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Prologue

The soft click of her heels tapping down the marble tile hallway echoed entrancingly off of the white walls. The Queen's dress dragged behind her, brushing the polished floor ever so slightly; interrupting the monotone taps with the occasional scoff. Her red hair was beautifully braided, elegantly laced with strips of gold to match the circlet on her head; deeming her royalty. Malus was expecting her, and she knew very well her mentor would not accept her tardiness.

"There's my prime student!" He smiled graciously at her arrival, presenting her desk while pulling back the cushioned chair, a welcoming invitation to sit.

She settled within the seat, smoothing her dress while she shuffled forward, returning the smile half-heartedly. Apart from her daughter, he was the only joy she had left in Oraoin. Her once flourishing kingdom was now plagued with unstoppable darkness. There was an anonymous evil mercilessly mutilating everything she loved, and she could do nothing but stand by and forlornly watch the evil unfold.

"The death of your husband was unfortunate, and we all miss him my Queen." Malus rested a comforting hand on her shoulder as he spoke. Oddly enough, this touch sent uncomfortable new tingles down her spine. It was almost as if she was unwillingly rejecting his contact, and the feeling almost made her queasy.

She ignored the odd sensation, and eloquently replied. "There are no formalities needed Malus, don't be silly. Call me Nadea like you always have - I'm still your friend. And yes, Amara and I miss him dearly. But I cannot put the fate of my kingdom aside just because I am widowed, I am here to learn. This darkness cloaking Oraoin must be vanquished." She glanced up at his twinkling eyes, grateful for his kindness and the education he provided.

Malus nodded understandably. He hadn't admitted his love for the queen, nor the murder of her husband. Of course he'd made it look like unfortunate accidental tampering of his Virtue - he wasn't stupid. He grinned widely, and Nadea misunderstood it's purpose. The Queen was ready. Her daughter was the most powerful Virtueholder in all of Oraoin through blood, and although he truly did love the queen; he lusted power exceptionally more.

Nadea had met her late husband through Malus. Unfortunately for him, the queen did not love Malus the way he did her and fell in love with his colleague instead, birthing the princess a year after their happy marriage. The new couple happened to share the same Virtue; the power of fire. The ability to control fire was an ancient Virtue - a rarity among the citizens of Oraoin. The Queen controlled her Virtue through emotion; the strongest and most exceptional method of control. There was no doubt that their mixed blood would create the most powerful child Oraoin would ever witness.

Malus studied Nadea, trying to see through her green eyes. After her husband's 'accidental' death, she had refused to return to her studies, but now, now she was in a vital state of mind. "As you know, evil is growing in power. Master Virtueholders are being murdered as we speak by ruthless demons. With your incredible talent however, we can increase the power of good, and vanquish evil from the lands." Malus' voice boomed confidently, and a deaf man would be able to deem him an incredibly convincing liar. 

"With the spell I have written on this paper you will be able to destroy evil. Slowly and tediously at first, but surely. It will be the only thing that can protect your daughter Nadea. Or else she will suffer the same fate as your husband. You are powerful enough to do this now; use your sorrow." He reached into his robe's pocket, and slid the browning document across her desk. She picked it up hesitantly, for some reason fearing it's very existence.

The Queen studied the foreign words on the paper. To her knowledge, it would protect her daughter; and that was all she wanted. The growing disappearances of the most powerful was not a list she wanted her adolescent daughter on. She licked her lips preparing to say the difficult script as her power churned inside her.

Suddenly a broad blonde woman burst into the room, tearing the paper out of the horrified queen's hand. The woman yanked Nadea out of her seat and pulled her swiftly out of the room while muttering an apology to Malus. She dragged the confused red-head down the marble hallways until they were well out of his hearing range.

"Esme?!" The queen gasped astonished, waiting for an explanation as to why she was so rudely interrupted.

"Malus is Dark Nadea. He's the one setting the Scaevus loose and murdering innocents."

Nadea widened her eyes at Esme's claims. Her chief guard was not one to joke around. She listened intently as Esme continued.

"There's a way to save yourself, to bring yourself to another world before it's too late. A number of elders have encouraged the most powerful Virtueholders to do the same." Esme was rushing her words out as they briskly walked out of the castle wing they were in. "A life from the same bloodline can send one to another world. The elders are hoping they - the Changed - will be able to destroy Malus from there."

The royal furrowed her brows at her trusted guard, barely processing this rushed information. "What are you saying?"

"Your daughter. Malus wants her and power. He's killing everyone until she's the only one left. This is going to sound harsh, but remember the longevity of your dying kingdom my queen." Esme inhaled sharply. "A life from the same bloodline to save yours. Amara will die, and you will go to the other world safely to save us all alongside the Changed. Do you remember Axel? His Virtue was telepathy. His sacrifice was able to send his daughter Suki to the other world years ago. We can do the same for you. This eliminates her as a risk, and Malus' asset. We've sent thirteen already, and they won't remember anything of their past nor will you-- "

"Are you insane!?" The shocked mother cried incredulously. Esme was asking to kill her daughter. "Over my dead body."

They stopped to meet with an elder, who was holding the hand of her stone-faced daughter. Nadea shook her head, tears now streaming down her face as she held her only child. Malus wasn't evil. She trusted him, her daughter didn't need to die; he would protect them. But no matter what she told her frantic self, the dread deep in her stomach revealed that Esme was telling the truth.

"Mother I want this. I want you to live, you have to live. Oraoin needs you." Her daughter's voice whispered confidently. Nadea was met with her late husbands smile, slight dimples embedded in her child's cheeks while her father's blue-grey eyes stared into her own. "I love you. Thank you for everything you've allowed me to become. Don't cry mother, I'll be watching over you. I'll be with father."

The elder hastily began to hum while urged by an impatient Esme, preparing the spell that would send the queen to a safe world while her daughter died. This was happening too fast - too suddenly - and Nadea's head pounded furiously, tasting the salt of her tears as she bit her lip. Esme held back Nadea's screaming trembling body as Amara raised the long silver dagger that would sacrifice herself for her mother. The Queen's suddenly scorching arms were no match for Esme's bare hands as the head guard was forced to release her, patting the flames now engulfing her sleeves. With an earsplitting scream combining the word 'no' with sobs, Esme tackled the Queen a second too late as she suddenly snatched the dagger from her daughter and into her own hands. They all watched in horror as Amara vanished before their eyes in place of the Queen.

Malus burst into their section of the palace, his eyes boiling with rage. Esme had outed him. How she'd discovered his secrets was unknown, but he was furious. He saw Esme and the elder run out of the corner of his eyes as he knelt beside the Queen's lifeless body, her hands still weakly clutching the dagger's hilt while the blade was positioned firmly in her bleeding chest. Blood trickled down her ribs; a dark crimson staining her once flawless royal gown. Regeneration couldn't save a punctured heart, and he would have cried for her had he not been so utterly fuming.

Malus was frantically rabid as he slammed his fist on the cold ground in frustration, accompanied with a cry of disgust. He menacingly eyed the pale body of the dead Queen before him. He'd be damned if Nadea's wretched daughter would escape him. The Scaevus will ransack Oraoin. He will find Amara. 

He will have power.

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I know, I know. This is probably the most confusing thing you've ever read. Don't worry, it'll all become clear as you read on :)

Thank you for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoy the story <3