---
The moon hung heavy over the palace, its light painting everything in silver. It was one of those rare nights when the oppressive weight of the palace seemed to lift, if only for a moment. Seraphina had not slept since the vision of her parents' death, and the desire for revenge burned within her like an unquenchable fire. The pieces of the puzzle had finally started to fall into place, but one thing gnawed at her: the divine beast.
The creature was no mere myth. She had seen it with her own eyes in the Moonlight Library, its large, glowing eyes reflecting her every movement. The connection between them was undeniable, something ancient, something that tied her bloodline to powers beyond comprehension.
Tonight, she would confront it.
---
Seraphina stood in the garden, the air thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine. The moonlight was brighter here, illuminating the stone circle at the heart of the palace garden. It had been a place of power once, used by her ancestors for sacred rites. Now, it was nothing more than a forgotten relic of a time lost to history.
She stepped into the circle.
A low growl echoed through the night air. The divine beast materialized from the shadows, its massive form moving with liquid grace. Its fur shimmered like starlight, and its eyes — those deep, penetrating eyes — locked onto hers. The creature's form was ethereal, part beast, part magic. It stood before her like an ancient guardian, a creature bound by fate to her.
"You seek the truth," the beast rumbled, its voice a whisper of wind and thunder.
"I seek my revenge," Seraphina replied. Her voice was steady, but inside, her heart thundered. "Tell me what you know."
The divine beast circled her, its eyes never leaving hers. "You are not the villainess they claim you are. The truth lies beneath the earth, in the forgotten places."
"Where?" she demanded. "Tell me what I need to do."
The beast's form seemed to ripple like water, and then, from the darkness, came the low hum of an ancient chant. Seraphina felt the ground beneath her feet tremble.
"The underground kingdom," the beast spoke again, "it holds the key to your destiny. You are bound by blood to a power that has slept for centuries. To awaken it, you must first face what lies beneath."
---
Seraphina's mind raced. The underground kingdom. It was only a myth, a shadow in the stories her mother used to tell her. No one believed it existed anymore.
"Why me?" she whispered. "Why am I the one chosen?"
The beast stopped its circling and fixed her with an intense gaze. "Because you are not the Empress they think you are. You are the heir of something older, something far more dangerous. The blood of the true rulers runs through you."
Seraphina clenched her fists, her mind whirling with the implications. The true rulers. Her bloodline. She had known her parents had been more than they seemed, but this — this was something more than she could have ever imagined.
The beast stepped forward, its glowing eyes almost burning into her soul. "You will learn the truth. But beware, Seraphina — the path ahead is not one of redemption. It is one of destruction."
---
Seraphina stared into the beast's eyes, feeling the weight of its words settle on her chest. Destruction. Was that what she was meant to bring? Was that her fate? The thought churned in her stomach, but it didn't deter her. She had come this far, and she would not stop.
"I'm ready," she said.
The divine beast nodded, a low growl vibrating through the air. "Then you must go to the Forgotten Abyss. There, you will find what you seek. But remember, not all truths are meant to be known."
---
With that, the beast vanished, its form fading into the shadows like smoke. Seraphina stood alone in the circle, the air thick with tension.
The Forgotten Abyss.
It was a place spoken of in whispers, a hidden realm beneath the kingdom, sealed off from the world above. It was said to be a place where the very fabric of magic was twisted, where no one who entered ever returned unchanged.
But Seraphina knew there was no turning back now. The pieces were falling into place, and she was no longer just the villainess of a twisted story.
She was about to uncover the truth.
---