It was not a usual morning in Duskmere.The sky hung low, swallowed by thick, brooding clouds that blotted out the sun. Even the faintest rays struggled to reach the ground. The entire town seemed trapped in a strange twilight—neither night nor day. The people whispered in hushed tones, calling it an ill omen. The air was heavy, charged with something unseen but deeply felt, like the town itself was holding its breath.
There was a tension that couldn't be named.Something stirred in the distance—a shift, a warning.The horizon felt closer than usual.And darker.
But to Thea, it was just another day.
She woke with the first light—or what little there was of it—and followed her usual routine. After a quick breakfast, she headed straight to the training grounds. Her limbs moved with discipline, her focus razor-sharp. She had recently reached the Orange Core, a significant achievement in the path of cultivation. It placed her among those with disciplined control, and granted her the ability to expel qi beyond her body—a rare feat at her age.
Most in Duskmere spent a lifetime reaching the Orange Core, often attaining it in old age, when the body, almost in defiance of time, strengthened itself slowly. Thea had always wondered why it worked that way—maybe it was the body's instinct to preserve, to fight decay.
She hadn't studied much about cores or qi theory. Formal education was a luxury she didn't have. But what she did have was combat—hours and hours of combat. Her mother, Meghan, believed that theory was secondary to instinct, control, and battle readiness."There's no manual for survival," her mother would say. "Your body learns what your mind doesn't understand."
Meghan herself wasn't known for brute strength. She wielded a bow, but her true gift lay in shaping her qi for healing. It was a rare art, more demanding than destruction."Qi is intent," she'd told Thea once. "It becomes what you will it to be. It can burn… or mend. But not easily both."
Mastering both was possible—but only at the highest levels. Even then, most chose one path: fighter or healer.
Thea hadn't chosen. Not yet.But her blood stirred at the thought of battle. There was something about the clash of weapons, the surge of qi in combat—it called to her.Her father, though she had never known him, had once been one of humanity's greatest warriors. And that fire, she believed, still ran in her veins.
She was lost in thought when her mother's voice cut through the air, calling her in for lunch. Startled, she realized the day had passed without notice. Fearing a scolding, she dashed toward her quarters to wash up.
Moments later, Meghan stepped out, scanning the grounds. "Where is she? Always running late," she muttered under her breath.
A guard nearby bowed. "My liege, she just left for her room."
Meghan smiled faintly, unsurprised. Then her eyes drifted upward.
The sky was still veiled in thick, heavy clouds. No sunlight pierced through. No breeze stirred the air.
A storm is coming, she thought. Not just in the skies.
She turned and went back inside.
The rest of the day unfolded uneventfully. Thea followed her routine—training, meditation, quiet study. But as night fell, an unusual stillness settled over the town. At 11 o'clock, Thea finally climbed into bed, her muscles sore and her mind weary.
Sleep came fast.Then came the dreams.
Shouting. Fire.The smell of smoke and metal.A strange, burning tightness in her chest.A copper taste on her tongue.Panic. Screams. Chaos.
And then—someone shaking her.
She jolted awake, her breath catching in her throat.
Standing before her was her mother. But not as she'd ever seen her.
Meghan looked pale, sweat clinging to her skin. Her eyes were wild, haunted. Her robe was torn at the edges, and she seemed out of breath—as if she'd been running. Or fighting.
"Mother?" Thea whispered, sitting upright. "What's going on?"
Meghan's voice trembled. "We need to talk. Now."
Meghan's thoughts were racing.The war for the throne had always been merciless.Only one contender survives. The rest… disappear.
The Council accepted only those of royal blood—and they, too, were at war. A deeper war. One most of the world didn't even know existed. But Meghan knew. She had fought in it. Her team had brought an era of peace, even if the world never remembered their names.
It was in that war she had met him—Thea's father. Son of a king, bearer of unmatched power and an unshakable heart.He was supposed to be here today.He was meant to guide Thea, not Meghan.But fate had stolen him. And now Meghan, a common-born healer, was left to protect what remained of that legacy.
Earlier that night, she had received word from her informants—her worst fears had come true.The town was under lockdown. Assassins had surrounded them.Even the letter she had sent for help had been intercepted.
They were isolated. Trapped.
Thea's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "But this shouldn't happen. We're not even serious contenders. There's no logic in thinning your own side with assassination attempts."
Meghan exhaled deeply. "I know. But… this isn't logic. It's fear. They've formed an alliance against you."
Thea froze. "Alliances? That's madness. Every historical alliance in these wars has ended in betrayal."
"Exactly," Meghan said. "But they think we have no one. No ally who would betray them for us."
Her eyes hardened. "They think we're cornered. Alone. Powerless."
She stepped forward and took Thea's hand.
"But I've prepared for this. I've always known this day might come. The moment they try to finish what they started."
"We don't have time, Thea. We have to leave tonight. Before the first move of the war begins. Once it starts, they'll come for us. And they won't stop."
Thea looked into her mother's eyes. There was fear there, yes—but beneath it, an unshakable strength.
For the first time, the weight of it all settled fully on Thea's shoulders.This is it.The beginning. Her path was no longer something to be chosen in time. It had arrived. And now, she would walk it.
She nodded slowly. "I understand."
Thea stood tall, her heart pounding with resolve. This was her fight now. Not because she chose it. But because destiny had always been waiting for her to arrive.
The war for the throne had begun.And Thea would no longer run from it.