Among her clan of powerful trees, she was the most fragile-made of glass, stunning yet delicate. Destined to be the next Goddess of Nature, she longed for freedom, not responsibility. Spoiled by her grandparents, she ran away, seeking escape in the mortal realm. There, she indulged in risky adventures, including gambling with mortals, until she lost everything. As the gamblers chased her, she transformed into her glass tree form to hide, thinking she had escaped.
That was, until she encountered Sivan, a mysterious and powerful immortal who saw right through her disguise. He recognized her as someone who seemed to have done bad deeds and wronged others, someone trying to flee from the consequences and when she tried to run again, she ended up looking like a tree awkwardly running away on two legs. A glassy mess of branches and leaves flying everywhere.
He accidentally plucked one of her delicate glass leaves while chasing her. Without it, her core started to weaken, and her magic lost its stability. She feared she might never be able to return to her true form again.
Sivan, however, believed she was no simple tree-he suspected she was a demon in disguise, a creature of evil. Without hesitation, he imprisoned her in a jar designed to contain demons. In his eyes, she was just another dark force to be locked away.
Iseul had her whole life figured out, from her profession to her marriage, but when her worst nightmare came to life and everything slipped from her fingers she only sought one thing. And everyone knows Death sees justice and revenge as the same.
*****
For centuries the Kingdom of Rosa has prided itself as a place where nature and the arts are nurtured and celebrated. The people who live there are known to be talented and ambitious and Iseul Hann is no exception. Despite her young age, her immense musical talent has granted her a position in the royal orchestra, and being promised to the love of her life has left her with nothing else to wish for. That is until one night everything is taken away from her. Alone and defeated she ends up in a different Kingdom living a life she doesn't want. With nothing left to lose, when her path crosses with a man that Kings and Queens tremble before, Iseul asks for the only thing he can give her. Closure.
The Wattys 2021 Fantasy Winner
Content Warning: This story contains mature sexual content and themes of sexual assault and violence.