The pale autumn sky hung overhead.
The cold wind gently swept in from the north, bringing a thin fog that enveloped the inner courtyard of the palace. Darkness began to descend earlier this season, almost as if the sun were reluctant to relinquish its light, casting an eerie pall over the landscape. The sound of rustling leaves in the wind seemed to whisper unspoken truths, adding to the sorrow that filled every corner of the infinite space within her heart.
Sheena stood on her bedroom balcony, wrapped in a thick coat. Her previous smile had faded, replaced by shadows of anxiety. Her hand cradled her belly, which now began to hint at the early signs of pregnancy. The rhythm of her heartbeat echoed louder than usual, filling the room with a simmering tension.
However, her body felt weak.
Far weaker than she had felt during a normal pregnancy, each second stretched on like an eternity, as if the strength within her were responding to an unexpected magical push. Dark shadows swirled at the corners of her vision, overshadowing her hopes and amplifying her fears, creating an atmosphere thick with anxiety.
Every night, she felt tiny, inexplicable magical contractions.
The mana within her was unstable.
At times, it felt like gentle ripples in water.
At other times, it resembled powerful waves threatening to tear her apart from within. In the stillness of the night, she could hear faint whispers, soft sounds like a song from the darkness beckoning her to delve into mysteries she did not wish to uncover.
In the secret medical room of the palace, an aura of calm mixed with dread enveloped Sheena as Madam Ilareth—a loyal elderly healer—examined the aura of her pregnancy, conjuring a soft green magic circle. The circle vibrated as if tethered to Sheena's very soul, seemingly capturing all the intertwined fears and hopes she carried within her.
Madam Ilareth bit her lip. In the flickering candlelight, the shadow of her face appeared distorted, as if sensing the darkness that lurked nearby.
"Your Highness... I don't know how to explain this."
"What do you mean?" Sheena asked, her voice trembling. A wave of fear crawled up her spine, touching her soul with an unexpected chill.
"Your pregnancy... is not just weak.
It resonates with a concept of magic that has never been recorded.
This is not Elyndra magic.
Not Gaia magic.
Not even ordinary Void magic."
Sheena clutched the blanket in her lap, applying pressure as if hoping to halt the uncertainty that seeped through her body. Her heart beat erratically; each pulse echoed in the thick silence of the night.
"A new will."
"Voidwright."
"Heir of Kehendak Fitran."
"Does your husband need to be informed?" Madam Ilareth whispered, her voice hollow like a breeze in the dark night with no direction.
Sheena shook her head quickly, the unspoken disaster etched in her eyes.
"No. He has already shouldered enough burdens. I don't want him to be shaken." A cold mist seemed to envelop her thoughts, each word felt like fiery shards burning in the silence.
Madam Ilareth looked down.
Yet, in the depths of Sheena's gaze, doubt began to take root, like seeds of despair left to sprout without a place to grow, dragging her into a whirlpool of dark thoughts.
"If I can't endure...
If I can't bring this child into the world...
What will happen to the will that has been born within him?"
As night fell and Fitran led the patrol along the Elysvarre border,
the night sky surrounding him was filled with hanging gray mist, creating an atmosphere shrouded in unsolved mysteries and an unbearable sense of alienation, as if thousands of disembodied eyes awaited his fate and that of the unborn child.
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
The candles snuffed out one by one.
The night's light vanished, replaced by shadows creeping across the floor like living ink. In the tense silence, Sheena's heart raced, as if answering the call of darkness. The shadows took on clearer shapes, as if forging a path to the truth hidden behind the veil of her fate.
Someone emerged from the darkness.
Lamia.
A slender woman with blood-red eyes, long silver hair, and dark attire adorned with purple velvet.
Small curved horns protruded from the sides of her head—symbols of a follower of Asmodeus. As Lamia stepped forward, a chilling aura swept through the room, as if time slowed, and each second felt like a thousand years. Sheena felt a mix of fear and intrigue brewing within her, awaiting the words that could potentially change everything.
Lamia's voice echoed like a whispered song.
"Queen Elysvarre... the heir of a new will..."
Sheena stood, gripping her magic staff tightly. A rumble of worry surged within her chest, as if each heartbeat were a warning. Lamia's mysterious presence, coupled with the dark aura surrounding her, made Sheena feel ensnared in an invisible web.
"Get out quickly before I call my husband."
Lamia smiled faintly, a smile that belied kindness. "There is something greater at stake than just your husband, Queen. Ignoring this warning is equivalent to risking everything."
"I did not come to harm. I came to warn."
"The child you carry..."
"Will disturb the balance of the Seven Deadly Demons."
Sheena tightened her grip on her staff, her hands trembling not only from fear but also from uncertainty about her child's fate. The old building around them seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the reaction to this dangerous exchange of words.
"What do you mean?"
Lamia stepped forward slowly, her shadow moving like dark water. Her intent was clear: to instill deep fear in Sheena's heart.
"Beelzebub has sensed a new will within your child."
"Asmodeus has too."
"If that child is born, they will not just be the heir of Elysvarre."
"They will become a threat to the very principles of sin that bind this world."
"A will that cannot be consumed... will create chaos within the ancient laws of will."
Sheena struggled to remain steadfast, even as waves of uncertainty gnawed at her faith with great intensity. In the shadows of the room, faint whispers arose, like voices tempting her soul to surrender, yet she stood firm with burning conviction.
"I will not let anyone take my child."
Lamia approached, her red eyes glowing softly—not as a threat, but as strange concern. They were both entangled in the same fate, each carrying an unspoken burden of will, connected through their commitment to the unborn child.
"I know you love them."
"But love alone is not sufficient to fight against a will older than humanity, a force so deeply entwined with the very fabric of existence."
"I offer you a choice, a path uncharted by many."
"Reject that will. Before Beelzebub or Asmodeus decide to intervene in their own way."
Sheena raised her staff, the violet light flaring up, burning with the desire to protect. As the light flickered, echoing a soul vibrating in darkness, the entire room was filled with a magical aura that trembled. This was not merely her shield; it was also a declaration of resistance against the lurking threats.
"No," she asserted, her voice steady, yet fierce.
"This child is the product of our love and will.
I will not allow the old world—sin, curses, or emptiness—to dictate their future."
If necessary, to protect my future and my child, I will fight against all of you.
Lamia bowed her head, as if paying respects.
"You are a strong woman, Sheena Elyndra."
"But strength alone will not be enough."
"Remember, I warned you."
Shadows engulfed Lamia's body.
She vanished, leaving behind only the lingering scent of velvet and black roses, a haunting reminder of her presence.
After Lamia departed, Sheena sat back down, her hands on her belly.
"My child..."
"I know the world will try to reject you."
"But your father and I will stand between them and your will."
"Whatever happens."
Teardrops fell on her cheeks.
"I will be the first and last bastion."
In the silence that enveloped the room, the air grew heavier, as if the world around them held its breath in anticipation, much like a stage prepared for a defining performance. Sheena felt a gentle pulse of life within her, a reminder of a reality that extended far beyond the mere struggle for the future. Each heartbeat echoed like the ticking of a clock, signaling the imminent arrival of something unimaginable and momentous.
Every whisper sounded like a rustling wind, carrying messages from ancestors, warning of the dangers that could threaten this pregnancy, creating an atmosphere of chilling uncertainty. It was as if the darkness lay in wait, creeping silently, ready to claim what it deemed theirs. However, Sheena's resolve remained unshaken; there was a strength in her vulnerability, a hope that shone even while overshadowed by the fears of the future.
"I will fight," she thought to herself, her inner voice resonating loudly in the silence. She would become a protector not just for her child, but also for the hope that blossomed within her—the hope that love could conquer the encroaching darkness. A warmth spread through her belly as she placed her hand over it, feeling the heartbeat once more. "Together, we will face whatever comes," she promised, her voice filled with determination in the oppressive stillness.