy into him, every fiber of my being focused on one undeniable truth: he must live, no matter the cost.
---
The energy backlash forced me to break the connection. Dizzy and trembling, my heart hammering, I collapsed to my knees, the immediate agony subsiding but the exhaustion pressing down like a physical weight.
Memories of the past clung stubbornly—the desperate, weak girl clinging to her only source of care. That desperation had driven me to these sacrifices, these sins, all in the hope of earning the right to live.
I blinked, dragging myself back to the present. The man beneath me stirred. My voice cracked as I whispered, "...Okay? ARE YOU… OKAY?"
His eyes, once clouded with pain, now widened in shock. The dark, corrupted mark on his chest had faded slightly, leaving behind a shimmer of luminous particles that danced around us.
He sat upright, gasping, his hands clutching his purple robe. "I'M NOT IN ANY PAIN! BUT HOW?!" he demanded, eyes searching mine. "I FELT MY HEART STOP! HOW DID I SURVIVE?!"
I moved closer, exhaustion slowing my movements. "Do you… feel better now?" My fingers brushed against the clean skin near the last traces of the dark rune.
His gaze flickered over my face, then to the soft light that now bathed the room. Awe softened his features.
It's almost as if my sins are being washed away… I saw it in his eyes—a question, a reverence, a quiet awe.
I couldn't answer. My own energy reserves were critically low. But a fragile hope fluttered in my chest. A memory of my younger self surfaced, bathed in a soft blue glow: I… don't feel any pain.
The light seemed to embrace me, sacred and calming, like the moon's glow descending. Perhaps, in saving him, I had saved a part of myself as well. The immediate danger had passed, though the cost still lay unseen, whispering of trials yet to come.
---
I turned back toward the man whose life I had just saved. His eyes, dark and intense, bore into mine with a suspicion that sent shivers down my spine.
"TURN," the caption above us seemed to echo in my mind.
His first question made my heart stutter.
"DID YOU HEAL ME?"
"HUH?" Heat flushed my cheeks as his gaze pinned me in place. My mind scrambled for a plausible lie. "N-NO, I just saw you on the ground..." I quickly averted my eyes, hoping my denial had any weight.
But it didn't. His voice was low, calculated, yet edged with certainty. "GIARET TRIED ALL SORTS OF MEDICINE, BUT NOTHING WORKED. THE FACT THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO HEAL ME THIS EASILY MEANS..."
Before I could think further, his dark hand shot out, grasping my pale wrist. "GRAB"—the caption reflected the force of his movement. I realized he was holding the small, ornate dagger I must have used to tend to his wound.
His gaze moved from my hand to my face, piercing and unyielding.
"YOU HAVE A HEALING ABILITY, DON'T YOU?"
Shock rendered me nearly immobile. "I-I just... HAPPENED TO SEE YOU LYING HERE!" I stammered, pulling at my wrist, desperate for escape. "TITI WENT TO FIND A PRIEST..."
His grip tightened, cutting off my excuse. The frown that formed on his face was sharp, calculating. "YOU LOOK LIKE A BRIONIAN. DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF HOLY POWER? I'VE HEARD THAT BRIONIAN PRIESTS HAVE THE POWER TO COMPLETELY REVIVE SOMEONE FROM THE BRINK OF DEATH."
He mumbled more to himself than to me, yet each word pressed against my chest, filling me with dread.
Then, almost violently, he gripped my shoulder and pulled me closer. "IS THAT WHAT YOUR ABILITY CAN DO? HUH?" The shadows behind him seemed to stretch and loom. "CLASP"—the word reverberated in the air as he held me fast.
Panic flared. "NO—!" I cried, raising my free hand instinctively to push him away.
He ignored me. Releasing my shoulder, he instead grabbed my chest, pressing me fully against him. "PRIEST..." he muttered, eyes burning with intense focus. "AND I WAITED HERE JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU BEFORE THEY ARRIVED! I'M CERTAIN OF IT."
His words left no doubt—he knew my secret. I could only stare, silent and breathless, my chest tight with helpless fear. A speech bubble with a single exclamation mark perfectly captured the terror frozen on my face.
He stared at me, mind reeling. "THERE'S NO WAY SHE COULD HAVE HEALED ME SO EASILY WITHOUT THE DIVINE POWER THAT BRIONIAN PRIESTS POSSESS. NO ONE TOLD ME THAT THE KING'S BRIDE COULD USE DIVINE POWER."
_____
Gillai
Was she hiding it from everyone?
I stepped forward instinctively, and she flinched, trying to pull away. I knew I had to push, to test her resolve. "DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TALENT?"
I gripped her firmly, gazing into her wide, terrified eyes. "WHY WOULD YOU HIDE YOUR ABILITY AND SETTLE FOR BECOMING A DRACONIAN'S BRIDE? WITH THAT KIND OF POWER, YOU COULD LIVE WHEREVER YOU WANT." Her legendary healing power, the gift of the Brionian gods, seemed so utterly wasted here.
Then, a sudden, chilling thought struck me. I paused, letting it settle. "THAT'S IT!" I realized. "AS LONG AS SHE'S AROUND, I CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MY CONDITION!" Her power was my lifeline. The dangerous glint in my eye betrayed my calculation.
I shifted tactics, feigning concern to hide my self-interest. "IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO ESCAPE! I'LL HELP—"
She interrupted me, voice trembling but resolute. "I-I WANT TO... STAY BY... HAKAN'S SIDE! I WILL... BECOME QUEEN!"
Her stubbornness ignited my anger, threatening my newfound hope for survival.
"IS BECOMING QUEEN IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO RISK LOSING YOUR LIFE?!" I yelled. "DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE SAFE JUST BECAUSE YOU SURVIVED THE FIRST NIGHT!"
Leaning closer, I pressed the point further. "YOU JUST GOT LUCKY, THAT'S ALL! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW PAINFUL IT IS IF YOU DIE WHILE BEARING A GUARDIAN DRAGON CHILD?! YOU'LL FEEL AS IF YOU'RE BEING BURNED ALIVE!"
Her eyes widened, fear and confusion warring across her face. She looked utterly dazed.
"WHAT... ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" she whispered, trembling in my grasp.
Her power was the key to my survival, and I would not let her throw it away for a mere title.
_______
Lucina
I stood frozen in the man's grip, cheeks flushed from the desperate lie I had just attempted. His gaze bore into me, sharp and unwavering, making my skin prickle with fear.
"There's no way I could have healed him so easily without the divine power that Brionian priests possess," he muttered, mostly to himself. "No one told me that the King's bride could use divine power."
Divine power? Was I hiding it from everyone?
He stepped closer, and I flinched instinctively. "DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TALENT? Why would you hide your ability and settle for becoming a Draconian's bride? With that kind of power, you could live wherever you want."
A predatory smirk twisted his lips, and the silence that followed felt like it stretched for eternity. Then he spoke again, the realization in his tone cold and calculated. "THAT'S IT! As long as she's around, I can continue to live without worrying about my condition!"
The selfishness of his calculation sent a chill through me. Yet, his expression softened almost manipulatively. "IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO ESCAPE! I'LL HELP— Come with me. We'll leave the kingdom and live a life of freedom!"
Shock surged through me, replaced quickly by defiance. "I-I WANT TO... STAY BY... HAKAN'S SIDE! I WILL... BECOME QUEEN!" My voice rang out louder than I expected, full of conviction.
His face twisted into anger. "IS BECOMING QUEEN IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO RISK LOSING YOUR LIFE?! Don't think you'll be safe just because you survived the first night! You just got lucky, that's all! Do you have any idea how painful it is if you die while bearing a Guardian Dragon child?! You'll feel as if you're being burned alive!"
The words hit me like a physical blow. Dazed, I could only whisper, "What... are you talking about?"
He sighed, pulling me gently closer, his sudden calm unsettling. "PAUSE. SIGH. So Hakan has been hiding the truth from you."
__________
Hakan
A sickening realization struck me like a DU-DUN. Hakan had kept secrets about my own survival.
Suddenly, the tension shattered. Through the open doors of the shimmering palace, a furious older woman—Hakan's mother—stormed toward a raised stone slab where a man lay unmoving.
"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" the Queen Mother screamed, her voice cracking with both despair and malice. "I'LL KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IF YOU TRY TO LAY A HAND ON MY SON!" She clutched a small, crystalline object tightly.
Two muscular, green-haired men near the slab whispered urgently. "She's holding the Black Arrow that killed the Late King. Be careful—it can kill a dragon!"
"Dammit! Not again!" one muttered, panic creeping into his voice.
The Queen Mother shrieked once more, denial and grief etched across her face. "MY SON IS STILL ALIVE! HE'S JUST SLEEPING! HE'LL WAKE UP SOON!"
Then, a new figure DASHED into the hall—bare-chested, dark tattoos sprawling across his skin. It was Hakan.
"MOTHER! PAUSE! Please calm down, Mother. It's time we let Raikan go!"
Her eyes widened in horror, a sharp WHOOSH cutting the air as she likely realized the full extent of her son Raikan's condition—or perhaps prepared for one last desperate strike.
The urgency of the moment, the revelations about my own power, and Hakan's sudden appearance collided in a storm of fear and disbelief.
________
Hakan
Meanwhile
The moment I dashed into the grand hall, grief and desperation hit me like a physical wall. My mother loomed over the stone slab where my brother Raikan lay, clutching the cursed Black Arrow.
"MOTHER! PAUSE! Please calm down, Mother," I pleaded, voice strained. "It's time we let Raikan go!"
Her wide, bloodshot eyes locked onto me. The weight of accepting his death was unbearable. A piercing WHOOSH cut the air, followed by her maniacal scream of accusation.
"IT WAS YOU! YOU KILLED MY SON!" she shrieked, face contorted in pure hate. "IT'S YOUR FAULT RAIKAN IS DEAD!"
The accusation struck me, a silent exclamation mark forming above my head. It was unjust, yet her grief was undeniable.
"Please come to your senses!" I urged, but reason had abandoned her.
With a horrifying lunge, her eyes burned with murderous intent. "NO. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, HAKAN! HE GOT HIT BY THAT ARROW BECAUSE OF YOU. YOU KILLED HIM! DIE, YOU MURDERER!"
The Black Arrow flashed from her hand, slicing through the air. A sickening slash followed by an explosion of deep, dark red plunged the hall into darkness for a terrifying moment.
Outside, Lucina and Gillai watched the chaos unfold. Her eyes searched mine, questioning everything.
"ARE YOU SAYING THAT HE..." she began, unable to finish.
I knew what she meant—she was questioning the King's true motives for marrying her. I sighed, resting my hands lightly on her shoulders.
"PAUSE. SIGH. You'll feel as if you're being burned alive! Even if they survive, once they bear the Guardian Dragon's child… burned alive, and then she will die."
"They will still suffer severe pain and eventually die," I continued, voice grim. "Don't you find it strange that he chose a human who violated the Mezaluc's honor as his bride?"
The truth had to be laid bare. "You were doomed to die from the start. Bearing the Guardian Dragon's child… if your body can't handle it, you end up dying. Then it's no loss to him."
I turned away briefly, revealing my full knowledge. "Hakan treasures women from Tayar. That's why he brought back a human woman—to spare them from that suffering. The worst part? He knew you would reject him if he told you the truth..."
The King's deepest secret now lay bare.
I stood frozen, feeling the dark man's grip loosen as he delivered the final, crushing blow. My mind spun, overwhelmed by the chaotic scene around me: the Queen Mother's frantic screams, Hakan's desperate dash into the hall, and the sickening, blood-red SLASH that had cut through the air moments before.
But all of that paled in comparison to his words. They landed like hammers on my chest, relentless and merciless. He was telling me, without a hint of compassion, that I was essentially expendable—a sacrifice meant to serve someone else's survival.
"ARE YOU SAYING THAT HE..." I began, my voice barely a whisper, unable to fully voice the accusation, the horrifying possibility that Hakan had chosen me to die.
The man sighed, heavy and deliberate, his face solemn. His voice cut through the chaos of the hall with icy precision. He confirmed the grim truth: the fate of any woman who survived the first night only to bear the Guardian Dragon's child was absolute. Burned alive, and then she will die.
"They will still suffer severe pain and will eventually die," he continued, eyes cold and logical, devoid of empathy. "DON'T YOU FIND IT STRANGE THAT HE CHOSE A HUMAN WHO VIOLATED THE MEZALUC'S HONOR AS HIS BRIDE? You were doomed to die from the start."
The words echoed in my mind, chilling and unyielding. Doomed to die from the start. The thought lodged itself in my chest like a jagged stone, refusing to shift.
"It would be great if you bore the Guardian Dragon's child," he explained, "but if your body can't handle it and you end up dying, then it's no loss to him either way."
His gaze bore into mine, unsettling and sharp, as he revealed Hakan's true priorities. "HAKAN GREATLY TREASURES WOMEN FROM TAYAR. THAT'S WHY HE BROUGHT BACK A HUMAN WOMAN TO SPARE THEM FROM THAT SUFFERING."
I realized, with a sinking dread, that I was nothing more than a disposable proxy in his plan.
"He knew that you would reject him if he told you the truth… so to make life easier, he hid the truth from you."
I remained perfectly still, eyes wide, the world spinning around me. Everything I had believed about my new life, about Hakan, crumbled into lies.
The man leaned in, his voice dropping to a harsh, almost predatory whisper, cutting through the terror and clamor of the hall.
"DON'T GET IT TWISTED. HE'S JUST USING YOU."
The final image burned itself into my mind: the beautiful, indifferent palace, gleaming under the harsh daylight, utterly unaware of the betrayal it sheltered. I was trapped, exposed, completely betrayed. My earlier dream of staying by Hakan's side, of becoming Queen, now felt like a cruel, impossible joke.
He knew about my divine power—and he had chosen me, specifically, because I was expendable, because I could serve his survival.
The revelation of my true, perilous situation was complete.