Stefan opened his mouth, ready to explain, but before a single word could leave him, a rough hand grabbed Vul by the arm.

  It all happened so fast. A man, face twisted in anger, yanked Vul like she was nothing more than a ragdoll.

  "Quickly!" the man barked, dragging her away. "Let’s kill this monster while it’s in a weakened state!"

  Vul struggled weakly, still too hurt from passing through the barrier.

  Stefan's face darkened in an instant.

  Without thinking, without even holding back, he threw a heavy punch straight into the man’s face, knocking him backward.

  Vul stumbled back, and Stefan immediately pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body.

  The man, clutching his bloody nose, glared at Stefan.

  “What’s wrong with you?! It’s a monster!” he snarled, pointing accusingly at Vul.

  Stefan’s cold eyes stared back at him.

  “She’s a child,” he said firmly, his voice low and sharp.

  But as Stefan scanned the crowd — the villagers’ faces full of disgust, fear, and hatred, their voices rising up, cheering for the man to kill Vul — something deep inside him twisted.

  He recognized that look. That absolute hatred. How familiar.

  And in that moment, Stefan thought, Angeline... is this what you saw too?

  A heavy, bitter thought that left a weight in his chest.

  Just then, Stefan felt a soft hand touch his shoulder.

  He turned slightly — it was Anna. Her face was calm but firm.

  “She’s not dangerous,” Anna said clearly, loud enough for the villagers to hear. “She’s with us. We’ll keep a close eye on her. You have my word.”

  Anna then turned to look at Elena, who was still sitting on the ground, her cane trembling slightly in her hands.

  Anna leaned closer and whispered, “Please…”

  Elena closed her eyes, breathing shakily.

  Elena closed her eyes, breathing shakily. After a long, tense moment, the old woman sighed and gave a reluctant nod.

  But her voice was thin and heavy when she said, "I’ll allow it... but in exchange..."

  Later that day, Vul found herself sitting quietly by a tall old tree at the edge of the village. A heavy chain was locked around her left ankle, fastening her to the thick trunk.

  Her hands, still red from the burns, were now wrapped tightly in cold metal cuffs. At least someone was kind enough to place a worn wooden bench nearby, and that’s where she sat, swinging her foot slightly, waiting…watching.

  Villagers passed by, eyeing her with open suspicion. Some glared, some whispered, but none dared to get too close. Only the children seemed unafraid. A few peeked out from behind fences and doorways, their curious little eyes wide as they stared at her like she was some kind of odd new creature.

  Meanwhile, Stefan and Anna were inside Miss Elena’s house.

  The place was small, the walls crammed with all sorts of strange and mystical items—crystal balls, tarot cards, jars of glowing herbs, and stacks of dusty books that looked like they could crumble with a touch.

  Tapestries hung from the ceiling, embroidered with suns, moons, and stars. The whole room smelled faintly of lavender and old parchment.

  Elena sat in a creaky wooden chair by the fire, her hands resting on a cane, her face set in a tired but stern frown.

  Anna, moving quietly, poured some tea into a chipped cup and handed it to Elena before sitting down next to Stefan on a low stool.

  The fire crackled softly between them.

  Stefan cleared his throat awkwardly, staring into the tea in his hands before finally speaking.

  "Miss Elena…" he began, voice hesitant. "What… exactly did you see?"

  Elena’s wrinkled hands gripped her cup tighter.

  She took a slow, deep breath, as if pulling the memory up from a place she wished she could forget.

  "I saw fire," she said at last, her voice low and rough.

  She paused, shaking her head.

  "It was the promised lands... in flames."

  Stefan and Anna leaned in closer, the air between them tense and heavy.'

  "And standing there," Elena went on, her eyes distant, "on top of a mountain of corpses... was not the girl you see now."

  Her voice dropped to almost a whisper.

  "It was a dragon. A creature of scales and rage… Vul."

  Stefan stiffened, while Anna covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

  Elena’s old eyes, sharp and sad, locked onto Stefan's.

  "That girl… she will set the whole world ablaze."

  Anna gripped the edge of her stool tightly, her heart pounding.

  "I thought..." she started, her voice a little shaky, "I thought Vul was just... some sort of dragon witch or something. Like a rare half-breed.

  "I’ve been traveling with Vul," he said, voice low and serious. "I've seen her. She’s reckless and weird sometimes... but dangerous?"

  He shook his head again, more firmly.

  "There was never a hint of that. Never."

  Miss Elena chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound—it was dry and cold. "That’s how all monsters start," she said, sipping her tea slowly. "Small. Harmless. Just another child."

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Stefan’s brows furrowed. Still... he didn’t want to believe it.

  Elena caught his hesitation with her sharp old eyes. She turned to Anna, tilting her head slightly.

  "Tell me, child," Elena said in a quieter voice.

  "Do you remember the spell... the one that wiped out the phoenix race? The one that left their kind extinct?"

  Anna blinked, startled by the sudden question. Slowly, she nodded.

  "I do," Anna said, "It was called... Absolute Zero."

  Elena nodded, a grave look on her face. "The phoenix once ruled the lands. Great, proud beings. They were like gods to us—untouchable, unbeatable. Until Absolute Zero was cast. It turned their eternal flames to dust... All so other creatures like us could have a chance to live."

  Anna's hands trembled slightly, and she set her tea cup down with a soft clink. Stefan sat up straighter, his face pale.

  "And Vul," Elena said softly, looking between the two of them, "Vul is the very equivalent of Absolute Zero."

  The words hung heavy in the air, heavier than any chain or curse. Anna stared wide-eyed, her lips parting but no words coming out. Stefan, for once, had no clever remark, no casual shrug. Just a stunned, heavy silence.

  Stefan’s hands slowly curled into tight fists on his knees, his knuckles turning white. He lowered his gaze, struggling with the heavy feeling in his chest.

  "If that time ever comes..." he muttered, "I'll be the one to kill her."

  The words tasted bitter, like ash on his tongue.He clenched his jaw, trying to steady himself.

  "But for now..." he added, his voice shaking slightly, "I want her to live. She deserves that much."

  Anna, watching him carefully, felt a tightness in her chest. Without thinking, she reached out and placed her hand gently over his, holding it with a quiet tenderness. Miss Elena let out a low chuckle, her old eyes glinting mischievously.

  "With the power of love on your side, I'm sure you two can handle anything," she teased, her voice playful.

  Anna instantly went red.

  "I-it's not like that!" she stammered, waving her free hand around. "We’re not—! I mean, I don’t—! It's not—!"

  Elena only laughed harder, leaning back in her chair.

  "Oh, sure, sure," she said with a wink. "You keep telling yourself that, dear."

  Anna huffed, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks slightly like an embarrassed child. "You're impossible, Miss Elena!"

  Stefan, though, sat there quietly, barely hearing their playful exchange. His gaze stayed locked on the flickering flames of the hearth, his mind lost somewhere deep and heavy.

  Outside, the world felt heavier on Vul’s shoulders than ever. She sat quietly on the wooden bench near the tree she was chained to, the cold metal cuffs wrapped tight around her wrists, the chain on her ankle rattling whenever she shifted slightly. Villagers passed by, throwing wary glances her way, whispering under their breaths.

  But the children — the children didn’t seem to care.

  A little girl, no more than six, wandered over with a wide smile and messy hair, cradling a tiny kitten in her arms. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stopped right in front of Vul.

  "Hey, hey, are you a monster?" the girl asked bluntly, tilting her head. "Are your mom and dad monsters too?"

  Vul blinked, her mouth opening slightly but no words coming out.

  Mom?

  Dad?

  She stared at the girl, confused. She didn’t know what those words truly meant. No one had ever called her that before.

  The little girl didn't seem to mind Vul's silence. Instead, she proudly held up the tiny kitten for Vul to see, her chest puffed out with pride.

  "Look! This is my kitten! Isn’t she cute?"

  Vul stiffened, her eyes narrowing.

  The creature was so small and fluffy, its tail twitching lazily.

  Was it a beast?

  A monster?

  She leaned back slightly, eyeing it suspiciously.

  "Is that a beast?'

  The girl noticed and laughed.

  "Kittens aren’t beasts, silly!" she giggled. "They're babies!"

  Vul didn't really understand that either. She stared, wary and unsure, as the kitten meowed softly in the girl’s arms.

  "Here," the girl said brightly, noticing Vul couldn’t move her hands. She lifted the kitten up, carefully bringing it close to Vul’s face.

  For a moment, Vul hesitated. Her crimson eyes flickered with caution. But slowly, she leaned forward, letting her forehead lightly press against the kitten's soft fur.

  The warmth surprised her. It wasn’t like fire, not the kind that burned and consumed. It was... gentle. Soft. Strange.

  Somewhere inside, Vul felt something stir — a feeling she couldn't name. It was warm, but heavy too, like an ache she didn't know how to soothe.

  It was confusing. Baffling. It made her chest tighten in a way that wasn’t painful but wasn’t exactly pleasant either.

  Vul stayed still, quietly absorbing the unfamiliar sensation, the kitten's tiny purrs rumbling against her skin. And for the first time in a long while, she wasn’t thinking about chains, or monsters, or being hated. She was just... there.

  Vul stayed still, forehead against the kitten, soaking in that strange feeling— when suddenly, a rough hand grabbed her. An old man stormed over, followed by several other men with grim faces.

  One of them shoved the little girl aside, making her stumble back with a small cry. The kitten dropped from her hands and darted away in fear.

  "Stop it! You’re hurting her!" the little girl shouted, tears brimming in her eyes.

  But the old man ignored her. With a sharp yank, he grabbed Vul’s chin, forcing her head up to face the girl. His fingers dug painfully into her skin, his nails pressing deep.

  "Look, child," the old man said, his voice cold and cruel.

  "This thing you’re playing with? It’s a monster. The same monsters that took your family away. The same monsters that made you an alone."

  Vul didn’t resist. She just stared, confused and hurting, as the little girl's teary eyes locked with hers.

  The kitten mewed weakly in the background, but all Vul could hear was the soft, broken sobs of the little girl. The little girl trembled, her face crumpling — and then, without another word, she turned and ran, wiping at her eyes.

  Vul watched her go, feeling something sharp twist deep inside her chest. It wasn't physical pain. It was something else —something heavy, like a weight pressing down on her, squeezing until she could barely breathe.

  Guilt.

  Sadness.

  Regret.

  She didn’t know the names of these feelings. She didn’t even understand why she felt them. All she knew was that seeing the little girl cry made her chest ache worse than any wound she had ever received.

  And even though Vul couldn't explain it...

  it hurt.

  The little girl disappeared into the crowd, her sobs fading away with her. Vul sat there, her head hanging low, her chin still sore from the old man’s rough grip.

  The old man grunted, letting go of her face with a shove. He turned to the men around him, his voice sharp and full of authority.

  "Unlock the chain," he ordered. "We’re bringing this monster to the church."

  Without hesitation, one of the men stepped forward, jangling a heavy set of iron keys in his hand. The others watched closely, their faces grim and unfriendly. The chain clinked and rattled as they fiddled with the lock around Vul’s ankle.

  Vul didn’t fight. She didn’t even move. She just sat there quietly, staring at the dirt below her feet, feeling a strange emptiness settle in her chest.

  The lock finally clicked open, and the chain fell away from her ankle with a dull, heavy thud.

  Still, Vul didn’t run. She didn’t even flinch. She simply waited, as the men grabbed her arms and pulled her up to her feet, dragging her away.

  Back at the Midnight Castle, a heavy, eerie silence hung in the air. Inside the grand throne room, Val Umbra sat lazily on his massive black throne, one hand propping up his chin. Beside him stood Oculina, her presence cold and quiet, in a flowing, pale gown — her eyes hidden behind a smooth white blindfold.

  Suddenly, three long, twisting shadows slithered in through the tall arched windows, curling like smoke.

  The shadows dropped to the marble floor and shifted into three familiar figures—Stella, Selene, and Luna, all standing gracefully in front of Val.

  Without wasting a second, Stella bolted forward, throwing herself at Val. She clung to him tightly, her golden hair brushing against his chest.

  "I-I'm so sorry, Val!" Stella sobbed, squeezing him like a child afraid of being scolded. "I failed you! I swear it won't happen again!"

  Before Val could even react, Selene scoffed loudly.

  Rolling her eyes, she reached out and roughly shoved Stella aside, making her stumble a little. With a mischievous smirk, Selene straddled Val's lap without a hint of shame, running her fingers teasingly up his chest and leaning close enough for her breath to tickle his ear.

  "You don't need pathetic apologies, my lord," she purred, her hips giving a slow, suggestive grind against him. "You need someone who can truly satisfy you."

  Stella gasped, her cheeks burning with rage as she stomped her foot.

  "Get off him, you slut!" she yelled, trying to pull Selene away.

  The two women quickly got caught up in a heated squabble, throwing insults and shoves at each other, completely forgetting they were in the presence of their king.

  Meanwhile, Luna simply sighed, elegantly brushing her dark hair behind her ear. She stepped forward calmly and spoke.

  "My lord," Luna said, cutting through the noise. "The Blanc has arrived in Yro-Ei."

  At this, Val finally stirred. He lifted his gaze lazily toward Oculina, who had been silently observing everything.

  Oculina gave him a small, knowing nod.

  Val's lips curled into a slow, wicked smile.