The Lady Of The Darkest.

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The darkness called to her, distant yet magnetic, a low hum that vibrated in her very bones.
Reia Ashryver Galathynius had always known there was more beyond the borders of her kingdom, but her mother, Aelin, had made her promise to never venture past the gates. The cost of curiosity, Aelin warned, could be everything.

For a time, Reia obeyed. She loved the safety of Terrasen, the golden halls her mother had rebuilt, and the laughter of her two younger brothers, Darian and Thalos. But one night, the call became too strong, an unrelenting pull toward the woods.

She could not leave her siblings behind; they were her shadows, her constant companions. Together, they slipped past the gates, the thrill of adventure lighting up their faces as they darted through the forest, their laughter echoing among the trees.

It was only when the laughter stopped that Reia noticed the silence-thick, suffocating, and broken by a low, guttural growl.
The beast emerged from the shadows, all fangs and claws, its eyes a void of endless black.

Reia shoved Brannon and Nehia, the youngest, behind her, her instincts sharper than her fear. The beast lunged, and in a heartbeat, she knew she couldn't fight it. As the darkness began to consume her, she met her brothers' wide, tear-filled eyes and shouted her final command:

"Run!"

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