VULTUS ELIENUS(SHORT EPIC STORY)

ONCE UPON ON-

Long, long ago, in a land called Pulchritudinis, beauty walked the Earth, embodied in its magnificent queen, Praeclara. She was a vision of grace and elegance, her heart as radiant as her appearance. Yet, her beauty came with a price.

Praeclara possessed a unique power: the ability to absorb the sins of her people, striving to create a kingdom free from imperfection of people sins

Each act of kindness she performed weighed heavily upon her, as the sins she absorbed transformed her soul into a mosaic of light and shadow.

Every night, as she gazed into her mirror, the haunting reflection of her burden stared back at her, a constant reminder of the darkness she absorb by people she help,

One fateful evening, as she drifted into slumber, she dreamed of a mysterious man cloaked in shadows. His voice reverberated through the depths of her mind, carrying a chilling warning.

“Your power cleanses, but beware—for every sin you take, your own soul edges closer to imperfection of darkness. You will bring a child in your land, on a full moon, when the crow cries and the wind howls. He will bring darkness to your crown, and it is your path to kill your own blood.”

Praeclara awoke, screaming, her heart racing. “Is this the price?” she cried out to the goddess before her “Is it my fault to dream of perfection? Is it my fault that I long for beauty in this land I love?”

As the years passed, the prophecy loomed over her, a dark shadow lurking at the edge of her thoughts.

One fateful night, under the bright full moon, she gave birth to a son named anima, the ominous crow's cry echoing outside of the kingdom. He was the embodiment of her beauty and the imperfection she had absorbed. The kingdom rejoiced, but within Praeclara, a deep unease took root.

As anima grew, he was adored by all, his charm and beauty rivaling that of his mother. Yet, a darkness flickered in his eyes, a reflection of the sins she had inherited. The people whispered of his fate, fearing the shadows that seemed to follow him. And will bring imperfection to her mothers built,

One stormy night, Lucius confronted Praeclara, the tension thick in the air.

“Mother, why do they fear me?” he demanded, anguish twisting his features. “Why do they say I am cursed?”

Torn between love for her son and the weight of her duty and secret, Praeclara knew she had to reveal the truth.

“anima you are the culmination of the sacrifices I made for our kingdom. Each sin I absorbed to maintain our beauty now resides within you.”

A storm raged outside as their emotions clashed, power against ideals. In that moment of chaos, Lucius felt the weight of imperfection pressing down on him.
“You are a queen of light, yet I am born of darkness!” anima shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber. As if he was turning into something.

In that desperate moment, Praeclara made the hardest choice of her life. To save her kingdom and her son, she embraced him, absorbing the darkness that threatened to consume them both.

As she did, a blinding light erupted from her, shattering the shadows that had gripped Pulchritudinis. The air shimmered , illuminating the kingdom in ways they had never imagined.
The people, witnessing their queen's sacrifice, understood that true beauty lay not in perfection but in the acceptance of their flaws and sins.

In the end, Praeclara became a guiding spirit for her people and only son, a reminder that every shadow carries the potential for light. Pulchritudinis flourished anew, a realm where beauty and darkness coexisted, and love triumphed over despair. That imperfection is okay and exist by people flaws