Koharu's heart pounded in her chest. Yet when she closed her eyes, the roar of the crowd dissolved like mist. Only one image remained within her: Michael's Spear. The might of the light rising to the heavens.
At the final step, all eyes were upon her. The people held their breath, waiting for her to kneel before the spear.
When Koharu stood before Michael's Spear, the courtyard sank into silence. The crowd did not breathe. On either side of the steps, the royal family watched her intently.
The princess knelt, placing her palms upon the altar. The cold marble trembled beneath her hands.
The High Priest's voice rang out:
"Speak your first vow."
Koharu's lips parted.
> "My name and lineage belong to the light.
In Michael's name, my breath is bound to Aurora."
Golden rings bloomed around the spear. Lines reflecting the sunlight shimmered like slender pillars climbing toward the sky. From the crowd rose gasps of awe.
The High Priest spoke again:
"The second vow."
Closing her eyes, Koharu continued:
> "My hands and my shadow shall serve the peace of this land.
Where the light begins, my darkness ends."
The glowing rings widened, the murmur of the courtyard swelling into fervent celebration. Banners whipped in the wind, and chimes rang high into the air. But at that moment, Koharu saw something.
In the heart of the spear… within the very brilliance… a shadow. At first, no more than a speck. Then it coiled, lengthened, and slipped free—seeping through a hidden crack within the spear, drifting toward her like a thin smoke.
Her pulse quickened. Do they not see it? With the corner of her eye she looked to the crowd: they gazed upon the light in awe. The High Priest bowed his head, the king straightened with pride. Her siblings snickered. No one saw the shadow.
The High Priest signaled the final step:
"Speak your heart."
Sweat beaded upon Koharu's brow. Forcing her voice steady, she began the third vow:
> "My heart, my soul, and my entire being belong to Michael's light—"
But she stopped. The shadow had pierced her like an arrow, lodging itself upon her heart. It pressed coldly beneath her skin, leaving a mark like ice.
The people cried out in rapture:
— "The light grows stronger!"
— "The princess is blessed!"
Her siblings' laughter rang down the steps. Her sister whispered with cruel delight:
> "Finish your words—let the disgrace be complete."
Koharu struggled for breath. This is no light… it is a curse.
The High Priest thundered:
"Complete the vow!"
The king leapt to his feet in fury:
"Kneel and finish the words!"
But Koharu could no longer endure the weight of the shadow stabbing her heart. She tore her hands from the altar. The golden rings shattered, scattering sparks before vanishing into nothing.