Under Her Reign

I wasn't supposed to end up here.

One second, I was in my kitchen, half asleep and eating noodles. The next, I woke up in a body that isn't mine, locked in a dungeon cell. With everyone already knowing who I am.

They don't question me.
They don't hesitate.

They look at me like I've already done something unforgivable.

In the Veridian Empire, magic is inherited through blood and controlled by noble families. Above them all stands the imperial line, the source of magic itself. Power is watched, controlled, never allowed to stray.

Except it does.

Because the person whose body I've taken over isn't just anyone.

Now I'm trapped in her life, surrounded by people who are waiting for me to slip, from watchful guards to the emperor, a presence that feels less like a person and more like something untouchable.

No one truly understands the emperor.
The air shifts when they enter.
The room stills.
Everything listens.
And for some reason, so do I.

I don't know what the emperor is.
I don't know what I've become.
But if I make the wrong move...

I won't just lose my life.
I'll erase hers with it.