Screams pierced the twilight as armored soldiers stormed the village, their torches casting cruel light over terrified faces. The poor, the slaves, the criminals—all were dragged from their homes and cells, beaten, bound, and herded like cattle. Anyone who resisted or ran was struck down without mercy, their blood soaking the dirt in crimson warnings.
Cries of "Please!" echoed into the night. Children clung to mothers. Husbands were torn from wives. The air thickened with weeping, confusion, and rage.
At the castle gates, the captain of the royal guards stood tall, face cold beneath his helmet. "Do not resist!" he barked. "The King has a master plan! These sacrifices—" he gestured to the chaos around him, "—are necessary. He will deliver us from the witch who dares threaten the crown."
Tears fell. Blood followed.
From a distant hill, shrouded in shadow, Azrael stood with Hades, watching the slaughter below.
His jaw clenched, fists trembling at his sides.
"I should go down there," he growled. "I should burn them. Leave nothing but ashes."
Hades placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Not yet. You can't act now, brother."
Azrael's eyes glowed faintly gold. "They're killing the innocent."
"I know." Hades's voice was quiet. "But I feel something shifting. Jayden and Mammoth… they're moving pieces we can't see yet. We wait."
Azrael hissed the name like venom. "Mammoth."
Then, like smoke swallowed by wind, the two vanished into the dark.
Deep in the forest temple, Jayden stood before an ancient mirror, her fingers glowing with summoned power.
Aurora's ghostly form shimmered beside her. "Do you remember the stories I read to you as a child?" she asked gently.
Jayden nodded. "The ones with the fire princess, the whispering crown…"
Aurora smiled. "They weren't just stories. They were spells. Codes. Lessons to help unlock the power buried inside you. Because I knew, one day, your true self would awaken."
Jayden's breath hitched. "You knew I was a vessel?"
"I knew you were more than that. And when you wear the crown… the curse will break. Sage will be gone. You'll be you."
Jayden looked down at her hands. "And if I'm not ready?"
Aurora reached out, her fingers brushing Jayden's cheek like mist. "You are ready, my queen. You always have been."
Later, under the blood-red sky, Mammoth entered the temple. His white hair gleamed beneath the eclipse as he approached her, lips curled in a knowing smirk.
"It's time," he said. "The blood moon rises. The crown awaits. The throne awaits."
Jayden nodded. Her form began to glow. With a whisper, her simple garments transformed into a flowing black gown, the slit rising high on her thigh. A jeweled cape fell around her shoulders. Her heels clicked against the stone floor like the rhythm of fate.
Mammoth's eyes darkened with desire.
Slowly, he stalked toward her—steps confident, predatory. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
"You've improved," he murmured into her ear, his breath hot on her skin. "I am… more than happy."
Jayden's breath hitched. He noticed.
He slid his hand from her waist to her shoulder, then down across her chest, possessive.
"You're breathing hard," he whispered.
"It's not because of your touch," she thought bitterly. It's his. It was always Azrael. She missed his kiss, his heat, the way he made her body feel alive, not just powerful.
Mammoth's voice cut through her haze. "You radiate power. You'll be a queen feared and worshipped. Even the humans will kneel."
Jayden's heart twisted. Is this really what I want?
But his voice was soft, seductive—like a lullaby laced with poison. He made it sound so beautiful. So destined.
She forced a smile. "Let's go to the castle. If they run… we chase."
Mammoth laughed, low and dark. "As you wish… my queen."