Empire of Lies and Death

Prologue

It was dawn, the very first rays of light began their battle to defeat the stubborn blanket of night. It was a battle that never ceased. The sun won, her unforgiving light chasing the darkness back. Only for the darkness to come back and seek revenge. Banishing all sunlight from her domain. Then they repeated it. Today, tomorrow, for the rest of eternity.

The Empress of Araloa stood on her balcony, her fierce eyes watching the sun engage in battle. The crisp dawn air made her breath appear in the air, a translucent cloud.

She wondered if the deities ever thought of their battles as tedious? Pointless?

The prophecy she'd received hours earlier rang like thunder claps in her ears. Swirling around her mind like a cyclone.

She narrowed her eyes as the sun peeked over the horizon. She despised the Ancients. They were always speaking in riddles. Riddles that had riddles within riddles and it was frustrating.

They'd shown up at her balcony door, didn't even knock. Just opened her doors, announced that three girls that held the legendary elemental magic and would one day kill her.

Like how was she supposed to sleep after that? They couldn't have even waited until after her morning coffee. No, they had to do this at two a.m.

Unfortunately, one of the girls lived under her own roof. Those bright and independent amber eyes like the embers of a fire. Her wild red curls she hated lose because they got in her face.

The Empress worked her fingers. Her little finch would be her downfall. She almost laughed. The little girl wouldn't raise her voice at a tree if it squished her dog. But those eyes held power.

Never play with matches. The girl was a damn explosive.

And she would have to crush the sparkle in those eyes. The spark in her nature. Suffocate her so effectively that the fire couldn't light.

As the Empress watched a herd of walok deer dart across the prairie of Gáeko, her thoughts turned to the other two.

And of course the Ancients didn't even give her names, much less a location. Even the name of the kingdom they resided would've been helpful but nooooo.

As her kingdom woke around her she pushed her shoulders back and watched soldiers begin to train in the courtyards.

The prophecy would try to kill her but she didn't survive hell just to be thrown back.