The curtains were drawn together tightly, blocking the sunlight and making the already gloomy room even dingier. The old tacky furniture was covered with a thick layer of dust, making it nearly impossible to inhale deeply without having a coughing fit, and the dirty bedsheet was stained with blood, filth, vomit, and cheap alcohol, causing a nauseating stench that could choke the life out of a person. However, the only occupant in the room seems to be used to it as her lifeless golden orbs stared into the distance and her thin small body crouched into a ball with no intention of getting up. Her once glorious hair was a tangled mess and her ethereal little face was bruised with alarming shades of blues and purple. Her body was barely holding on as her skin was sunken to her bones that each rib could be counted with the naked eye. Most disturbingly, her little flower hole between her thighs which should have been meticulously taken care of and protected attentively was bleeding profusely with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
The little girl stayed motionless in her battered state for a long time and would have stayed that way even longer if not for the unfamiliar sound of angry hooves nearing the estate's entrance. At first, she wondered whether she was hearing things but as the sound of heavy hooves neared at an alarming speed, she sprung to her feet with great difficulty. After fighting the bout of dizziness from the sudden movement, she was sure that she was not hallucinating as the distinct sound of powerful hooves came to an abrupt stop near the entrance. Her breathing was labored and she was struggling to keep her balance as she walked to the window. Unfortunately, her injuries were so severe that before she could even reach the window and peep at the source of the foreign sound, the intruder had already entered and was searching for her with big strides, sharp eyes, and decisive movements. As a matter of fact, calling him an intruder was doing great slight and injustice to his breathtaking appearance, as his long shining silver hair resembled the moonlight dancing on the finest silk and his upright body oozed charisma and authority that comes from power, despite his young age. However, at the moment, the hands of the young man were slightly shaking as his bright golden orbs were shimmering with anxiety, expectation, and many other emotions that even he himself could not decipher entirely.
When the door separating the two was finally opened with great determination, the dusty dark room sunk into a deadly silence instantly. Suffocating stillness enveloped the entire surrounding as two pairs of almost identical shimmering golden orbs stared at each other as if fearing the other will disappear the moment they blink their eyes. At first, both their mesmerizing eyes showed their unconcealed shock, but within the seconds, one turned into fierce rage and the other into fear and terror. Truth be told, the young man had by no means the intention of scaring her with his fierce expression or actions. However, the moment her naked body that was showing all the evidence of the abuse and torture she had withstood appeared in his line of sight, the rage consumed him entirely. And, in a moment of extreme agitation and fury, his shadow beast, a four-eyed wolf with pitch black enormous body with streaks of golden energy pulsating through its body like lightning, broke free from the shadow of its master and pounced at the terrified little girl.
.........................................................................................................................................................................……………………………………………………
Seraphina was startled awake with gasps and irregular breathing. She often dreamt about her previous life, and this time, it was the first meeting of her and her eldest brother Ihan.
"I was frightened into fainting at that time," she mumbled begrudgingly. However, contrary to her tone, her eyes held no grudge or fear, only leaving mischievous humor and an indulgent smile inside them. The image of fourteen-year-old Ihan along with his terrifying four-eyed shadow wolf was deeply engraved into the mind of the eight-year-old broken girl that two lifetimes were not enough to wash it away. In her previous life, the memory of it alone brought her bone-chilling dread that never seemed to fade, whereas now, her little heart was only filled with warmth and longing.
In this world, the beast men with inhume strength, the magical creatures such as mermaids, and deadly monsters that feed on other creatures coexisted and roamed freely since ancient times. In such a cruel world where the strong preyed on the weak, the humans were able to dominate the other species and stay on top of the food chain due to their ability to use auras. For instance, the swordsmen can slice up an enormous monster the size of a two-story building with a single slash of their swords if they were to use their auras. However, this is a rare case because it takes years of training. After all, manifesting an aura itself requires an immense amount of willpower and dedication. But that is not all an aura can do, as some people are born with a rare aura that has the power to control elements and bend natural components. For instance, the second prince Reagan Crevaria, the greatest debtor of Seraphina's previous life, is a bender of ice, whereas the first prince Reyan Crevaria, the creditor who is in the first place on the list of people she has wronged, is a bender of iron. Amongst the many aura wielders, the Callenso's auras are known as the most dangerous in the country because the heirs of each generation are chosen by a shadow beast and contracted with one through their auras. The current head Amaris Callenso, is the master of a winged lion shadow beast, whereas his eldest son, heir Ihan Callenso, has a four-eyed wolf. These beasts are immensely powerful and extremely aggressive but have a very special connection to those whom they recognize as a family, which is also the reason they are always hidden in their masters' shadows unless summoned.
In my previous life, I rarely met with the shadow beasts of my father and eldest brother. In rare occurrences of meeting, my father and brother would always look at their beasts with stern and threatening expressions that just screamed 'Behave or no dinner!' and the said beasts would stare at me like greedy children drooling over a mountain of sweets. Fear, timidness, inferiority, and almost non-existent self-esteem blocked my sight like iron blinds that were impossible to undo and made me blind to the obvious reality. In reality, my father and eldest brother were trying their best not to scare me into fainting, whereas the unruly shadow beasts were dying to paste their humongous bodies on me, like a lap kitten cuddling with its human.
A light breezy chuckle erupted from Seraphina's tender lips as the memories and thoughts made her stomach flutter with butterflies, and her heart gushed with sweetness like pure honey was poured on it.
It has been 10 months since Seraphina left her Eve in the Khans' Land and now she is seven years old. During this period, she finally managed to shift into her fox form, which caused her major dissatisfaction and disappointment. Compared to her predecessor, she was really just a cub. Where was that majestic body?! Where were that heavenly blue flames?! Where were that awe-striking nine tails?! All Seraphina had was a body of a normal fox. Without her whiter-than-snow fur, she would have cried straight for three days and three nights. As of now, she needs to grow up a few more years before her tails start growing one by one until she reaches adulthood, and moreover, she needs at least three of her nine tails to start using her heavenly blue flames. What a shame!
Initially, after departing Khans' Land, all she had wanted was to go and find her family but her determination was slowly eaten away by the desire to change the tragedy that would soon turn the eldest princess Aine, who was adored for her unrivaled beauty, into a ghost of the abandoned palace.
When the fall of empress Natalia came, everyone, including nobles and commoners, believed that the owner of the royal palace will become royal consort Aynat Shelon and the next emperor will be the second prince Reagon Crevaria, born from Aynat. Therefore, not even a soul dared to associate with the exiled princess Aine, the only daughter of the late empress Natalia. However, a person's greed and jealousy are like a bottomless pit that never knows to be full. The same goes for princess Wyvern, a daughter born from Aynat, who cruelly threw her mourning elder sister to a raging fire. Though princess Aine survived the fire, her beauty that was once praised was burned along with the last bit of innocence that she had in her tiny body of 6 years old.
Aine... She reminds me of myself. Both were thrown into the pit of hell only to survive with scars that never healed nor faded. We hated each other because we saw the reflections of our broken souls in one another. I poisoned you to death in my last life but in this life, let me poison you to life, princess. I wish to make you arrogant, confident, spoilt, and cherished like how a princess should be. This time, let's live differently. Not as a ghost of the abandoned palace nor as a detestable villainess. Seraphina swore to herself.
"I guess it's time to meet him," she whispered cheerfully. With the purpose of changing Aine's destiny as well as keeping the promise she made to her predecessor, Seraphina finally reached the Imperial Elder Ezekiel Creveria's palace.
In this world, the beast men are treated as inferior beings to humans because they do not possess the ability to use auras. Throughout history, they were enslaved, slaughtered, and treated as possessions that can be traded and destroyed at the will of their owners, the humans. However, there was an exception, which was the fox clan. Despite being physically weaker than the other beast men, they flourished against all odds. They were not strong as the wolves nor enchanting as the mermaids but still, they were desired, respected, and acknowledged because of their alluring outer appearance and frighteningly cunning intelligence. Unfortunately, the fox clan's beautiful days were numbered and their ending was more tragic than any other beast man's.
Even to this day, the eradication of the fox clan that took place 30 years ago is still talked from mouth to mouth to praise the cruelty and tyranny of the former emperor of the Crevaria Empire. 'Ezekiel, the cruel, led his men, and slaughtered the entire fox clan, without sparing the young and old. To torture the souls of the poor foxes, he spared the youngest princess of the fox clan only to make her a lowly dancer of the brothel' is what they sing.
The little fox princess's name was Rosaline and she was Seraphina's mother.
In her previous life, the name Ezekiel was like an infected wound that was always sore and nasty when poked. Young Seraphina despised him for his cruelty and blamed him for all the unfairness she had swallowed through the years because if not for his tyranny, her mother would still be the beloved princess of the fox clan.
But who could have known that such a mad tyrant would be the subject of her predecessor's most cherished memory?
The curtains were drawn together tightly, blocking the sunlight and making the already gloomy room even dingier. The old tacky furniture was covered with a thick layer of dust, making it nearly impossible to inhale deeply without having a coughing fit, and the dirty bedsheet was stained with blood, filth, vomit, and cheap alcohol, causing a nauseating stench that could choke the life out of a person. However, the only occupant in the room seems to be used to it as her lifeless golden orbs stared into the distance and her thin small body crouched into a ball with no intention of getting up. Her once glorious hair was a tangled mess and her ethereal little face was bruised with alarming shades of blues and purple. Her body was barely holding on as her skin was sunken to her bones that each rib could be counted with the naked eye. Most disturbingly, her little flower hole between her thighs which should have been meticulously taken care of and protected attentively was bleeding profusely with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
The little girl stayed motionless in her battered state for a long time and would have stayed that way even longer if not for the unfamiliar sound of angry hooves nearing the estate's entrance. At first, she wondered whether she was hearing things but as the sound of heavy hooves neared at an alarming speed, she sprung to her feet with great difficulty. After fighting the bout of dizziness from the sudden movement, she was sure that she was not hallucinating as the distinct sound of powerful hooves came to an abrupt stop near the entrance. Her breathing was labored and she was struggling to keep her balance as she walked to the window. Unfortunately, her injuries were so severe that before she could even reach the window and peep at the source of the foreign sound, the intruder had already entered and was searching for her with big strides, sharp eyes, and decisive movements. As a matter of fact, calling him an intruder was doing great slight and injustice to his breathtaking appearance, as his long shining silver hair resembled the moonlight dancing on the finest silk and his upright body oozed charisma and authority that comes from power, despite his young age. However, at the moment, the hands of the young man were slightly shaking as his bright golden orbs were shimmering with anxiety, expectation, and many other emotions that even he himself could not decipher entirely.
When the door separating the two was finally opened with great determination, the dusty dark room sunk into a deadly silence instantly. Suffocating stillness enveloped the entire surrounding as two pairs of almost identical shimmering golden orbs stared at each other as if fearing the other will disappear the moment they blink their eyes. At first, both their mesmerizing eyes showed their unconcealed shock, but within the seconds, one turned into fierce rage and the other into fear and terror. Truth be told, the young man had by no means the intention of scaring her with his fierce expression or actions. However, the moment her naked body that was showing all the evidence of the abuse and torture she had withstood appeared in his line of sight, the rage consumed him entirely. And, in a moment of extreme agitation and fury, his shadow beast, a four-eyed wolf with pitch black enormous body with streaks of golden energy pulsating through its body like lightning, broke free from the shadow of its master and pounced at the terrified little girl.
.........................................................................................................................................................................……………………………………………………
Seraphina was startled awake with gasps and irregular breathing. She often dreamt about her previous life, and this time, it was the first meeting of her and her eldest brother Ihan.
"I was frightened into fainting at that time," she mumbled begrudgingly. However, contrary to her tone, her eyes held no grudge or fear, only leaving mischievous humor and an indulgent smile inside them. The image of fourteen-year-old Ihan along with his terrifying four-eyed shadow wolf was deeply engraved into the mind of the eight-year-old broken girl that two lifetimes were not enough to wash it away. In her previous life, the memory of it alone brought her bone-chilling dread that never seemed to fade, whereas now, her little heart was only filled with warmth and longing.
In this world, the beast men with inhume strength, the magical creatures such as mermaids, and deadly monsters that feed on other creatures coexisted and roamed freely since ancient times. In such a cruel world where the strong preyed on the weak, the humans were able to dominate the other species and stay on top of the food chain due to their ability to use auras. For instance, the swordsmen can slice up an enormous monster the size of a two-story building with a single slash of their swords if they were to use their auras. However, this is a rare case because it takes years of training. After all, manifesting an aura itself requires an immense amount of willpower and dedication. But that is not all an aura can do, as some people are born with a rare aura that has the power to control elements and bend natural components. For instance, the second prince Reagan Crevaria, the greatest debtor of Seraphina's previous life, is a bender of ice, whereas the first prince Reyan Crevaria, the creditor who is in the first place on the list of people she has wronged, is a bender of iron. Amongst the many aura wielders, the Callenso's auras are known as the most dangerous in the country because the heirs of each generation are chosen by a shadow beast and contracted with one through their auras. The current head Amaris Callenso, is the master of a winged lion shadow beast, whereas his eldest son, heir Ihan Callenso, has a four-eyed wolf. These beasts are immensely powerful and extremely aggressive but have a very special connection to those whom they recognize as a family, which is also the reason they are always hidden in their masters' shadows unless summoned.
In my previous life, I rarely met with the shadow beasts of my father and eldest brother. In rare occurrences of meeting, my father and brother would always look at their beasts with stern and threatening expressions that just screamed 'Behave or no dinner!' and the said beasts would stare at me like greedy children drooling over a mountain of sweets. Fear, timidness, inferiority, and almost non-existent self-esteem blocked my sight like iron blinds that were impossible to undo and made me blind to the obvious reality. In reality, my father and eldest brother were trying their best not to scare me into fainting, whereas the unruly shadow beasts were dying to paste their humongous bodies on me, like a lap kitten cuddling with its human.
A light breezy chuckle erupted from Seraphina's tender lips as the memories and thoughts made her stomach flutter with butterflies, and her heart gushed with sweetness like pure honey was poured on it.
It has been 10 months since Seraphina left her Eve in the Khans' Land and now she is seven years old. During this period, she finally managed to shift into her fox form, which caused her major dissatisfaction and disappointment. Compared to her predecessor, she was really just a cub. Where was that majestic body?! Where were that heavenly blue flames?! Where were that awe-striking nine tails?! All Seraphina had was a body of a normal fox. Without her whiter-than-snow fur, she would have cried straight for three days and three nights. As of now, she needs to grow up a few more years before her tails start growing one by one until she reaches adulthood, and moreover, she needs at least three of her nine tails to start using her heavenly blue flames. What a shame!
Initially, after departing Khans' Land, all she had wanted was to go and find her family but her determination was slowly eaten away by the desire to change the tragedy that would soon turn the eldest princess Aine, who was adored for her unrivaled beauty, into a ghost of the abandoned palace.
When the fall of empress Natalia came, everyone, including nobles and commoners, believed that the owner of the royal palace will become royal consort Aynat Shelon and the next emperor will be the second prince Reagon Crevaria, born from Aynat. Therefore, not even a soul dared to associate with the exiled princess Aine, the only daughter of the late empress Natalia. However, a person's greed and jealousy are like a bottomless pit that never knows to be full. The same goes for princess Wyvern, a daughter born from Aynat, who cruelly threw her mourning elder sister to a raging fire. Though princess Aine survived the fire, her beauty that was once praised was burned along with the last bit of innocence that she had in her tiny body of 6 years old.
Aine... She reminds me of myself. Both were thrown into the pit of hell only to survive with scars that never healed nor faded. We hated each other because we saw the reflections of our broken souls in one another. I poisoned you to death in my last life but in this life, let me poison you to life, princess. I wish to make you arrogant, confident, spoilt, and cherished like how a princess should be. This time, let's live differently. Not as a ghost of the abandoned palace nor as a detestable villainess. Seraphina swore to herself.
"I guess it's time to meet him," she whispered cheerfully. With the purpose of changing Aine's destiny as well as keeping the promise she made to her predecessor, Seraphina finally reached the Imperial Elder Ezekiel Creveria's palace.
In this world, the beast men are treated as inferior beings to humans because they do not possess the ability to use auras. Throughout history, they were enslaved, slaughtered, and treated as possessions that can be traded and destroyed at the will of their owners, the humans. However, there was an exception, which was the fox clan. Despite being physically weaker than the other beast men, they flourished against all odds. They were not strong as the wolves nor enchanting as the mermaids but still, they were desired, respected, and acknowledged because of their alluring outer appearance and frighteningly cunning intelligence. Unfortunately, the fox clan's beautiful days were numbered and their ending was more tragic than any other beast man's.
Even to this day, the eradication of the fox clan that took place 30 years ago is still talked from mouth to mouth to praise the cruelty and tyranny of the former emperor of the Crevaria Empire. 'Ezekiel, the cruel, led his men, and slaughtered the entire fox clan, without sparing the young and old. To torture the souls of the poor foxes, he spared the youngest princess of the fox clan only to make her a lowly dancer of the brothel' is what they sing.
The little fox princess's name was Rosaline and she was Seraphina's mother.
In her previous life, the name Ezekiel was like an infected wound that was always sore and nasty when poked. Young Seraphina despised him for his cruelty and blamed him for all the unfairness she had swallowed through the years because if not for his tyranny, her mother would still be the beloved princess of the fox clan.
But who could have known that such a mad tyrant would be the subject of her predecessor's most cherished memory?
