The name Elladora haunted Ellie, circling through her mind like a bird that wouldn’t settle. Seren’s voice echoed in her memory, laced with that strange knowing smile. “Your disguise is paper-thin this time, Lady Elladora.”

“What does she mean?” Ellie muttered to herself, glancing around as if the trees could offer answers. “Is it really just a joke? Or something more? It can’t be true. I’m just… me.”

Whatever Seren meant by it, the implications were unsettling. What was Elladora’s story? And more importantly, what did it mean for Ellie? Ellie wasn’t pretending to be anyone; she wasn’t even sure who she was anymore.

She leaned against the stone wall just outside the guildhall, the afternoon sun filtering through the trees. The sound of voices inside carried on the breeze, but she couldn’t bring herself to join them yet. Not after everything that had happened.

A loud cheer from inside jolted her back to the present. She took a steadying breath, squaring her shoulders. She couldn’t avoid the guild forever. Sooner or later, she had to face what waited inside.

“I just wish it were later.” With a sigh, Ellie pushed open the door to the guildhall, her heart heavy with dread.

Inside, the air crackled with energy, excitement so thick she could almost taste it. Word had spread too quickly—far too quickly for her liking. In the brief time she’d stepped out for air, the entire town seemed to have learned of the investigator’s report.

Now the hall was buzzing with overlapping voices, each louder than the last. Laughter, speculation, and awe rippled through the crowd, and all of it was directed toward one name.

“Ellie Liddell.”

She hovered near the back, where the shadows clung to the stone walls, wishing—not for the first time—that she could disappear into them. But even in the dimness, curious eyes sought her out. Whispers followed her like a current, brushing past her ears no matter where she stood.

“Is that really her? The one with untapped power?”

“The one who can take down monsters without even trying.”

Ellie felt her stomach churn. Without trying? She couldn’t even take control of her own life, let alone magical monsters. The myth was growing faster than she could handle. Her chest tightened with the weight of it. She needed air, an escape, anything to get out from under the crushing expectations piling up around her.

But as she edged toward the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed, she knew it was already too late. The myth of Ellie Liddell had taken root, and no matter how much she wished otherwise, there was no running from it now.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Once a legend took root, there was no stopping it.

“I heard the Mage Academy’s taking notice.”

Ellie clenched her fists, her pulse quickening. She could feel the weight of their stares, their expectations. This wasn’t admiration. It was a pressure building from all sides, coiling tighter around her chest with every passing second. The more they talked, the more the myth grew. Spiraling out of control.

Near the front of the room, Hargrave stood in the center of a group, holding court like a king basking in newfound glory. “Ellie Liddell, I’m telling you, her magic is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. She’s single-handedly put this guild on the map!” His eyes gleamed with pride as he retold the story of her “triumph,” his words growing more grandiose each time.

Ellie cringed. Each retelling stretched the truth further, until she barely recognized herself in the tale. In Hargrave’s version, she was a prodigy, effortlessly wielding magic so powerful it defied explanation. But in reality, she was barely keeping her head above water, stumbling through one test after another by nothing more than sheer luck.

"They’re calling you a living legend now, Ellie!" Hargrave had said earlier with a chuckle, slapping her on the back as though they shared a secret joke. But it wasn’t funny to her. It was a nightmare, one from which she couldn’t wake.

The problem with legends, Ellie realized, was that they take on a life of their own.

Near the hearth, a group of seasoned adventurers gathered, their faces hard, their voices low but tense. Ellie hadn’t spoken much with them before—they ran in their own circles—but now their glances were sharp, cutting through the noise. Every so often, she felt their eyes flick to her, their expressions dark with something that made her uneasy.

“I’ve been with this guild eight years.” A dark-haired swordsman leaned forward over the table. “And I’ve never seen anyone get this much attention. She’s barely been here a season.”

A grizzled warrior scowled, crossing his arms. “They’re practically handing her everything. No real mage gets by like that.”

“Unpredictable, chaotic.” A lanky mage, shook his head. “You saw how she handled the tests. She’s dangerous, not some prodigy. No control at all.”

Ellie winced, her hands curling into fists. She wanted to speak up, to defend herself. But what could she say? She couldn’t tell them the truth—that she had no idea what she was doing. They already suspected she didn’t belong, and if they knew how close they were to being right, the whispers would only grow louder.

Hargrave, who had been basking in the attention, overheard the mutterings and strode over, his voice booming over their grumbling. “Listen here, Ellie’s magic is a force we’ve never seen. You ought to be proud to have her in this guild. The attention she’s bringing in? It benefits all of us. So unless you’ve got something more useful to add, keep your doubts to yourselves.”

The group fell silent, though their faces remained tight with resentment. Ellie felt their frustration, simmering just below the surface, and she knew it wouldn’t stay quiet for long. They couldn’t argue with Hargrave—not openly. But she could feel the hostility, unspoken yet palpable, growing like a slow-burning fire.

Across the room, one of the younger members—a girl who had once smiled at Ellie whenever they passed—now watched her with something colder in her gaze. Something hard, calculating. Ellie looked away quickly, her heart sinking. She recognized that look. It was the look of someone who had started seeing her as a rival.

And rivals, Ellie knew, had a way of turning into enemies.