Sovereignty of Shadows Breaking the Fourth Bride’s Chain
In a world governed by dark bargains, Evangeline was nothing more than a number in the ledgers of the cursed Hastings lineage; the Fourth Bride led to Lindbrook Mansion as a sacrifice to feed the "Contract of Shadows" and protect the nobility’s legacy from fading. Between the walls of the estate, where the echoes of previous brides still linger, Evangeline found herself facing a harrowing choice: to turn into ash for a curse that was not hers, or to tame the monster lurking within the blood of Lord Valerian—the heir who feared touching his bride lest the darkness behind his eyes consume her. From there began a saga of breaking chains, as Evangeline transformed from a slaughtered victim into a sovereign of shadows, redefining the balance of the world’s four elements—Salt, Fire, Air, and Spirit. It was a grueling journey that stripped her and Valerian of their magical immortality in exchange for the most precious human possession: the freedom of choice. The legend of the sacrificed brides ended the moment Evangeline decided to pay the price not in blood, but in rebellion, turning her palace from a prison for souls into a beacon connecting the earth to the stars, leaving behind an eternal lesson that darkness is not an enemy, but a raw canvas upon which we choose the colors we paint.