Jaden stood in a place that wasn't real.
The floor beneath him was polished obsidian, stretching endlessly in every direction . Moonlight poured in from nowhere, gleaming on black stone, but cast no warmth. The silence pressed against his ears like a vice. No wind. No breath. No time.
Suddenly, something moved out of the shadows.
A figure emerged from the gloom, barefoot and regal, her silver-black robes trailing behind her like smoke. Her skin was white as bleached marble, and her eyes shimmered with violet fire. She was beautiful, ageless, and terrifying. The air shimmered menacingly around her as she stepped forward.
"Hello, my fallen king," she purred.
Jaden swallowed, but his voice caught in his throat. Her gaze pierced him, slicing through his heart, slithering into his soul.
"You wear your bitterness like a crown," she said softly, circling him. "Your birthright, stolen. Your deepest desires, ignored. Your true love, taken by a coward who dares to call himself king."
