The night burned with fire and despair. Flames licked the edges of the ancient trees that once guarded the Dark Court. What had once been a safe haven for faes and magic was now a battlefield drowned in smoke and sorrow. The bitter smell of burning leaves mixed with the sharp, metallic scent of fresh blood. Overhead, the sky hung heavy with black clouds, glowing orange from the fire's relentless rage.
Maelis held her baby tightly against her chest. The child trembled under the rough cloak she had wrapped around her tiny body. Her arms ached. Her legs begged for rest. But she couldn't stop. Not now. Every breath she took felt like fire in her lungs, and her heart beat fast and wild—a rhythm of fear, love, and survival.
The world around her was falling apart.
Soldiers of the Light Court charged through the forest like a storm. Their silver armor shone like shattered moonlight, and their blades flashed with cold, cruel purpose. The faes stood no chance. The music of their magic had fallen silent.
Their laughter, once full of life, had been replaced by screams.
Maelis's eyes darted through the smoky night, searching for a way out. Familiar faces twisted in agony. Others lay still—lifeless. Mothers screamed for their children. Children cried out in panic. Blood soaked the forest floor, and even the trees seemed to mourn.
She hugged her daughter tighter, feeling the soft, steady rise of her tiny chest. The baby was her light, her reason to keep going. Maelis whispered into the darkness, her voice cracking.
"You will live," she said, her throat tight with unshed tears. "No matter what."
Her legs kept moving even as they trembled beneath her. Each step felt heavier than the last. Her throat burned from the smoke. Her magic—ancient and hidden—tingled faintly beneath her skin. But it was too weak to help. Not yet.
A branch cracked behind her. Heavy boots stomped closer. A voice shouted nearby, sharp and commanding. The soldiers were near.
Maelis ducked behind a crumbling stone wall, crouching low. The baby whimpered, a tiny sound filled with fear. Maelis gently ran her fingers across the baby's soft hair, wishing she could shield her from everything—the flames, the blood, the cruelty.
But there was no safety here.
The screams came closer. A friend collapsed beside her, eyes wide with terror. Maelis didn't look. She couldn't. The baby's life depended on her.
She stumbled over roots and rubble. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Her arms clutched the child tighter, her steps shaky and slow. The world was ending around her, but she would not stop.
A narrow clearing opened ahead. The trees were thinner there, and moonlight spilled through like silver rain. For a moment, hope flickered in her chest. Maybe they could escape. Maybe the baby would live.
But it didn't last.
A hand gripped her shoulder, hard and cold. She turned. A Light Court soldier stood before her, his armor gleaming and his eyes as lifeless as stone. His sword was raised, ready to strike.
Fear surged through her, but she stood her ground. Her voice was steady as she spoke the ancient words—whispers passed down through bloodlines.
Darkness coiled around her fingers. Shadows spread out like wings.
The soldier hesitated, his face flickering with uncertainty. But his duty was stronger.
The sword fell.
Pain tore through her side. Maelis gasped, stumbling back, but she didn't loosen her grip. Her baby cried—a soft, broken wail that pierced the night.
Her knees gave out. She fell.
The soldier stepped forward, eyes locked on the child. Maelis shut her eyes and whispered one last plea. Her magic surged in a final burst—earth and shadow rose beneath the man, swallowing him whole.
Silence.
Maelis lay still, the pain pressing her down like stone. Her breaths came in shallow shivers. She pulled her daughter close and saw a soft glow shimmer on the baby's wrist. A faint, fiery mark pulsed like a heartbeat.
"You will live," she whispered. "For all of us."
Her eyes drifted shut as the darkness took her.
The firestorm raged through the forest, consuming what little remained of the Dark Court. The Light Court's soldiers showed no mercy. They hunted the faes like animals, bent on wiping out the old magic forever.
When it ended, only ash and silence remained.
The baby—Serenya—was alone in a world she had barely entered. Her mother's sacrifice had given her life, but not safety.
A small group of loyal faes found her hidden beneath twisted roots. They wrapped her in cloth still damp with soot and tears, and carried her away from the ruins.
They knew she would be hunted too. The child with the mark was dangerous. All the magic of their world now rested in her fragile hands.
They took Serenya to a place no one knew—a secret refuge far from the Light Court's reach. She grew up hidden, raised with stories of love, loss, and the war she had survived.
Time passed. The world changed.
But the war was not over.
The Light Court's hatred still smoldered, hidden under a mask of peace. Magic stirred in the shadows again. And the girl who once cried under firelight now held a secret that could either save the realm… or destroy it forever.