The Princess of MioFabia ( Book One)

The Serpent's Shadow

The morning after the battle, the group is still reeling from the shock of Daisy's betrayal. As they pack up camp, Kevin approaches Aurora, his face etched with a mix of grim determination and sadness.

"I have to go," he says, his voice low.

Aurora, still numb from the previous night, looks at him, confused. "What are you talking about, Kev? We have to find Daisy."

"I know," he says, "and we will. But I can't keep going with you right now. The one who attacked me... I know who it is. I have to face them alone."

He explains that his family, the Peacemakers, have long-standing enemies. It was a rival family, the Blackwoods—the very family Daisy's prophecy had said she would marry into—who attacked him. "They've been hunting me for years. They'll keep coming after me, and they'll endanger you and the rest of the group. I have to end this. I need to make sure I'm not a target anymore."

Aurora looks at him, heartbroken. She understands his reasoning, but she can't imagine facing the road ahead without him. "But... what about the prophecy?" she asks, her voice small.

Kevin smiles sadly and takes her hand. "The prophecy isn't what matters. It's our love. It's real. When this is over, I'll find you. We'll be together." He kisses her goodbye, then turns and disappears into the forest in the opposite direction, leaving Aurora with a gaping hole in her heart.

A few days into their journey, the group is traveling through a narrow, winding pass. The terrain is treacherous, with sharp cliffs on one side and a sheer rock face on the other. Suddenly, a series of enormous boulders thunder down the cliffside, blocking their path and trapping them.

"It's a trap!" Storm yells.

From the rocks above, a group of figures in dark armor emerges. They are not the Blackwoods, nor are they from Cativo. They have a different, unfamiliar crest on their cloaks. Their leader steps forward, a tall man with a sinister grin.

"You've come a long way, Aurora Melody Darling," he says, his voice a low, chilling rumble. "But your journey ends here."

Aurora knows this isn't just a random ambush. Someone has been following them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They are now trapped in a deadly gorge, cut off from escape, with a new, unknown enemy closing in. The stakes have been raised, and without Kevin's magic, they are at a severe disadvantage. As the mysterious figures descend, Aurora and her group find themselves trapped. The leader's voice, cold and mocking, echoes off the canyon walls. "Your father's legacy is a disease, and we are the cure. You will die here, just as he did."

Aurora's hand grips Spada, her knuckles white. She recognizes the crest on their cloaks—a coiled serpent eating its own tail. It is the symbol of the Order of Ouroboros, an ancient and shadowy organization of assassins and mages who believe they must purge the world of "tainted" bloodlines. Her father had warned her about them. He had said they were a myth, a bedtime story for knights, but here they were.

"Get ready!" Aurora shouts, her voice steady despite the fear in her heart.

The battle is brutal. The Order's fighters are not like the raw, undisciplined soldiers of Cativo. They are highly trained, their movements silent and deadly. They move as one, and their blades are laced with poison. Rain and Storm fight with a ferocity born of desperation, but they are outmatched. Ethen and the Lionhearts hold the line, but they are being pushed back.

Aurora, fighting a duel against the leader, finds herself on the defensive. He is a master swordsman, his movements fluid and unpredictable. He reveals that they were hired by King Killing Eagle of Cativo, who promised them a fortune if they eliminated her bloodline.

Suddenly, a massive shape shifts into a white tiger, its eyes glowing with a fierce light. It is Iceberg, Aurora's loyal companion, who has been hiding in the shadows. He leaps into the fray, his mighty roars shaking the ground as he tears into the Order's ranks. This turns the tide of the battle, giving Aurora the chance to land a decisive blow against the leader.

She plunges Spada into his chest, and he falls to the ground, dead. Without their leader, the Order's remaining fighters flee, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as they appeared. The battle is over, but the victory is bittersweet. Several of her group are wounded, and their horses are spooked. The path ahead is still blocked by the boulders, and they are now certain that their every move is being watched.

With the threat of the Order of Ouroboros looming, Aurora knows they cannot continue on their current path. They must find a way around the blocked pass. They decide to head toward the forbidden Whispering Woods, a place rumored to be haunted by spirits, but it is the only way to avoid another ambush. The chapter ends with the group cautiously entering the dark, twisted trees of the Whispering Woods, not knowing what new dangers await them.