A few nights after Maxi's party, Kate was being carried by her brother, Lyric, as they flew through the air on a giant Galavità. Its massive wings soared through the sky, pure black feathers absorbing the moonlight and cloaking Kate and Lyric in complete darkness. The Galavità's royal-purple eyes glowed faintly, and its saddle was made of woven shadows.
Kate sighed softly. The cold wind brushed her face and skin, but she felt the warmth of her brother's chest and the steady beat of his heart.
She had a habit of hyperfixating on small details whenever she was nervous or too shy to speak. It was her escape from boredom, and honestly, she didn't usually remember those little details anyway — unless she wanted to.
But now, she was hyperfixating again. Why?
Because after Maxi's birthday party, Lyric had become more quiet. He started avoiding her. Sure, he still talked to her — but far less than before.
(Why won't he talk to me? Is it because of me? It's definitely because of me. Was it because I said I wanted to marry…? It has to be that. What else could it be? Did I… disappoint him? Why, why, why, why…?)
Kate began to shake slightly — not from fear, but from stress.
Lyric noticed. He saw her eyes, that look like a purple flower purple color slowly fading away and turning white. They darted to different objects as her irises shrank.
Lyric sighed. (This is the fifth time today… I really should stop teasing her.)
In a gentle voice, he said, "Kate."
She jolted in surprise, her eyes snapping toward him.
Lyric gave her a soft smile. "You're getting stressed again."
Kate hesitated. "H-how could you tell?"
"Big brother's intuition," Lyric replied simply.
Kate pouted slightly. "Unfair. When do I get little sister intuition?"
Lyric laughed. He wanted to pinch her cheeks but couldn't, so he just said, "Cute. But my precious Kate, there's no such thing."
Before she could react, he added, "However, there is such a thing as women's intuition — and that is way scarier than big brother's intuition. So don't you worry."
Kate's lips curved into a small smile. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Lyric nodded. (Unfortunately) he thought
Kate silently basked in the idea that she might one day wield such a skill.
After a few minutes of quiet, now more relaxed, she asked the question weighing on her mind.
"Are you disappointed in me?"
Lyric shook his head. "How could I be? You push yourself more than I'd ever want you to. Honestly, it worries me that you push yourself too much. So no — of course not."
Relief made Kate smile. But soon her smile faded. She drew a shaky breath and clung tightly to Lyric's Kamatī.
"…Is Father disappointed in me?" she asked. That question had haunted her for most of her life.
While training.
While studying.
While bathing.
While eating.
It was always there. Eating away at her. She needed to know.
Lyric sighed, expecting this. Slowly, he answered. "No, he isn't. It's just…" He paused, breathing deeply before continuing. "It's that he can't really show it. You know he's proud of you. You know he loves you. But…" His voice grew heavier. "You look too much like her. He lost her a long time ago. To see her in you — it's too much for him to handle."
Kate nodded slowly, her grip tightening, then loosening.
(So that's why… he always avoided me. Why he never looked at me. Never checked on me. Never spoke to me. And yet… he always supported me from afar.)
Kate couldn't smile. Because the very thing she loved most about herself — her resemblance — was the very reason her bond with her father had never formed.
She was overwhelmed by emotions she couldn't untangle — or maybe didn't know how to.
Lyric rested his head gently on top of hers. "It's okay. We'll get through this together. If he can't build up the courage to look at you, then you'll just have to grow so strong that he has to look at you."
Kate smiled faintly. "Yeah… I guess I'll have to. Together, right?"
Lyric smiled back. "Of course. What could you possibly do without your big brother? Together forever."
Kate repeated softly, "Together forever."
Lyric then smirked. "Speaking of together forever… that boy, Maxi Bloodheart. What's so special about him?"
Kate's face flushed. "H-huh?"
Lyric leaned closer, pressing her. "Come on, don't be shy. Tell me — what's so great about Maxi that made you shout in front of everyone, 'I want to marry him too'?"
Kate's eyes darted nervously to the Galavità's feathers, trying to hyperfixate. But Lyric's pressuring was too much. She couldn't avoid him this time.
Finally, in a shy, nearly inaudible voice, she muttered, "Because he was kinda cute… and I liked the way he spoke… and the way he just is. I-I don't know… I just can't explain it."
Lyric laughed. "How can you say you don't know, then list a bunch of reasons?"
Kate mumbled, "I was just saying stuff… I'm sorry…"
Lyric shook his head. "Oh, it's fine. I just hope your decision to marry him isn't too brash. And just to make sure… you don't like the boy I tried to engage you with?"
Kate shook her head slowly. "No… sorry."
Lyric sighed. "No, it's fine. I just had high hopes for him. Thought he'd be perfect. But it's fine."
After about thirty minutes of Lyric teasing Kate, they finally arrived at the Shadow Sword Kingdom.
The kingdom's insignia — a black eye at the center, with four black swords surrounding it. One sword pierced the earth, another pierced the moon, and the two at its sides pierced the sun.
The emblem fluttered on the kingdom's flags.
The Shadow Sword Kingdom was hidden beneath massive trees that completely concealed it at night.
Kate and Lyric landed at its center, surrounded by its people — mostly dark elves. To unaccustomed eyes, they'd be nearly invisible. Black skin blended perfectly with the shadows. Only their glowing eyes gave them away.
Kate looked around, noticing the faint eyes in the dark. The atmosphere was calm — quiet conversation, the soft rustle of leaves, careful steps, and the rich smell of tea drifting through the air.
Lyric sighed with satisfaction. "Looks like the morning phoenixes are still asleep. Our night elves are enjoying their peaceful time." He took Kate's hand and led her toward the castle.
Two guards in Orbixìn royal armor stopped them at the gate. "Wait. Proper protocols first. Please, yellow-haired demi-elf, Lyric."
Lyric nodded and slipped off his ring.
At once, his body shifted — his skin darkened, his frame grew taller, his hair brightened, his ears stretched longer, and his clothes tightened to fit his slightly larger form.
"Good enough," Lyric said with a smile.
The guards exchanged a look, then nodded. "We hope you both had a safe trip."
Lyric walked forward with Kate. The guards gave her a mixed look — sympathy, and disappointment. She ignored it.
The main castle of the Shadow Sword Kingdom was breathtaking. Unlike most castles that stretched high into the sky, this one burrowed deep into the ground. Enormous black trees sank downward, their roots weaving into vast webs. The castle itself was built of black metal and blackwood, some structures independent, others woven into the roots and trunks themselves.
Lyric smiled at the sight. "Kate, get on my back. I love looking at the royal castle… but I want to see our family's house. I'm getting a little jealous."
Kate laughed lightly and hopped on his back.
Lyric dashed into the shadows, slipping through one, then diving out another — again and again, until he reached the castle's deepest level.
At last, he landed before a massive black door patterned with red roots.
He opened it, revealing rows of guards lined up, forming a path toward a glowing blue-and-purple gate. Someone stood before it.
A man with deep blue eyes that reflected the world — only darker, sharper. His robes contrasted black and white, a mix of Kamatī and high-elf style.
The King.
Lyric smiled and knelt on one knee. Kate bowed as low as she could.
The King approached. "You made me wait quite a long time."
Lyric chuckled. "Well, seems it wasn't long enough to make you angry, so I think we're fine."
The King laughed. "Seems you're right. Stand."
They rose to their feet. Lyric grinned. "Good to see you again, my King."
The King smiled back. "And you as well, Lyric. And you too, young Kate."
Kate nodded politely.
The King's gaze softened at her, then shifted back to Lyric. "I won't keep you waiting. But before you go… where is my Galavità?"
Lyric froze. "Oh… I left it at the center of the kingdom. I, uh… forgot."
The King's expression tightened. "Why didn't you bring it here?"
Lyric shrugged. "Like I said — I forgot."
The King sighed. "Then you'd better leave… before I decide to keep you waiting instead."
Lyric smirked, grabbed Kate, and leapt into the portal.
A woman fell out of a portal—or rather, a girl.
She wore a wolf mask covering the upper half of her face, and a fine veil over her mouth.
Her breathing was heavy. Slowly, she removed both the veil and the mask.
She tried to process everything that had just happened.
(My father's personal knight—the Silver Knight—nearly caught me… that bastard nearly destroyed my whole plan. Luckily, I managed to escape in time.)
Getting up, she dusted herself off and looked around. She found herself in a strange forest—its oaks dark blue, their illusory purple leaves shifting into soft pink at the edges.
The sight was breathtaking. Sparkling, star-like motes appeared from nowhere and vanished seconds later. The air itself felt different—lighter, freer, as if she could leap ten times higher or run ten times faster. Spiritual energy pulsed all around her.
She inhaled deeply and smiled slightly as she exhaled. For the first time, she felt she could truly complete her plan.
Looking up, she saw the portal still rippling faintly.
With a sigh, she placed her hand on one of the trees. The bark shifted, sprouting an eye where her palm had touched. She kept her gaze fixed on the unstable portal.
Calling forth a wandering spirit with surprising ease—something that startled her a little—she spoke:
"Nature's Eye, watch this portal until it closes. If anything happens, inform me. Do this, and I will grant you one truth of mine."
The eye on the tree blinked in confirmation.
She breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, then dashed away at a speed that surprised even herself.
(I could get used to this…)
After searching for a while, she came across a waterfall. Its glowing blue waters shimmered with energy, cascading like liquid light. While admiring it, she noticed a drifting sky lantern. With a leap, she caught it midair.
It was delicate, patterned with intricate white flowers.
Her eyes followed the lantern's trail back to its source—a village, glowing faintly in the distance, releasing dozens of sky lanterns into the sky.
She smiled. At last, she had found what she was looking for.
A, the spirit named natures eyes was drawn to a little girl. She seemed very young, her hair was long whitish-brown and was tipped with hints of blue. She was a cute child, she offered the spirit a vessel. For a low-level wisp like him, such kindness was nearly unheard of.
But the girl wasn't picky. (What a kind-hearted half-Uki…)
The spirit agreed to her request. Scouting was simple enough, and in return, she had promised him one truth. It was an easy choice. After all, he had nothing else to do. So he watched.
Minutes passed before the portal suddenly rippled and spasmed, collapsing in on itself. But then—a gauntlet reached through, forcing the rift wide open.
The Silver Knight stepped out.
As he landed, the spirit froze. A suffocating aura radiated from him—pure death. Something clicked in the spirit's mind.
This knight…
Could kill spirits.
Fear rooted the wisp in place as the Silver Knight stood, scanning his surroundings. Then—slowly—his head turned.
Towards the spirit.
The spirit panicked. (Impossible! How can he see me? This vessel should be hidden…)
He tried to convince himself it was just a coincidence, that the knight's gaze would shift away. But the knight did not look away.
Instead, he began to walk forward.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each step felt like a countdown to death.
(No… he can see me. I should leave immediately. Yes—I must leave now before he kills me!)
Step.
Step
Step.
The spirit trembled. (I've survived too long to die like this… it can't end here!)
Step.
Step
Step.
Now the knight stood directly before the tree. His face loomed in front of the spirit's vessel.
The wisp could bear it no longer. Screaming in terror, it burst out of the tree.
"No! Don't kill me! Get away, get aw—"
Slash.
A whistling sound cut through the air.
as a silver knight walked within a mysterious forest looking for a princess
A princess waved goodbye to her stepbrother as he rode away with his useless tutor.
Or rather—Hana Bloodheart waved goodbye to Maxi Bloodheart on the day he finally left the Bloodheart Estate with his so-called useless tutor.
Techxin was waving right beside her. Hana grinned as she slowly turned to him.
"Techxin."
Techxin stopped waving and looked at Hana. He saw not her usual devilish grin, but a regular one.
Techxin thought out loud.
"Oh, frick… what in the thousand spiraling hells did I do now?"
Hana had a little habit. Whenever she was just having fun or excited, she grinned devilishly. But whenever she was about to do something sadistic or outright evil… she smiled a regular grin.
Techxin knew this fact better than anyone, since he was Hana's full-blooded brother and had taken care of her for most of her life, alongside his mother. That regular grin was the reason Techxin often trained late into the evening to avoid her—because, surprisingly, Hana was far more dangerous in the evenings than in the morning or at night.
All this to say, Techxin was dreading the fact that Hana was grinning her old regular grin.
"Oh, nothing, brother, old buddy, old pal," Hana laughed mockingly.
Techxin grinned nervously and laughed with her.
"I don't trust you."
Techxin feared no one… well, with a few exceptions. His mother was one. Hana was another.
"You shouldn't," Hana replied with a laugh.
Techxin shook his head.
"Just get to the point already."
"You're no fun," Hana pouted, then smirked. "But whatever you say, brother… you forgot about Maxi's gift."
Techxin's eyes widened. His mouth fell open as his hands went straight to his head.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—!!!!" he screamed.
Hana laughed devilishly.
"What should I do!?" Techxin panicked.
"Don't worry, brother, your sister's got you," Hana said, sighing in ecstasy. "We can go to Gramps. I wanted to see him anyway. You can request he make Maxi something."
Overcome with relief, Techxin scooped Hana up and hugged her tightly.
"Hana, you're the worst and the best—I love you so much!"
Hana patted his back with mock gentleness.
"It's fine. What is a sister for?"
Putting her down, Techxin muttered, "Now… should I get him daggers? Or a bow?"
Mōkō interrupted Techxin's thoughts.
"Get him some enchanted arrows. The bow doesn't really matter, but—"
Dalles finished the sentence.
"—but mainly get him a katana. It may sound confusing, but it suits him better than you think. He'll need enlightenment before he can actually use it, though, otherwise it'll be useless. But once he reaches that point, it'll fit his fighting style naturally."
Techxin grinned.
"Thanks. Wait—does this count against my gift privileges?"
Mōkō, Dalles and Hana looked at each other, shook their heads, and said in unison:
"No. But it does count as a favor."
Techxin groaned.
"At least it's better than losing a percentage of my privileges. Fine, let's go, Hana. I'll get the servants to ready the carriage."
Hana laughed as metal chains burst from her waist, wrapping around Techxin's neck. She retracted them and hopped onto his back as he marched back inside the castle.
A princess walked inside a castle — or rather, once more, Geminid was walking through her family's castle, with her brother and sister right behind her. Her brother Kellen and her sister Meridia.
Kellen yawned as they walked.
Meridia looked at Geminid curiously. "So… is what Kellen told me true?"
Geminid pretended to think, pressing her fan to her chin. "Oh? Do tell, what did dear brother Kellen say?"
A smirk crept onto Meridia's face. "Well, only that our little Geminid begged him to let her marry a Bloodheart. Which makes me wonder whether you're too arrogant… or just too overconfident. I've told you before, my dear Geminid—being like me takes a lot of skill. You have to back up everything you say, and everything you will do."
Geminid smirked, hiding it behind her fan. "Oh, I know, dear sister Meridia. But this matter isn't that big of a matter, so I think I can get some leeway."
Meridia shook her head lightly. "It's not that simple, my dear Geminid. The boy is a Bloodheart."
Kellen stretched with lazy grace his hair flowing effortlessly in the windless halls. "He's actually a bastard, might I say—from what I've heard."
Meridia, unsurprised, replied, "Doesn't matter that much. He's still a Bloodheart. The family and the blood is what matters, not how you get it."
Then Geminid interrupted both of them, which was surprising in itself. "I don't really care about any of that."
Kellen and Meridia, who had both been ready to argue—well, mostly Meridia, who might as well have been arguing with a brick wall—turned to look at Geminid.
She took a breath. "Oh… was that too much?"
Kellen's face palmed. "Just continue."
Geminid nodded. "As I was saying… I don't care about any of that. You two have already told me what you want my life to be like. And I want that too—not just for both of you, but for myself as well. But you know better than me that it will be full of fake people looking to take advantage of me. I may already have one person who stays real, but is it so bad for me to want another? Someone who will be just like me, who will take care of me, and treat me the way I should be treated—but with warmth, with real feelings. Someone who knows how much I will love it or hate it."
Kellen sighed. "Which poetry book did you steal that from?"
Geminid was stunned that she had been found out so quickly. "A-a… that doesn't matter! My point still stands." She crossed her arms.
Meridia thought for a few seconds. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad. So I'll allow it—for now. We'll send the request. But the choice is still his."
Kellen sighed again. "You're way too smart for your age… and for your own good."
(I feel sorry for your future husband.)Kellen thought.
Geminid giggled behind her fan. "Oh, I know, I know."
Kellen and Meridia led Geminid to her room.
It was a big, lavish chamber full of the most beautiful jewelry and ornaments.
Geminid waved her brother and sister off, then looked to her two maids and ordered them to set up a bath. She told her butler to fetch her a drink and some fruit as she waited.
Her butler returned with the drink and fruit. She slowly ate, then, when her maids came to inform her that the bath was ready, she took a small sip of her drink and entered the bathroom. She lowered herself into the tub, sighing as the warm water touched her skin.
She soaked in the water, washing her body, her hair, her legs, and her chest. She watched the dirt and sweat cling to the tub walls and felt a quiet satisfaction, knowing she had cleaned herself well. Then she looked down at her hands and thought back to a memory.
She remembered sitting on Kellen's lap while he read her a story. Surprisingly, he was a very good reader. It was about a queen who ordered a knight to slay a giant beast, and against all odds, the knight won. The story itself didn't matter. What mattered was what Kellen told her that day.
He closed the book and said,
"Geminid, oh my dear sweet Geminid… one day you'll be like that queen—ordering not just one knight, but many. They'll do the impossible for you, worship the ground you walk on, while you watch everything you want fall into place exactly where you want it. The path you're walking isn't one of peace. It's one of dominance, conflict, and utter authority. So don't let anyone mock you. Don't let anyone walk over you. Don't let anyone order you. Because simply being born in the same era as you is already a blessing. Don't let them get greedy and take another."
Geminid cupped her hands, letting the bathwater spill out of them as she smiled. "I won't let them get too greedy, don't worry, brother."
She stretched in the tub, still smiling.