A dark, all-encompassing forest surrounded Seris.
The ancient evergreens towered overhead, their twisted branches protruding outward like jagged spears. Their bark was darker than any tree she had ever seen, almost black in color. Yet only moments ago, this very place had been a simple orchard filled with warmth and sunlight.
Now it felt hostile.
Wrong.
A voice echoed through the forest.
The sound reverberated throughout Seris's skull, nearly deafening her.
"Seris! Don't toy with me..."
The voice was oddly familiar.
Seris remained frozen where she sat, looking more like a porcelain doll than a living person. Her battered hands clutched her bleeding ears as she stared blankly into the darkness.
"You know exactly what I want."
The voice boomed again.
It didn't merely reach her ears—it rattled her mind itself.
Its tone had changed completely. Whatever familiarity it once held had long since vanished.
"I didn't ask to form that stupid contract in the first place."
Seris's own voice sounded weak by comparison. Her head still rang from the previous outburst.
Suddenly, dozens of tiny translucent shards materialized around her.
Each one carried an unnatural chill.
A chill that seeped into her bones.
A figure emerged from the storm of fragments.
It stood no taller than two meters, with two pairs of wings extending from its upper and lower back. Its entire body was concealed beneath an unmoving veil of darkness, making its features impossible to discern.
The only things visible were the radiant rings circling each of its six arms.
Then it spoke.
"You know... I showed you a great deal of kindness back then."
The being's voice was calm, yet every word carried immense weight.
"I watched your every move. I made sure you didn't get yourself killed in that damned wasteland."
The rings around its arms glowed faintly.
"And yet, when I ask you to complete one simple task, you do the exact opposite."
The shadow tilted its head.
"If not for me, District Fourteen would've gained another princess for its catacombs."
Silence followed.
The being remained motionless for several seconds before speaking again.
"But fine."
Its voice grew colder.
"If you want to be difficult, then handle your problems yourself from now on."
The surrounding shards trembled.
"The next time you beg for my help will be the last."
A faint crack echoed through the forest.
"My patience has run thin."
Before Seris could respond, the shadow dissolved into a flurry of sparks.
The forest fell silent.
Left alone, Seris slowly rolled onto her back.
Above her, fragments of moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, spilling silver light across the forest floor.
The sight felt strangely familiar.
Comforting.
Without realizing it, her eyelids grew heavier.
An unfathomable weight settled over her body.
Then everything faded.
****
"Lady Seris!"
A commanding voice pierced through the darkness.
Seris groaned and rolled onto her side, burying herself deeper beneath her blankets.
"My lady, if you are not downstairs in ten minutes, your father will have my head! So please, just listen to me. Just this once."
She reluctantly opened one eye.
After a brief hesitation, she called toward the door with a stifled yawn.
"Malcolm, I'll be down in a second. Don't worry yourself."
The hurried butler didn't sound reassured.
If anything, he sounded even more anxious.
"My lady, it is very important that you listen to me. Today is your coronation, and the final day you'll stay in the cast—"
"Yeah..."
Seris cut him off before he could finish.
"I know."
Slowly dragging herself from bed, she stretched her arms overhead.
Her long dark hair had become an absolute mess during the night.
After unsuccessfully attempting to tame it with her fingers, she wandered toward her wardrobe and began sorting through her clothes.
After a few moments of consideration, she selected a neatly pressed white ball gown.
Satisfied, she picked it up and turned toward the door.
Something caught her eye.
"Hm...?"
On her ebony desk rested a pair of burgundy-tinted glasses.
Their frame was a brilliant azure blue—an unusual combination of colors that somehow worked surprisingly well together.
The spectacles possessed a strange allure.
A subtle pull.
The sort of object that demanded attention the moment it was noticed.
Seris narrowed her eyes.
Even through the haze of sleep, she couldn't remember placing them there.
Nor could she remember anyone entering her room.
A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts.
Then another.
A faint squeak accompanied it.
Malcolm was beginning to sound frantic.
Seris imagined the old butler pacing back and forth outside her room.
His neatly maintained uniform was probably a disaster by now, reduced to a tangled mess of belts and ties.
And for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that he knew something.
Something important.
Something heavy.
A burden that had been weighing on him for far longer than it should have.
"Lady—Seris..."
His voice wavered.
"Please. Just come out."
Seris glanced one final time at the mysterious glasses.
Then she grabbed her dress, hurriedly collected the plain white stockings she'd hung up the previous night, and finally decided to answer her butler's increasingly desperate pleas.
With a confident stride, she crossed the room.
Her hand wrapped around the burgundy wooden doorknob.
For a brief moment, she paused.
Then she turned it.
And opened the door.