The morning came too early.
Too fast.
Too final.
It dragged light across the sky and with it arrived the day the kingdom both celebrated and feared, the Veil Ascension Rite.
On that day, the Kingdom of Elarian transformed.
Every street bloomed with banners and lanterns. Performers filled the roads, dancers, musicians, laughter echoing from every corner of the capital. Markets overflowed, wine was poured freely, and joy was painted onto every public face.
To the outside eye, it looked like a grand tradition worthy of celebration.
But to loving parents, forced to send their daughters away, daughters they might never see again, it was nothing short of cruelty they were forbidden to oppose.
This was the day every maiden who had reached eighteen would be escorted to the Palace of Elarian.
Grandly.
Publicly.
Without exception.
And one of them would never return to the world until death.
At dawn, more than a hundred ceremonial carriages rolled out from the palace gates.
Each carriage was adorned with gold filigree, divine sigils, and enchanted silk that shimmered with restrained power. They split across the capital and its districts, branching toward every household with an eligible daughter.
One carriage.
One house.
One maiden.
There was no hiding.
No refusal.
No mercy.
This was Elarian, a kingdom where nearly everyone possessed the potential to cultivate power, where magic flowed through bloodlines and strength was measured in rising levels.
Yet no matter how powerful one became, no one dared oppose the Veil Ascension Rite.
The choosing of the Veiled Goddess stood above all authority.
It had existed since the kingdom's founding.
And no one, no matter their cultivation, status, or ambition, had ever risen high enough to challenge it.
As the carriages rolled into the city, crowds gathered along the roads, lining the streets for a glimpse.
Some cheered.
Some prayed.
Some watched in heavy silence.
And some had already accepted that this was simply the way the world worked.
For many parents, tears streamed freely as they held their daughters close, knowing this might be the last time they would ever see or touch them.
For others, faces shone with thinly veiled anticipation.
This was fate.
This was honor.
This was opportunity.
And for a few, it was greed.
...
When the carriage finally stopped before Kendra's home, the atmosphere was different from the others.
Here, it felt almost like a celebration.
Her parents stood tall, dressed in finery they could barely afford, their faces radiant with expectation. Her second elder brother was nowhere to be seen.
But her first elder brother stood apart, motionless in the corner, eyes red, pain carved deep into his expression.
He watched helplessly as Kendra was escorted forward.
Just before she could step into the carriage, he moved.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her too tightly, as if letting go would shatter them both.
"If, if you're chosen," he whispered into her hair, his voice breaking, "and you ever need to run, send a signal. I'll be among the crowd, and I'll save you. No matter the cost."
Kendra froze.
Running from the palace was treason.
Running from the gods was blasphemy.
And running meant condemning her entire family to death.
She gently pulled back and forced a small smile.
"It's fine Daren," she said softly. "Don't say things like that. It's dangerous. If I'm chosen, then it's my fate. Just stay home and enjoy the honor I bring to our family.
Help me see the world I've always wanted to see. Live the life I've always wanted but never had the chance to. Help me live freely, even if this is the last time I see you.
Make sure you practice your power. Cultivate it well, so you can grow strong. Only by being powerful and useful will mother and father be unable to control or sell you away.
I trust you. And no matter what happens, take care of yourself, Lian, and our parents."
She said this sadly, tears streaming down her face, as she turned and entered the carriage.
His eyes burned with helpless fury. He tried to speak, tried to act, but he was too helpless.
He could only watch his beloved sister taken away in tears while their parents celebrated with radiant smiles.
As the carriage door closed, Kendra did not look back.
As the carriage began to move, the cheers of the city faded behind her.
Ahead lay the palace.
Behind her lay the life she would never reclaim.
The night before fate had passed, and now fate came to claim its due.