I stared at the shard, its soft blue glow flickering like the last light before nightfall. The hum beneath my skin hadn't faded—it had only grown louder.
"Who is he?" I asked quietly. "The one you said is searching for the blade?"
My mother—the Queen—straightened her spine. Her posture shifted, no longer just a mother speaking to her child, but a monarch addressing her heir.
"He is the shadow of the past reborn—Varos, the Usurper of Time. Though long dead, his bloodline lives, and his will festers. His descendant now walks the earth, seeking the Blade of Time to finish what Varos began."
I swallowed hard. "Then we have to stop him. We can keep the blade hidden—guard it like before."
She shook her head. "No. The blade was never meant to remain broken. Queen Lisa shattered it to protect time itself—but now, the seals are weakening, and fragments are being unearthed. If we do nothing, he will gather the pieces. And once he does..." her voice dropped, "no one—not even the gods—will be able to undo what comes."
She stepped closer, eyes burning with a heavy truth.
"You are of her line, Anna. The blood of the Sun-Daughter runs in your veins. And as your Queen, I command you:"
Her tone turned iron.
"You will leave this palace by nightfall. You will not return until the Blade of Time is whole again."
"What?" I blinked, stunned. "You're sending me away?"
"I am sending you on your path," she said. "This is your duty—not just as my daughter, but as the Princess of this realm. A ruler does not wait for fate to strike. She meets it head-on."
"But I don't know where to begin—"
"You will learn. Lisa had no guide either, and yet she became legend. Now it is your turn."
The Queen placed the shard into my hand, the glow flaring slightly as my fingers closed around it.
"Take this piece. Let it lead you to the rest. The blade remembers its own. And so will those who once served it."
I looked down at the shard—at the destiny I never asked for now pressed into my palms. Somewhere deep inside, I could feel it stirring… calling.
As the heavy doors of the throne room closed behind me, I didn't look back. My heart pounded with the weight of my mother's command echoing in my ears. Without a word to anyone, I walked swiftly through the marble corridors, past the guards and the watching eyes of the court. I needed air. I needed space to breathe, to think.
My feet carried me beyond the castle gates, down the winding path that led to the forest. The familiar scent of pine and earth greeted me as I stepped beneath the ancient trees. The shadows wrapped around me like a cloak, and for the first time since I left the throne room, I allowed myself to exhale.
But the peace didn't last.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the clearing, stirring the leaves violently. I froze. The air shimmered ahead of me, rippling like disturbed water—and then it tore open.
A portal, jagged and humming with strange energy, cracked through the space before me. My eyes widened as a figure stepped through—cloaked in black, face obscured, but radiating power. Before I could run or scream, he raised his hand. Time seemed to slow, my body frozen in place, my limbs refusing to obey.
"No!" I managed to whisper, but it was too late.
The stranger seized my wrist with a force that felt ancient, unstoppable. With a sharp tug, he pulled me through the portal. Light and shadow spun violently around me as the forest vanished, replaced by chaos and time unraveling.
And then—silence.
When the spinning stopped, I collapsed to my knees onto hard, sun-baked earth. My lungs burned as I gasped for air. The scent of smoke, steel, and something foreign—like burning incense and wild herbs—filled my senses. I blinked against the sudden brightness and looked up.
I was no longer in my forest.
Before me stretched a vast landscape of cherry blossom trees, scorched battlegrounds, and towering mountains. Traditional structures rose in the distance—curved rooftops, bamboo walls, smoke curling into the sky. The clang of weapons echoed faintly from beyond the hills. I saw figures clad in armor and black garb darting through the trees—samurai and ninjas… at war.
"What is this place?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the distant sounds of conflict.
The cloaked figure stood beside me, now unmasked.
His face was sharp, noble, with eyes like molten gold. His presence crackled with energy—commanding and impossible to ignore. He extended a hand to help me up. I didn't take it.
"Who are you?" I demanded, backing away.
He smiled faintly. "My name is Kai."
My breath caught. That name… it stirred something. A distant echo. A forgotten feeling.
"You brought me here—why? What do you want from me?"
Kai stepped closer, eyes narrowing with calculated intensity. "This world is on the brink of collapse. I am the only one keeping it from destruction. And you… you will help me do that."
I shook my head. "You kidnapped me—!"
He cut me off. "They will not accept you as you are. Not as a princess from another realm. But if they believe you are my wife, they will not question your presence. You must act the part… or you will not survive here."
I stared at him in disbelief. "You expect me to pretend I belong to you?"
His tone deepened. "No. I expect you to convince an entire warring empire that you already do."
I didn't wait for him to say another word.
I scrambled to my feet, nearly stumbling over the hem of my gown, and ran. My breath came in sharp gasps as I tore through the unfamiliar terrain. Branches lashed at my arms, the dry earth kicked up underfoot, but I didn't stop. I didn't care where I was going—I just had to get away from him.
"Kai!" I shouted his name behind me, half in fury, half in panic. "You don't own me!"
But there was no answer—only the distant sound of drums and the eerie whistle of the wind through the trees. I pushed further into the forest, heart racing. My mind screamed at me to find shelter, safety, anything—
Until I slammed into someone.
Rough arms caught me before I could fall. I tried to back away, but he held me firm. He was tall, filthy, dressed in tattered leather and carrying a long blade at his side. His eyes narrowed as he looked me over, and a wicked smile spread across his face.
"Well, well," he said, tilting his head. "Long pink hair? Now that's rare. I haven't seen hair like that since the Empress's concubine was auctioned off."
My blood ran cold. "Let go of me!"
He ignored my struggle, gripping my arm tighter. "Hair like yours fetches a fortune at the black markets. You don't belong here, do you? Even better."
"No—please—" I tried to twist free, but he was too strong.
"You'll make me rich," he sneered, already dragging me away. "Maybe I'll even keep you for myself."
I screamed, clawing at his arms, pink strands whipping in front of my face as I thrashed. The trees blurred as he pulled me deeper into the woods. Every step made it clearer: I'd escaped one danger only to fall into another far worse.
But then—heavy, precise footsteps cut through the underbrush like a blade through silk. The air grew charged, thick with presence. My captor froze.
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
Kai.
He stood tall, cloaked no longer. His lean yet muscular frame radiated restrained power. Broad shoulders, wrapped in layered black armor, shifted as he walked with the grace of a predator. His chest rose and fell with steady breath, but his golden eyes were anything but calm—they burned like fire beneath the rising moonlight. A katana hung at his side, the hilt wrapped in crimson cloth, fingers flexing near it as if itching to draw.
"Put her down," Kai growled, his voice dark and deadly.
The man holding me jerked in surprise. "This girl yours?" he spat. "Didn't see your mark on her."
Kai's jaw tensed, and his gaze sharpened to a blade's edge.
"She's my wife," he said coldly, each word like a slow thunderclap. "And I'll give you three seconds to put her down and hand her back to me… before I take your head off your shoulders."
A gust of wind whispered through the trees, carrying the weight of that promise.
My captor hesitated, his grip faltering as he glanced at Kai's sword, at the calm in his voice that only made the threat more real. His hand trembled.
Kai took one step forward—and that was all it took.
"Alright, alright!" the man growled, shoving me roughly toward Kai. "She's not worth dying over."
I stumbled into Kai's arms. He caught me effortlessly, one arm around my waist, the other already shifting to shield me.