Proxy’s face fades from view. The world blurs. Darkness overtakes it. Colors then fill in the edges. They blend into the dark mass before becoming tangible objects of discernible value.

A tent surrounds me on all sides. It blocks light from reaching me. Regardless, my eyes easily pick up every little detail inside as if I were in an open field outdoors in bright sunlight.

I strain my neck. A giant blanket on me shifts as I do. Looking down, I notice it is the only piece of fabric covering me. It hides my figure well enough but not completely.

For some reason, I’m sitting on my knees. My limbs should feel stiff and painful, but they’re surprisingly limber.

It takes no effort to stand. As I do, the blanket fully slides off me.

“Everything feels so light…and strong.” I hop in place once. “I’ve never felt this good before. Hmm?” I question as a mass of white hair explodes around my body. It’s long, almost to my feet, but silky and shiny.

My fingers grab at the strands, panicked.

“My beautiful red hair! Gone!“ I cry in abject horror. “I loved that shit! What are they going to call me now? Snow queen?!” I pause in realization. “I need a mirror. Where am I?”

Hm?

My voice changed.

“Hello?” I say.

Oh wow. It’s beautiful. It sounds like the final ‘I love you’ of a spouse before they pass. Heartwarming and pure with volumes of emotions behind it.

I clear my throat. “Hello from the other side…” I softly sing.

Ahhh Gods, I just fell in love with myself. That was heavenly.

“What else changed?” I say out loud just to hear my own voice again.

“You don’t have to come with me every time,” says Sonya from just outside the tent. I can pick up her voice from anywhere.

“You know I do,” replies Remi. “She’s my friend, and we don’t know how safe this is.”

The flap of the tent opens. A burst of light hits me then recedes again as the two women enter the vicinity. Remi holds a bucket of water in her arms while Sonya carries towels and soap.

Both stop moving when they see me standing.

“How long was I out?” I ask.

Silence.

Sonya tries to speak but cannot.

Remi takes the lead. “Three days,” she tells me.

“Is that all?” I mutter, reflecting how long I was killing past versions of myself. Shaking my head, I smile. “Seems I’ve changed a little, huh? Were you both going to wash me? That’s so sweet.”

Remi drops the bucket. Water splashes over the ground. She reaches me and wraps her arms around my body. “You woke up,” she whispers. I can hear both sorrow and happiness within her voice.

“You make it sound like I wouldn’t,” I joke lightly.

“You were glowing for the past few days. Even an hour ago when I last saw you, you still were.” Remi looks me over. “Gods…you’re…different.”

“And my eyes?” I point at them. “Are they…?”

Remi nods.

I let out a breath. “I’d like to see them if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” says Remi. She then hesitates for a moment. “Actually…stay here. I need to ease some worried minds.”

My head cocks to the side in confusion. “Worried minds?”

Remi smiles sheepishly. “You’ll see in a moment.” She exits the tent back through flap.

“Scarlet…” Sonya speaks. Her hands reach out towards me, both afraid and relieved.

“It’s me,” I answer softly.

The dams break. Sonya cries and embraces me just as Remi did. Smiling, I hug her back.

“We were so scared,” says Sonya in a broken voice. “You and Talbert were gone, and then they found you and him in that cabin. They were able to bring you back, but then you started glowing and blew a hole out of the ground. It was terrifying! You disappeared back to where they found you and—”

“Deep breaths. It’s alright. I’m here,” I calm Sonya as the speed of her voice becomes quicker and more nervous.

Sonya breaks away from me, but her hands still hold onto the sides of my arms. Her gaze stays trained on my eyes. She holds her stare in silence for the longest time. Eventually, she smiles like a proud mother. “I always knew you were destined for amazing things.”

Remi reemerges into the tent. “Sorry,” she says when she catches me and Sonya’s embrace. “Didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

“It’s alright,” I reply.

“Here you go.” Remi tosses me a slacks and a shirt. She then places a pair of boots on the ground. “They’ll be a bit big, but it’s the best I could do on short notice. I’d give you my shirt, but it would be too small,” she jests.

My brow crinkles at that statement wondering what she meant.

Glancing at my body, I don’t see much of a differ—

Where did all my muscles go?!

I worked hard for that six pack! There’s a clear ‘V’ from my stomach to my waist, but without the abs, it feels pointless. All that effort! Gone! Why do I look so flabby and grabbable?! I mean, I’m still skinny, but it’s all so…soft…Gods, I bet I’d look good in thigh-high socks.

Wait.

I take a peek at my backside.

“Look at that ass!” My gaze shifts to Remi. I can almost feel my eyes sparkle. “I really need that mirror now. Full length and clean. Super clean.”

“You have a way of making monumental things seem childish and inconsequential,” mutters Remi as she stares at me, disappointed. “Why would something like this be any different?” she mutters softly to herself.

“…are we the same height now?” I notice.

“…you’re a bit taller,” grumbles Remi. “It’s not the only change,” she says. Her eyes glaze me over. “You’ll be…shocked. I don’t blame you for wanting to see.”

Quickly, I dress. I tuck the shirt into the slacks then throw the boots on, fluff out my hair, and clap. “Ready!” I say to Sonya and Remi.

“Don’t be too shocked by what you see,” says Remi. “If your first question is ‘why,’ just know you created the hole out yonder while you were…unconscious?”

“Giant hole?” I question.

“So you were completely out of it.” Remi exits to the outside. “It’ll be fun for you to see then.”

My ears pick up every single sound outside like I’m wearing high-end headphones. I can hear feet moving, weapons shifting, gear rattling, boards being hit, and conversations as clear as if I am beside the people talking.

“Think she’s okay?” asks a voice.

“We can’t beat her. What’s the point in doing all this?”

“Remi says Scarlet’s awake, and I trust her.”

“She’s one of them now…”

“People! Do not panic! She looks different, but this is Lady Scarlet! Again, she is fully conscious and awake,” Remi yells out to the crowd of people apparently scattered outside this tent.

I step outside into the light.

As Remi alluded they would, the surroundings shock me.

A giant hole in the landscape stretches out before me. It’s perfectly cylindrical like a giant laser blasted through the earth. Teams of people work to clear away the debris around it.

Dozens of my father’s soldiers incircle me. Their weapons are drawn in defensive positions. Lines of wood barriers and pointed, carved pikes turn in my direction. Four ballista aim at the tent. Makeshift towers with archers placed in them loom from the front and behind me.

“My stupid brain thinks it’d be funny to try and freak them out,” I whisper jokingly to Remi.

“Don’t do that. Everyone’s been on edge for days,” she replies. “You’d immediately catch an arrow to the throat…if that would even do anything.”

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

“I’m okaaaaay!” I wave to everyone with a smile on my face. “You all look highly traumatized. My bad! Hahahaha! How do I look?” I spin around then cast out my hands. “The hair’s kind of strange, but the eyes are nice, right?”

The tension eases at once.

Weapons drop.

Most noticeably, people stare at me. These are not the looks I’m used to seeing. They reflect is a singular emotion: awe.

“There you go again ruining the mood. Not that it’s a bad thing this time.” Remi sighs. “At ease,” she calls out to everyone. “We’re headed back to the castle. Pack up. The danger has passed.

“Should we have sent word ahead that I was coming?” I ask both Sonya and Remi.

“It was honestly the very last thing on my mind,” admits Remi.

Soldiers and staff stare at me as I walk through the front gates with Sonya and Remi. One person bows as I pass. The action catches on like fire as others do the same. Soon, everyone is doing it. All around me, people dip their heads reverently in my direction.

“That’s unnerving,” I mutter.

I notice guards watching the front gate from a nearby balcony on the castle. They rush back inside seconds after comprehending who I am.

Well, everyone should be aware of me in a few minutes.

Before we’re even halfway to the castle’s front doors, three people push open the massive entrance.

Okay…sooner than I expected…

Gai leads the pack with Alexander and Nigel on either side.

They stare at me, frozen.

I force a smile and wave. “What’s up?”

Gai takes a single step forward then pauses. His eyes pass over me multiple times, each one ending on my eyes.

Alexander stands beside him. He analyzes me carefully, but his face is oddly emotionless given the circumstances.

Nigel’s hand grips the skin below his heart so hard I can see his knuckles turning white.

“Scarlet,” says Gai. He reaches out.

Nigel steps in front of him. Surprising everyone, he clears the distance between us until he’s standing before me. His hands grip my face as he brings our eyes within inches of each other.

I can’t help but gasp.

“It’s still you?” asks Nigel quietly. Unlike everyone else, there is no hesitation or fear in him. He’s the same as always. Even with his words posed as a question, there’s certainty in them.

In his hands, I nod stiffly. “Yes, sir,” I mock. “Mesmerized by my charm? To irresistible not to touch? Need a kiss?”

Nigel deadpans and lets me go. He turns back to Gai and Alexander. “She’s fine.”

Gai eyes Nigel for a split second before pushing him gently aside before putting his hands on my shoulders. He stares at me for a moment before sighing. “I’m glad you’re safe you manipulative little asshole.”

I look away from him nervously. “Harsh, but fair. I put you in a bad situation. Yell at me some more if it’ll help. I don’t mind. You can hit me, too, just not in the face. I need to see it without bruises first, but you can punch it after.”

“If it helps, it was a bit funny finding him naked and tied up like that,” interjects Alexander. “Well, it wasn’t at the time. They all thought you were going to die, but—”

Remi puts a hand of Alexander’s mouth.

“I’m not going to hit you. None of that matters right now,” says Gai to me. “We can talk later. You’re breathing. I can put aside the anger for a while.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” I breathe. “You probably could have just hit me in the face anyway.”

“I was never going to hit you in the face. Stop saying that.” Gai, baffled, looks between the rest of my friends. “Did I make it seem like I was going to do that? Do I seem like that kind of person?”

My gaze drifts to the left towards another giant hole in the yard. I walk past my friends as I point at it. “Did I do this too?”

“When we brought you back, you were so hot we couldn’t touch you. Everything that grazed your skin started to burn,” says Remi as she moves beside me. “I was able to get you back on a burning door, then we dunked you in the water. Seconds later, you exploded into a beam of golden light. When it stopped, you emerged glowing with black wings, white horns, and gold skin. You were here for a moment then disappeared in the blink of an eye. One of the guards, Jin, saw you appear at…Talbert’s cabin. You blew it apart. Then he said you sat down on your knees in a state of hibernation of some sorts. You were like that until around an hour ago.”

“That all sounds horrifying,” I admit.

“Understatement,” Gai mutters.

“Did I hurt anyone?”

Nigel shakes his head. “Everyone was fine. Property damage was the extent of it.”

I let out a satisfied breath. “Thank the Gods.”

“Do you remember anything?” questions Alexander.

“I remember dying,” I mutter.

All my friends stare at me, shocked.

“Dying?” Gai repeats the word. His voice catches in his throat.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Yes, I think so,” I mutter. “Let us keep that between the five of us for the moment. Right now, I want to see what I look like,” I say. “All of me. It’s all I can think about.”

“We can use the women’s barracks in the castle,” allows Remi.

We enter Castle Grey to stares and muttering. I largely ignore them as Remi guides our small group along the bottom floor. We cut left from the main entrance to the back-left side of the castle where most of the staff resides.

“Where is my family?” I ask Remi walking beside me.

“They’re here. I bet you’ll only have a few minutes to ogle yourself before you’re intercepted by them,” replies Remi.

“Am I really worth ogling?”

“That’s a goddamn understatement,” murmurs Gai. “Shit, I’m underselling it.” I can feel his eyes on me. “What’s a good comparison…oh, the sun would seem dark next to you.”

“Oh, now I’m even more excited,” I say. “Give me a mirror!”

“Not going to acknowledge how good that was?” Gai ponders.

“It was cute.”

We arrive in front of the door to the women’s barracks. Remi opens it. I pass through and she follows me inside.

“Out,” says Remi to three girls inside.

All cadets, the three girls jolt at the sound of Remi’s voice. They look from her to me in an instant. Disbelief overtakes them as they gaze in my direction.

“Come on.” Remi snaps her fingers. “Lady Scarlet has returned and needs to use this room. Out.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am,” the three girls stutter. They gather their stuff and quickly hurry toward the exit. Each one gazes at me as they pass.

“Is that really her?” I hear one of the girls whispers behind me. “Are you okay?”

Peeking over my shoulder, I spot a slim girl with cropped brown hair talking to Alexander…for some reason.

“It’s really her,” I answer for the man. “And they’ll fine. I don’t bite. Much. Though I am kind of hungry.”

The girl seems to shiver, turning to me in fear.

Alexander chuckles. He places a hand on the girl’s shoulder which causes her to shiver more than when I spoke. “Don’t worry about it, Callie. Just head out with your friends, yeah? Things are going to get crazy in a minute, so you should steer clear of this area for a bit.”

“R-Right.” Callie nods. She jots away. I notice her look over her shoulder at Alexander again before catching up to the other two girls.

“Does she…?” I whisper to Remi.

“Yup,” Remi replies before I can even finish. “Earth Typical cadet. Alexander trains her sometimes since she’s the only one in this current class to have that gift.”

“Makes sense. Well, and he is blonde, tall, and with a lean, androgenous look. I guess it’s not totally strange. If you can get past his personality.”

“There is someone for everyone.”

“Does he know she—”

“Not at all.”

“Sounds about right.”

Remi looks at the three men standing in the threshold behind us. “Sorry boys. Tour ends here.” She slams the door in their faces. “Make sure no one comes in!” she orders them. “Or at least warn us first if you can’t stop them!”

My fingers go to the hem of my shirt. I untuck it and pull it off in a single move.

“You can look without doing that,” notes Remi.

“I want the full perspective.”

My pants and boots come off until I’m naked again.

“Too much hair,” I mutter as I push the strands away gently to free up my eyes.

“Here. Take this.” Remi hands me a tie.

“Thanks.” I grab it from her, twist my hair a few times, and put it into a massive ponytail behind my head. It feels almost like a thick rope hitting my back.

There is nothing to block my body anymore.

I step in front of the room’s mirror.

All I can do is stare.

A normal person might look at my perfect, unvarnished skin first. It’s tanned texture and healthy glow is alluring even to me. Or perhaps my butt. They might look at that. Before, it was a bit flat and unimpressive. Now it has a plump heart-shape. Maybe their eyes would go to my boobs. They’re roughly the same size as before, but they look better; perkier, rounder, and bouncier. Maybe my legs? They’re long with just the right amount of chubby skin. Or my belly? It’s smooth, inviting, and narrow compared to the upper and lower halves of my frame. Perhaps the person might gaze at the glistening gem-like white hair cascading gently around my body. Then again, they might look at my face first upon reflection. It’s perfect in every conceivable way, towing the lines of cute, erotic, and stunningly perfect.

Any person would have been justified looking at any of those features first.

But it’s my eyes that draw me in.

Gold.

Pure gold.

The irises look like they were dipped in the metal. I never got a good look at Astria’s before, not like this. They seem to almost glow. They’re so…captivating.

“Beautiful…” I say in awe.

“Normally, I’d chastise you for a comment like that, but you’re not wrong,” allows Remi. “They’re gorgeous. I couldn’t stop looking at them when I was taking care of you.”

“My eyes were open the whole time?” I glance at Remi briefly.

“It was strange and terrifying.”

“I bet.” My fingers touch my face. Then I notice a feature on me even stranger than my eyes. “What the fuck?!”

I immediately touch my ears. They’re long and pointed.

“Am I a goddamn elf?!” I shout. “Is that what a Voiced is?!”

“Wh-What’s an elf?” asks Remi. She peers at my ears. “Oh wow.”

“Did you ever see Astria’s ears?!” I ask Remi hurriedly.

“I would have remembered if they looked like that,” says Remi. Her eyes don’t leave my points.

My frantic eyes bring me back to the mirror. The pointy tips distract me as they bring up concepts from my old world that aren’t even mentioned in this reality. There’s no such thing as elves, orcs, dwarves, or any of that utter bullshit.

Yet why the ears?!

What do they mean?!

Maybe…because I can hear better? Is that why? I can see better too. My eyes changed into a more mythical style, so why not my ears?

But why are they long and pointy?

“I’m a hot elf,” I announce, mostly to myself. “What the hell?”

“An…elf? What’s that?” questions Remi.

“Never repeat that word again. Ever.” I grab Remi by the shoulders. “Do you hear me? Forget I said it.”

“Okay?”

I let out a sigh and release her. “Another thing to wonder about. Always more questions than answers,” I mutter. “Guess I’m keeping the hair a bit longer.” I let it cast down around my face to hide my points.

“Are you okay?” asks Remi.

“I’m fine now and I’ll adjust to everything with time,” I say after a moment. “I look different. There are hints of who I was before, but barely. My whole face has been reshaped,” I note. “Jaw line’s a bit sharper. My nose is cuter. Higher cheekbones. Bigger eyes. No more blemishes or scars.” I glance at my body. “None anywhere. Thank the Gods, because I was fucked up. My body’s perfect. Not only my height, but my proportions shifted. My arms and legs are longer. I think my torso is longer, too, and my waste narrowed a few touches. Oh, I have an hour-glass figure. That’s what they call it. Damn, it’s like I was pulled from a collective wet dream of male desires.”

“That is one way of putting it,” says Remi with a grimace at my analogy.

My fingers pluck at my hair.

“Why did all my hair turn white?” I wonder. “It looks unnatural.”

“You can always dye it,” suggests Remi.

“Do you think that’s what Astria did?”

“Probably.”

“Hmmm.” I stare at the strands for a moment. “I’ll need someone to style it. It’s a bit rough.”

“And you know just the guy to do it.”

“Who?”

Remi puts a finger to her lips. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise because I’m sure he’ll offer. Take him up on it when he does. He’ll do a great job, I promise.”

I stare at Remi for a moment. “How are you so calm right now?”

“Oh, my sense of normalcy disappeared a few hours after seeing you blow up while glowing gold with wings and horns sticking out of you,” says Remi as she waves me off.

“No, I mean…considering everything…what I did…”

“You just woke up.” Remi smiles. “I’m just happy you’re alive. Let’s rejoice in that for now, okay? The yelling can come later.”

I close my eyes. “Sounds like a plan,” I say slowly. They open again.

Once again, I stare at my entire body.

I hold my own gaze for the longest time.

My fingers pull the tie out of my hair. The snowy strands cascade around me like a winter storm.

Looking at myself fully, I have a Divine sort of beauty. Angelic…elf-like…heh. Impossible. It looks like a master artist drew me as his last painting before dying; a finalization of all his knowledge and experience. The essence of beauty. Perfection come to life.

I touch my fingertips to my left eye.

A smile grips my face.

Power. Beauty. Intelligence. Desire. Freedom.

I have it all. Like a goddamn mythical creature.

My mind is clear. My body is my own. This figure in the mirror is me. All I’ve ever been, past and present, a culmination of my acceptance—it stands before me. All of it.

This is me and only me.

“There is nothing in this world that can stop me,” I whisper.

A banging noise resonates from the door.

“Scarlet, your dad’s coming,” says Gai. His voice resonates under the door.

That sounds about right.

Quickly, I dress again in the slacks and shirt, tucking it all together until its tight. Not even a moment later, the door slams open as my father and mother step inside with Captain Van Gallan and a small ensemble of soldiers.

They all fill the room.

My parents stand before me with Van Gallan at their side while the soldiers fan out in a short circle around me.

“Hello to you too,” I say as I glance about at the armed soldiers. My gaze shifts to my father as a smile stays on my face. “I’m back.”

“You are Scarlet, yes?” wonders my father.

“In a way,” I reply.

Father stares at me. I can’t tell what kind of things he’s thinking, but it’s clear he’s apprehensive. His eyes scan my body, but they always return to my eyes.

Likewise, my mother reacts similarly, but there is fear in her. She shuffles back slightly behind father and Van Gallan.

Van Gallan is tense. I can’t blame him. With what little we know about the Voiced and his past experience with Astria, I’d be weary in his position.

The soldiers stand around nervously. A few of them grasp their weapons, tense. The rest are relaxed, merely staring at me in awe. A minority of those are enraptured with expressions of pure love and admiration.

Hmm. Lots of mixed reactions. Interesting.

“I can see everyone is uneasy,” I joke. “I’m sure we have to have a nice big talk, but wouldn’t it be easier doing it somewhere more formal?” My hand gestures about the girl’s barracks.

Father glances at me. He jerks his head toward the guards.

Some of them converge on me.

Remi gets in-between them and myself. “What are you doing, sir?” she asks.

“Oh, there’s no need to panic, Remi. Father has already rationalized this situation,” I say to her. “You see, I was able to create two giant craters with just the energy in my body. Considering that, the baron’s going to put guards with swords all around me so that if it happens again there’s a large body count.” I turn to look at my father. “Right? Make sense?”

Father’s eyebrow twitches.

“If you really wanted to be safe, you’d poison me.” I offer him gently. My hands stretch out before me. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. Talbert did it to me for days while he was torturing me.”

Those words seemingly suck the air out of the room.

Father turns away. “Meet us in the throne room.”

•

“That was the last thing I remember before everything went black,” I say.

The throne room. I got engaged here, ate a Divine Treat here, and now I’m being interrogated here. What an impactful place this has been for my life.

Wall to wall, people are filed into the area. Everyone I know is here from my closest friends to Clyde and Chef Rumsley. There are guards, minor politicians that work for Father, merchants, and general castle employees as well.

Everyone is here to see me and hear my tale.

Father sits on his throne with my mother standing beside him. Between them and me is a line of guards with Captain Van Gallan standing in the middle facing my direction.

“Do you remember anything about your change?” Father asks me loudly across the room.

“Yes.”

There is silence for a moment.

“You may continue,” says Father.

“This whole thing is extremely awkward,” I say while looking around the room. “Kind of hard to have a conversation like this, you know? It’s stupid and transparent. I’d prefer to be treated like a human being. This is the second time you’ve done something like this, and it still feels really shitty, you know.”

Everyone begins to mutter at my disobedience. It makes sense. I’ve always been a compliant and weak-willed person. A good girl that does whatever anyone tells her to do.

That’s over now.

“Scarlet, you—”

“Why are there so many guards between us?” I ponder. “It’s pathetic, don’t you think? It’s the eyes, isn’t it?” I point at my irises. “Aren’t they pretty? I think so. When I saw them, I was thrilled, but when you saw them, you started acting like a little bitch. It’s weird we’re having such…inverse reactions.” I give Father the biggest ‘eat-shit’ grin I can muster. “Are you afraid of me, perhaps?”

The tension in the room thickens to levels I’ve rarely felt before.

Fire erupts around Father’s throne. It surprises my mother, forcing her to move away. She retreats to the edge of the room.

The flames lick around my father and the nearby floor. It emboldens his face and hair, making him seem imposing.

I continue to smile unperturbed.

This must be what bears feel like when they see baby deer.

In the span of a few blinks, I stand before my father.

Everyone recoils at my sudden shift in movement. Their eyes rapidly glance about searching for where my blurred shape went.

The only one to truly see me is Father. He slowly cranes his neck up to meet my gaze.

“That was way faster than I thought it’d be,” I mutter to myself quietly out of surprise.

Fire roars around my father and me.

I stare at my father, and he stares back at me.

I do not blink.

I do not drop the smile.

My hands sit delicately behind my back.

I can almost feel my eyes glowing as they stare into my father.

“Isn’t this easier?” I say.

There’s a shout. Suddenly, I hear a mass “turn” behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I watch as the guards all stare at my back, nervous, their hands on their weapons.

The overwhelming emotion in the room has changed to one thing: fear.

My gaze returns to my father. I crouch down until we’re eye level.

The tension grows.

“Move,” I order sweetly. “I need a place to sit. You’re in my way.”

Father grits his teeth.

I make a swiping motion with my hand. Still, my unblinking eyes stay trained on him. They bury into his soul.

“Your Voiced commands it,” I hiss softly.

“…”

Father drops his head.

The fires recede.

The tension of the room shifts in my favor.

Father rises from his chair and takes a few steps to the side. Waves of shame roll off him.

Calmly, I take his spot. My legs cross over one another. Using my palm to hold up the underside of my chin, I prop up my head while using the arm of the throne as support.

“Three days ago, I died. In death, I met a being of immense high power. She changed me into something more than I was before.” I uncross my legs and lean forward. My arms lift lightly in the air. “I am the Voiced of Zalevet.”

Those words resonate verbally within the room.

At once, all the soldiers kneel, led by Captain Van Gallan. Many of the castle employees follow. The only ones that stay standing are my close friends and family. They instead leer at me like I’m a stranger.

“Freedom.” I hold up a single finger. “That is my wish for this world. True freedom. To do whatever your heart desires even if it leads to your death and despair. Freedom does not guarantee happiness. Choice. It gives you a choice. That is all that matters in the end.” I stand. My gaze turns to my father. “Send a letter to the King. Tell him I’ll be headed his way shortly.” I pause. “And to the Regal family. The engagement is now null. My time cannot be wasted on such trivial things.”

Father winces.

Gai stares at me from across the room. The look in his eyes is one I’ve never seen before.

“With all my heart, I will serve this world and ensure its prosperity.” I half-bow to the crowd. “Of that, you have my word. May the shackles of this reality rot and fall.”

I notice confused glances from those around me.

They matter little.

My philosophy, right or wrong, is my purpose. It’s made me who I am. My soul is clear. It is one born of two lifetimes of suffering and pain. No one will get in the way of what I believe. Not even myself. Never again.

“Scarlet—” my father tries to speak.

“It isn’t Scarlet.”

Father’s brow furrows.

“I’ve been given a new name.”

The room intakes a breath.

“Eden. My name is Eden.”