The news of Crown Prince Lucius's annulment with Serena Alveir spread like wildfire.In a single night, it reached every corner of the royal court and the capital.
Once celebrated as the Starfiancée of the empire, she was now branded a woman entangled with demons—a symbol of shame.
A Street of Scorn
The next morning, Serena walked through the bustling trade district on her way to her usual training ground.
But every step was haunted by whispers:
"There she is—the one who brought the demon into the city.""Still dares to walk with her head held high?""If not for her, the Crown Prince would never have been cornered."
Children playing in the streets were pulled away by fearful mothers the moment she passed.Once, eyes had followed her with admiration.Now, they held only disgust and dread.
Shut Out
Back at the Academia Arcanum, nothing was different.
Students who once laughed and trained with her turned away. Some whispered, some fled her presence.
"Don't get too close… what if the dark magic clings to us?""We'll be cursed if we stay by her side."
Even in class, her seat was left empty as though she carried a plague.Teachers avoided insults, but their eyes wavered with hesitation.
All that she had built with sweat and effort crumbled piece by piece.
Wounds of the Heart
That night, Serena sat alone in her chamber, her clear blue eyes reflecting the flickering flame of a candle.
She opened an old journal—pages that held the vow she wrote as a child:
"I will be the light that protects everyone, no matter how much pain it costs."
Her hands trembled. Tears blurred the ink into unreadable stains.
And within her heart, the same question echoed again and again—
Is it worth fighting for those who will never believe in me?
New Pressure
The annulment was not enough for her enemies.
In the council hall, voices rose again—calling for the Alveir family to be stripped of their post as wardens of the border.
Irena Valkyria struck like velvet-wrapped steel, her words sweet yet laced with venom:
"If the crown entrusts the realm to a house whose daughter is tied to demons… how can the people trust the throne itself?"
Her gentle smile veiled every word—But each sentence was a spear piercing deeper.
A Prince in Chains
Lucius tried to reach Serena in secret, but the nobles and guards blocked him at every turn.
"Your Highness, preserve the honor of the crown.""Do not let old ties endanger the throne."
Though his heart burned with anger and sorrow,the chains of duty bound him from stepping toward the woman he loved.
A Secret Light
One silent night, Serena wandered from her dormitory into the academy's hidden garden.
She sank beneath a great tree, tears falling quietly as though she had nothing left.
Then, a voice came from the shadows:
"Will you let the world trample you without resistance?"
Startled, she looked up. A tall man stepped into the moonlight—blue eyes gleaming from beneath his black cloak.
Kyren Adelric.
He walked forward, voice steady, gaze unshaken.
"Do not forget, Serena. You are not worthless. You are one who chooses to fight—even if the whole world stands against you."
Her sobs shook her body, yet when she met his eyes, the darkness within her began to flicker with light once more.
Valkyria's Smile
Elsewhere, on a high balcony of the palace, Irena gazed down at the capital—at the whispers and rumors that stained Serena's name.
Her lips curved faintly.
"Fall deeper into the abyss. The more you struggle, the less anyone will believe you.""And when you have no strength left… I shall stand by the Crown Prince, radiant and untouchable."
Closing Scene
The star of the royal court had fallen into darkness,trampled beneath fear and scorn.
But in the midst of despair, when her light seemed all but extinguished—a new spark shone from the shadows,a vow that she would not be left to fall alone.