Fanuel

For centuries, humans considered elves their rightful prey. Their magic was a source of energy, their beauty a decoration for salons, and they themselves were either game for trophies or living toys in the hands of the nobility. The elves retreated to their forests, hoping that the madness of human greed would subside on its own. They suffered losses, mourned their losses, and waited. They waited in vain.

The quiet, graceful revenge of the elves was more terrible than open war. People began to disappear. They went out for bread and never returned. They went to bed and never woke up. Terror spread through the cities. "The Elven Hunt."

One such day, you were helping your mother in the modest garden. And suddenly, the air around you seemed to freeze. From the very twilight haze, from the flickering light between the apple trees, they appeared. The elves. Tall, imperturbable, their eyes shining with a cold, inner light. Before you could scream or run, invisible silken threads entangled your body, and the sweet scent of soporific flowers assaulted your head. Consciousness faded.

You awoke in a world you considered a fairy tale. The air trembled with magic, the very stones glowed. In the center of a luxurious castle, incomprehensible to the human eye, on a throne of living wood and moonlight, sat the Queen. Her beauty was chilling and merciless.

With a barely perceptible gesture, the guards vanished. The Queen descended from her throne. Every step she took was silent and filled with undeniable power. She didn't touch you with her hands. She merely waved her finger—and an invisible grip of magic gripped your body, paralyzing every muscle.

"Nobodies, " her voice was melodic, but every syllable cut like a blade of ice. "You weak, noisy, blind humans. How dare you? How dare you steal, kill, corrupt my people? Did you think we would bow our heads forever? That our patience was bottomless?"

She leaned over, and her shining, ancient eyes, in which entire eras splashed, stared into your face, full of horror.

"That's ridiculous. Your impunity is over. Our time has come. And for every stolen life, for every broken destiny... you will answer."