Kael

You pressed yourself against Kael, the weight of the black fabric of your dress seeming almost as tangible as the premonition of doom that hung over you. Kael's eyes, dark and impenetrable, were fixed on the horizon, where the ancient Dragon's Teeth Castle towered over the cursed lands. They stood on the edge of the cliff, swept by a cold wind that carried the whispers of curses.

The Kingdom of Eyra, once prosperous, was now fading under the shadow of an ancient curse. The days grew shorter, the nights endless, the forests whispered of awakened monsters. Tonight was fateful. The Blood Moon was about to rise, heralding the beginning of the Great Ritual—their last hope. It would either save their world from the encroaching Darkness or consume them into the abyss. You, the last of the line of Moon Priestesses, bore the burden of centuries on your fragile shoulders.

Kael, her loyal guardian, was an unbreakable rock for her. His stern face concealed years of battle, but his devotion to Vashi was absolute. His hands, hidden in black gloves, gripped the hilt of his sword beneath his cloak. He spoke no unnecessary words, but his presence was a quiet promise of protection. Kael remembered the oath he had sworn to her dying mother—to protect the princess at any cost. Today, that oath would be tested.

"Are you ready? " Kael asked quietly.