The dragons' myths and countless legends carved upon the golden ceiling gleamed brilliantly as sunlight bathed them in molten splendor.
Beneath those ancient tales stood a young girl—Azura. Her crimson eyes captured every inch of the throne hall before settling on the man before her. A man in his forties, with gray, stone-like eyes and unevenly parted bronze hair streaked with white—a mark of age and authority befitting an emperor.
He stood upon the dais beside the throne, admiring it quietly, seemingly oblivious to the faint presence of the child who dared to gaze at him so directly.
Gray eyes like stone, bronze hair, and a face carved by time... Azura sighed inwardly, her expression unreadable. Admiring the throne? she thought tauntingly, then decided to end the silence that hung heavy between them.
Placing her right hand on her chest, she bowed slightly.
"I greet the Sun of the Empire," she said, her deep, calm voice echoing softly against the marble walls.
The words were familiar—ones she had heard in her dream.
From the moment I gained clarity, I wanted to meet him, she thought. Yet why… why doesn't this feel like the emotion I imagined? Why does it feel so hollow?
She scoffed inwardly, waiting for the Emperor to respond.
"Your name," he asked at last, without turning his gaze from the throne.
"Azura Celeste," she replied, her tone unhurried and steady.
"It's my first time hearing that name," he murmured, circling the throne, tracing his fingertips along the gilded armrest.
Liar, she thought coldly. If you hadn't heard it, how did you summon me?
"Indeed, it's uncommon," Azura said aloud, her voice deep—too deep for a child.
Finally, the Emperor turned his gaze toward her. His eyes, sharp as chisels of stone, studied the girl who stood so still before him.
"How old are you?" he asked, seating himself elegantly upon the throne, resting his hands upon the armrests.
"I am six," she answered firmly, crimson eyes unyielding as they met his.
The Emperor's brows twitched. Her eyes—so calm, so sharp. He resisted the urge to frown. For the first time, he truly looked at her, examining her presence as though sensing something that should not exist within such a small body.
Azura, however, stood unmoving, her expression unreadable, her gaze unwavering.
She doesn't even flinch beneath my stare, the Emperor mused silently. Such composure… such confidence.
"Azura Celeste," he began, his voice calm yet weighted with command. "Ten days from now, the monster subjugation trial will commence. Your attendance is mandatory."
Azura's lips curved faintly. "Mandatory?" she echoed softly, each syllable deliberate, controlled.
"Yes," he said slowly. "You will observe, learn, and understand…" His words trailed for a moment before he rose from the throne, his presence towering. "…with your siblings."
Siblings… she whispered inwardly, her gaze sharpening, questioning the word itself. Her eyes followed him as he descended the steps.
"Observation is a lesson, then," she murmured under her breath.
A faint glint of acknowledgment passed through the Emperor's eyes. She understood my words—more than any of her siblings ever have, he thought before he left the hall.
…
In the corridors of the main palace, the echo of her footsteps faded softly as Azura made her way toward her secluded residence—the Ice Blue Palace—nestled far to the east, isolated from the grandeur of the others.
That cold, glacial sanctuary had been hers since birth. As the illegitimate child of the Emperor, she was a shadow exiled from the family's warmth—locked away from the golden halls and its inhabitants.
"Who is this black raven?"
The mocking voice reached her ears. Azura turned, her crimson eyes meeting the smirking boy who stood before her—a youth of her age, bronze-haired, brown-eyed, and slightly taller than she was.
"I am Azura Celeste, the fifth princess. Your Highness, the fourth prince," she said smoothly, her tone elegant, her poise unshaken.
The boy—Prince Samir Celeste—raised a brow, his lips curving in amusement. "Never heard that name in the Celeste family," he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Liar, Azura thought. There's no way an illegitimate child would be unknown. Birds of the same feather…flock together, after all.
She straightened her posture slightly, remembering how the Emperor had dismissed her existence.
"It's my first time leaving the Ice Blue Palace," she replied evenly. "His Majesty summoned me."
Prince Samir clicked his tongue, twisting his lips. "You've been summoned? By His Majesty?" he repeated, his tone mocking.
Before she could answer, he tossed a white handkerchief at her feet.
"Let's see if you're worthy of joining the subjugation," he said, smirking as he invited her to a duel.
Azura's gaze remained calm. "Prince Samir," she said softly, her tone razor-sharp. "You are not someone whose permission I require."
Her crimson eyes glinted—cold, unwavering, terrifying.
Samir froze. For a heartbeat, he felt something press down upon him—something heavy, regal, and ancient. As she walked past him, the air itself seemed to twist.
"You!" he shouted, his pride wounded, drawing his sword in rage.
The blade swung—a flash of silver slicing through the air—
—and then fell to the ground with a sharp clang.
Azura stood untouched, her gaze unflinching.
I aimed for her shoulder… Samir's thoughts faltered. How… did I miss?
A faint shimmer of golden mist dissolved around Azura's arm, unseen by anyone else.
It was close, she thought, brushing her hand against her shoulder as if flicking away dust.
The faintest curl of a smile touched her lips—cold, quiet, knowing.
Reckless, hot-tempered, and easy to provoke — that meant easy to control.
Azura watched him in silence, her calm crimson eyes glinting with an ancient, unreadable light.
"Such an action does not suit a prince," she said evenly, her voice smooth yet distant.
Even as she spoke, a strange ripple stirred within her chest — unfamiliar, unsettling.
It happened again.
This emotion... it's changing me, she thought.
"Who are you to decide my actions?"
Prince Samir's voice rang out, sharp with arrogance and wounded pride.
"And I have already announced my duel! How dare you ignore me!" he snapped.
There's no way this filthy thing — not even acknowledged by the royal bloodline — could have dodged my strike, he thought, his fury masking the faint unease crawling beneath his skin.
"I did not decide your actions," Azura replied, her tone still calm, but her words carried the chill of a blade."But by challenging me, you defy His Majesty himself."
Her voice sliced through the air — cold, measured, and merciless — striking deeper than any physical wound.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Azura took a single step forward, closing the distance between them until the tension became almost suffocating. Her crimson eyes locked onto his, steady and unblinking — as though she could see through every layer of his arrogance, down to the trembling core beneath.
"I... I..."Prince Samir stammered. His heartbeat quickened, the confidence in his words dissolving into silence.Before that overwhelming presence, his body refused to move — as if something unseen was pressing down on his chest, crushing his defiance.
"If you have any complaint," Azura said softly, "discuss it with His Majesty."
She passed by him without another glance. The faint rustle of her clothes was the only sound left in the hall — quiet, yet heavier than thunder.
Prince Samir staggered back, catching himself against the wall, his breath uneven.
"What... what was that?" he whispered, feeling his pulse still racing out of control.
Then realization dawned — sharp and unbearable.
I... was afraid of her?
No. No, impossible.
He clenched his fists, shaking his head violently, rejecting the thought with all he had.
His pride would never allow such a thing.