The Fearless Princess

still gripped the hilt of her sword, the weight of it grounding her, but her mind raced. The cryptic words he had

swirling fog where the figure had disappeared. His hand still rested on

ina asked, her voice b

sn't just a man. There's something... ancient about him. So

ead. She had been so sure of her path up until now-so certain that the prophecy was a force she could control. But now, with th

u're not alone in this, Seraphina. No matter what happ

e tight knot of uncertainty that had formed in her

thoughts away. "We need to keep moving.

. We need to find out what Malveros is planning-and we n

r they went, the more they felt the weight of something unseen. The air thickened, heavier with magic that crackled in the silence. I

ustle of leaves beneath their horses' feet, but it felt as though the forest had become utterly still. The normal sounds of the wild-bi

d mentioned it before, the connection between her bloodline and the Heartstone, but how did it all fit into the prophecy

rough the thick, unsettling silence. "Do you th

es are ever wrong, Seraphina. They just don't always tell us everyth

part of her felt trapped by forces she couldn't see. The weight of the prophecy, the looming presence of Malveros, the

le. "You've already made your choice, Seraphina. You've c

still a gnawing doubt inside her. She wasn't sure h

unded by thick, towering trees. At the center of the clearing was a well, ancient and weathered, the stone cracked with age. But what caught Seraphina's att

t pounding as she approached t

ned the area, his eyes narrowed. "This is no ord

e asked, a knot of fear

way to Malveros. To the place where he d

depths of the well. The air around it shimmered, and she could almos

s leaving her lips before she could

of alarm passing over his face. "W

like a magnet, urging her to look deeper. She crouched by the well, her fingers brushing

ed figure at a throne-his face obscured, but his presence commanding

her enemies in battle. But something was wrong. Her hands were bound by chains, the fire burning out of control, a destructive

ill se

st tight with fear. The vision had felt so real, so vivid. And yet, she d

the present. He was standing beside her now, h

.. I don't know. But it felt like a warning. A vision o

fering both comfort and protection. "You won't let

e air, calling to her. She didn't know what this portal was, but she knew one thing for sure-it was more than just a

the truth of

voice a whisper of determi

ode away, the well fading behind them, but its ominous prese