Leah, the bold and determined princess of Sylvanar, has always known her duty: protect her kingdom at any cost. When her father arranges her marriage to the dreaded King Ignatius of Juvelia, the fire king feared by all, Leah accepts her fate, believ...
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I remember the day so vividly, even though I was just six years old. It was one of those endless summer afternoons where the sun seemed to float lazily in the sky, casting a golden shimmer on everything it touched. I stood on the shore, toes digging into the cool sand, the soft murmuring of the sea filling the gaps of the grown-up voices around me.
"Leah, don't wander too far," Mother called, her voice light and distracted, as always. She and Father were sitting together under the shade of a large, bright umbrella. I could hear their quiet laughter and murmurs about things I didn't understand, and beside them, Grandfather dozed in his chair, his large hand draped over his cane. My brother, Andreas, was out in the water with his friends, their carefree shouts blending with the crash of the waves. He seemed so free, so alive. I wished, just for a moment, that I could be part of their games.
But no one noticed me.
Invisible. That's how I felt most of the time, standing in the shadows of my older brother or beneath the watchful eyes of my parents. So I wandered. It wasn't like anyone would miss me.
The waves lapped at my ankles as I drifted down the shore, my hands trailing through the cool sand, fingers tracing the delicate ridges left by the tide. That's when I saw it. The first shell—a beautiful, spiraling shell glistening in the sun. Its colors seemed to shift with the light, from pearly white to soft pinks and blues. I knelt down, picked it up, and held it close to my chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
I smiled, a thrill of excitement bubbling up inside me, and looked back toward my family. They were still absorbed in their conversations. No one noticed. No one saw the treasure I had found.
With a skip in my step, I set the shell gently on the sand and began searching for more, weaving my way along the shore, collecting small shells, smooth stones, anything the sea offered me. My little hands could barely hold all the treasures I gathered. And then, I saw it—a much bigger shell, half-buried in the water, its edges gleaming just beneath the surface. It was magnificent, larger than any I had found before. I hesitated for only a moment before running toward it.
The water was cool as it swirled around my feet, tugging at me gently, inviting me in deeper. I bent down and dug the shell out of the wet sand, feeling the current pull at me a little harder. But I didn't care. I had found it. Triumph surged through me as I lifted the shell high, feeling its weight and rough edges. This would be my prize.
I hurried back to the shore, stumbling a bit as the waves pushed against my legs. I could feel my heart racing, the excitement building with each trip. I dropped the shell near the others and rushed back for more. I didn't care that my arms were growing tired, or that my feet were sinking into the wet sand with every step.
Just one more. One more, and then I would show them all.
But when I waded back into the water again, it felt different. Stronger. The gentle pull from before was now a force, and the water wasn't just lapping at my legs—it was gripping them, tugging me deeper. I gasped, trying to back away, but my foot slipped on something slick, and I fell forward, the cold water swallowing me whole.
