Celis had never known peace. She looked like an angel from a fairy tale—ethereal, with cascading silver hair that shimmered like moonlight, iridescent eyes that held the depth of galaxies. But though she seemed divine, she lacked the one thing that would complete her—her wings. A gift and a curse, they would only manifest when she was strong enough to bear their burden. For with them came not just freedom, but an unbearable weight—a power that could either save or annihilate entire worlds. She was the chains of the universe, the force that held existence together. If she died, the universe would fall with her.

From the moment she awakened the Key of Ethers, the universe had turned against her. Not because she was a chosen one or some great savior—no, they hunted her because of the curse that ran through her veins.

The Key of Ethers was not a gift. It was a weapon of destruction, a force capable of unraveling worlds and reducing galaxies to dust. But it was a power she could not wield. Not freely. Not on her own.

Celis could not control the Key. It was bound by an ancient law—her power could only be used by the one who tamed her.

The empires feared her. The warlords craved her power. The rogue factions wanted to tear her apart and claim the Key for themselves. But none of them compared to the one she feared most.

He didn’t want her dead. He didn’t want to use her.

He wanted to own her.

Celis sprinted through the dimly lit alleyways of a medieval capital, her cloak billowing behind her as the sound of armored boots echoed in pursuit. The city’s labyrinthine streets were suffocating, the stone walls towering around her like a prison. She skidded around a corner, her breath ragged, her heart a desperate drum in her chest.

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Torches flickered in the hands of her pursuers, their shouts filling the air.

"There! Don’t let her escape!"

She had only moments.

Dimensional Step.

The world blurred. Space folded. And in a blink, she was somewhere else—far beyond the soldiers who chased her. But the reprieve was brief. She stumbled, gripping her chest as exhaustion threatened to take hold. Eleven uses left.

Her abilities were powerful, but limited. She could only use them thirteen times a day, and each use drained her further. She had to be careful.

Yet, as she turned to flee once more, something shifted in the air. A force more powerful than anything she had ever encountered.

Then the world froze.

A pulse of energy wrapped around her, seizing her limbs, crushing her will. It wasn’t magic. It was something far beyond that—authority.

A chilling voice rumbled through the silence.

"No matter where you run, all roads end with me."

Celis’s breath hitched as she lifted her gaze. He stood before her, draped in regal black and gold, his eyes like twin stars burning with possession. The ruler of the First Universe.

Sevios.

The supreme being of the cosmos. The conqueror of worlds. A god in all but name.

His power was limitless. His presence, suffocating. Stars bent to his will, and galaxies crumbled at his command. And yet, the only thing he ever truly desired—was her.

Celis trembled as he reached for her, his touch ghosting over her skin as though claiming what was already his.

"You are mine, Celis," Sevios murmured, his voice dark with obsession. "And no force in this universe will take you from me."

And this time, there was no running away.

Her breath came in shallow gasps as the weight of his words settled over her. Celis clenched her fists, her mind racing for a plan. She refused to be a pawn. She refused to be caged. Her body tensed as she pushed against the unseen force that held her in place, trying to summon her abilities once more. But before she could react, Sevios moved, his grip tightening around her wrist.

"You still resist me?" he mused, his tone both amused and irritated. "How foolish. You cannot escape your fate."

Celis glared at him. "I will never be yours."

His smirk deepened. "And yet, you already are."

Her heart pounded as he lifted his hand, magic crackling in the air. The chains of the universe that bound her soul began to stir. The unbreakable fate she had fought against was closing in.

And in that moment, Celis knew—her nightmare had only just begun.