Chapter One: A Vow Broken by Love
Elara did not like humans.
Or at least, that was what she told herself whenever she saw them passing near the edge of the forest, with their rough clothes and endless questions.
But the man standing before her now was nothing like them.
"Do not take another step."
She said it as she raised her magical staff, her gaze steady despite the hesitation she tried to hide.
Nathan stopped at once, slowly lifting his hands.
"I did not come to fight."
His voice was calmer than she expected—and that unsettled her.
"All humans say that,"
she replied coldly, magic whispering around her as a warning.
He smiled faintly, without a trace of mockery.
"Perhaps that is why you don't believe anyone."
She hesitated.
He should have been afraid… but he wasn't.
He looked at her as if she were a person—not a threat, not a creature from ancient legends.
"You are not permitted to be here,"
she said at last.
"And you are not obligated to protect me,"
he answered quietly.
In that moment, Elara felt something break within her.
Not a law…
but a certainty she had lived by for a long time.