Elena lay in her small hospital room, the sunlight weakly filtering through the blinds. Each breath was a struggle, her chest aching with exhaustion. Yet her hands clutched the book that had captivated her imagination for weeks: Choose Ur Monarch.
Her eyes traced the kingdoms, the heroes, the villains, the magic she had always wished she could touch. She did not want to be a hero. She did not want to be noble. She wanted power, freedom, and fear. She wanted to leave a mark the world would never forget.
"I wish…" she whispered, voice hoarse, "…I could live it all. I could be… someone unforgettable. A villainess."
A warmth spread through her body, soft and alive, erasing pain and fear. The room dissolved into a silver glow. A melodic, divine voice filled her mind:
"Your wish… granted. Your story begins anew."
Her last breath of the old world left her, replaced by the sharp tang of sea and forest, the scent of earth and magic. Elena's eyes opened to a sky painted in dark indigo, streaked with silver. Her hands—long, elegant, tipped with black nails—fluttered before her. She caught her reflection in a nearby pool: pointed ears, lavender skin, and eyes that glimmered like moonlight. She was no longer human. She was a dark elf.
A shimmer appeared in her vision:
System Activated: Noxveil Kingdom Builder
Kingdom Status: Unestablished
Resources: Limited
Goal: Build a kingdom that commands respect, fear, and loyalty.
Elena grinned. A second chance. A goddess-given system. And a world filled with opportunity.
The system allowed her to scan the valley before her. The map revealed:
A small human village tucked between hills
A solitary dwarf home in the cliffs
Dragon caves dotted along the mountain edges
Wandering elves—both dark and light—passing through
Beastfolk roaming the plains
Merfolk near the coast
Orc patrols moving across the lower forests
Her smile widened. Perfect. She would take all of it, unify the valley, and make it hers.
With the system's guidance, Elena began her plan. The valley would become six kingdoms, each with a ruler she could trust—or manipulate. She placed herself in the center, building her own fortress and hall, the heart of Noxveil. She offered lands to humans, dwarves, orcs, wandering elves, beastfolk, and merfolk, binding them to her by trade, loyalty, or fear.
Along the coast, she constructed a massive waterway leading to a fortified harbor. A group of pirates, loyal to her, managed trade and ensured no kingdom challenged her dominance. For the merfolk, she built an underwater palace of iridescent coral and enchanted glass, breathtaking and impenetrable.
Her advisors, butlers, maids, and anyone linked to her gained strength from proximity to her power. Elena smiled, watching them rise, knowing each connection made her kingdom stronger.
When construction was complete, she raised her hands, and the fog rolled across the valley, thick and impenetrable, hiding Noxveil from the world. The icy mountains surrounding the valley ensured no outsider could enter uninvited. Legends would spread quickly: the valley behind the mountains was dangerous, untouchable, forbidden.
Elena walked through her kingdom, satisfied. Villages bustling, towers standing tall, water fort gleaming in the sunlight, underwater palace glowing beneath the waves. Her heart beat with anticipation and triumph.
A soft glow appeared on the horizon—the World Tree of the Elven Kingdom. And beneath it, watching her from afar, stood Eryndor. Tall, regal, impossibly elegant, and already curious about the dark elf who had tamed a valley and built a kingdom in her own image.
Elena's lips curved into a deliberate, dark smile. Let them all misunderstand me.
Villainess. Hero. Queen. Noxveil's shadow stretched across the valley, and the world would soon take notice.