My husband’s true love was getting married. To make her regret her choice, he abandoned our entire Holy Order—and me—and ventured into the mortal wilds to hunt abominations. I burned nine hundred and ninety-nine whispering runes, begging for a word, but received no reply. In the hundredth year, I stopped trying. I lay upon my enchanted frost-crystal bed, content to receive the life-sustaining elixirs sent by the Archon himself. Then, suddenly, he returned. Staring at my swollen belly, he seethed, his words laced with venom. “I have been gone a century, and we have not once met. Whose bastard do you carry?” I remained unbothered. “You may have no appreciation for your own consort, but others have a keener eye for treasure.” 1 Kaelen ripped me from the frost-crystal bed, his eyes burning with murderous rage. “You faithless whore! I am gone for a mere century, and not only do you shame me by swelling with another’s child, but you dare to be defiant about it!” he roared. “Tell me! Who is the wretch you lay with?” His movements were brutal. With a sweep of his arm, he sent a row of crystal vials crashing to the floor, their contents spilling in a glittering, useless mess. The Order’s Elder, my husband’s own mentor, rushed in at the sound. He paled when he saw the crackling arcane energy gathering in Kaelen’s hands. “Kaelen, you must not harm the Lady-Regent! She carries—” “What Lady-Regent?” Kaelen cut him off with a snarl. “She is not worthy of the title!” His grip on my wrist was agonizing. I wrenched myself free, fury finally bubbling to the surface. “If I am not worthy, are you? Kaelen, for one hundred years, what did you leave me besides a crumbling Order and not a single word of guidance?” “By the very laws you wrote into our Codex, a consort whose partner is missing for five years may be considered widowed. By that law, you and I have long been finished!” Kaelen’s face flushed a deep, mottled red with rage. He refused to hear another word, dragging me violently from the Grand Master’s spire. “So you’ve found a way to justify your treachery! I will let the entire Order see the corruption that rots in your very bones!” I was still weak from an old wound, and the pregnancy had left me even more drained. I was no match for Kaelen’s raw power. The Elder, Valerius, broke out in a cold sweat, grabbing Kaelen’s arm without a thought for his own safety. “My boy, listen to me, I beg you! Release the Lady-Regent, she is…” His plea only fueled Kaelen’s fury. He spun around and struck me across the face. The slap, empowered by his magic, sent a ringing through my ears, but it couldn't drown out his furious accusations. “Elder Valerius has always been a man of impeccable judgment! What dark spell have you woven to cloud his mind so? You are a sorceress of the vilest sort, and I will purge you from this sacred place today!” Valerius froze, swallowing the words of protest. He knew that any further pleading would only provoke Kaelen to more extreme violence. If this child were lost, it would be a disaster not just for Kaelen, but for the entire Order—a truth he could not yet speak aloud. I was hauled like an animal to the Hall of Penance, a place thronged with acolytes, where a woman with the grace of a celestial being was already waiting. It was Elara, Kaelen’s chosen protégé. A hundred years ago, when Kaelen left to hunt demons, Elara had announced she was entering a deep meditative seclusion. Now it was clear: her seclusion was a lie. They had gone to the mortal realm to live as husband and wife. Seeing my protruding belly, a cruel smile played on her lips. “I thought I would need to work a little harder upon my return. I never imagined you, old woman, would be so wanton as to bring about your own destruction.” Before I could respond, Kaelen shoved me before the assembled disciples. His voice, amplified with magic, boomed across the nine spires of our citadel. “Seraphina, you have committed a sin of monstrous proportions. In recognition of your three years of service managing this Order, I will spare your life. If you willingly step down and pledge your undying loyalty to Elara, I will grant you a place within these walls.” He paused, a cold smirk on his face, the edge of his blade glinting menacingly. “But if you refuse… I will cleanse this house of your filth myself!” His self-righteous words were laughable. When he left, he had held my hand, his voice thick with false emotion, promising to find the tears of a Southern ocean siren to cure the poison that afflicted me. It was only for that promise that I agreed to abandon my own magical pursuits and take on the burden of running the Order for him. Now, the poison had seeped deep into my very essence, but the siren’s tears he spoke of never materialized. No wonder… No wonder he hadn’t killed me outright in the spire. He needed a grand, public excuse to install his lover in my place. Whispers erupted among the acolytes. “I knew it. The Grand Master has been gone a century. How could his consort be with child?” “I saw Elder Valerius tending to her so carefully… I thought there must be some other explanation.” “So, she was unfaithful…” “Silence!” Elder Valerius roared, stepping forward to shield me. He turned his piercing gaze on Elara, whose face was a mask of innocence. His words were heavy with meaning. “I know full well who the father of Seraphina’s child is!” Kaelen’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Elder! I have been gone a century! How could a child of mine possibly appear now?” But Valerius was resolute. “His lineage is true and just. You will not question it further!” Elara, sensing the tide turning, clutched Kaelen’s sleeve, her voice a pathetic whimper. “Master, the Elder has always loved you most. How could he possibly condone Seraphina’s adultery? She must have ensnared him with dark magic! Look, his own aura is clouded… I fear…” Kaelen’s eyes hardened. He drew his sword with a sharp rasp. “Seraphina, you dare to consort with demons and heretics! You court death!” I felt no fear. I asked him one question. “Others may not know why the Elder’s aura is disturbed, Kaelen, but are you truly going to feign ignorance?” 2 As Grand Master, Kaelen had vanished for a hundred years without a trace. No one knew if he was alive or dead. Elder Valerius, who had raised Kaelen as his own at the behest of his dying father, was sick with worry. How could he not be? Kaelen knew he was at fault. As he was about to speak, Elara shoved me violently towards the great incense brazier at the front of the hall. “You venomous witch! Not only do you cheat, but you dare to slander the Master!” A sharp pain exploded at the back of my head. The world tilted, a wave of nausea washing over me as the brazier’s sharp corner broke my skin. Blood, hot and sticky, matted my hair. I stumbled and fell to the ground, a sudden, sharp cramp seizing my abdomen. Elder Valerius’s face went white. “Summon the Master Healer! Now!” The nearby acolytes hesitated, their eyes darting to Kaelen. The Elder’s voice cracked like a whip. “What is this? Does an old man’s command mean nothing now?” Elara sneered. “The Master Healer is a figure of great importance. Why would he attend to a common slut?” Kaelen’s voice was a low growl. “Someone attend to the Elder. See that he is not further bewitched by this demonic influence.” At his command, a high-ranking disciple cast a binding spell, trapping Valerius where he stood. The Elder stared in disbelief. “This is insubordination! Treason!” He struggled against the magical bonds, and the disciple, with a slight frown, cast a second spell—a lightning rune. A bolt of raw power struck Valerius, and he cried out in agony before collapsing, silenced. Kaelen watched, unmoved. “Kaelen, have you gone mad?!” I bit my tongue, forcing myself to find clarity through the pain. “Release us, if you value your life! This child… this child is not one you can afford to harm!” He ignored me, summoning a powerful artifact. With a flick of his wrist, a sound like tearing silk filled the air, and an immense weight crashed down upon my shoulders, forcing me to my knees. The impact on the stone steps sent a jarring pain through my bones, as if they were shattering. Kaelen’s voice rang out. “As Grand Master, I have always been just! Our Order has been disgraced by this harlot, and she will be dealt with according to our laws.” “Seraphina, do not say I did not give you a chance. If you will not rid yourself of that bastard spawn, then I will purify my own house myself.” My knees screamed in protest, but I crawled forward, terror seizing me. “What are you going to do?” Kaelen tilted his head, lightning crackling in his hand. “I will use the sacred Skyfire to burn the filth from your soul. For breaking your vows, for carrying a bastard, for weaving dark spells to bewitch the pure of heart—today, before all, you will receive forty-nine bolts of Skyfire as a lesson to all who would follow your path!” My breath caught in my throat. I looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were already gathering. Skyfire was the judgment of the heavens, a power that had reduced countless mortals and monsters to ash. My own magic had been nullified, my body weak. A single bolt would be a death sentence for me, let alone my child. Amid the rising cheers of the crowd, Kaelen began the incantation. A bolt of pure energy tore through the sky. I could only curl around my belly, shut my eyes, and brace for the end. But the pain never came. I looked up. A Shadowguard stood before me, his body smoking from the impact of the Skyfire he had taken in my stead. He swallowed a mouthful of blood and spoke, his voice steady. “Grand Master, the Lady-Regent’s station is now one of great importance. She is beyond your authority to harm. I urge you to cease.” It was the first time anyone had dared to so openly defy Kaelen. He narrowed his eyes, his power sweeping over the guard. “And who are you? You have some skill, but you are not of my Order. Our internal affairs are no concern of yours.” The Shadowguard was undaunted. “The truth of this matter cannot be revealed publicly. If the Grand Master wishes to know, perhaps we could speak in private—” Kaelen laughed, a short, ugly sound. His sword flashed out, striking at the guard. “I will see for myself what manner of man dares to so brazenly covet what is mine!” The Shadowguard, already weakened from blocking the Skyfire, was no match. The blade struck true, shattering his life force. He collapsed, dead before he hit the ground. A gasp rippled through the younger acolytes. Warm blood splattered across my pale face. Elder Valerius had been taken away. My own power was a stagnant pool. I was truly alone, with no one left to protect me. Kaelen stood a few paces away, his face a mask of pure killing intent. “Seraphina, and here I thought you had allied yourself with some great power. You betrayed me for a guard who must hide in the shadows?” At this point, I had nothing left to lose. “This child… he is… he is the—” Before I could finish, another roar echoed from the heavens. The second bolt of Skyfire shattered the feeble shield I had managed to conjure, striking my belly with its full, devastating force. 3 I convulsed, curling into a tight ball, the pain so absolute it stole my voice. It felt as if my womb was being torn open. Blood flowed freely, staining the pristine white marble beneath me. My hand, trembling, reached out and clutched the hem of Kaelen’s robe, leaving a streak of blood. “Please,” I begged, my voice a ragged whisper. “A healer… the child…” All my pride was gone. I just wanted someone to save my baby. Amid the overwhelming agony, I felt a terrible stillness inside me. I could have sworn I’d felt him kick just this morning. Kaelen’s foot came down, crushing my hand without a hint of mercy. “It is far too late for begging.” Elara stood beside him, her gaze dripping with contempt. “Master, even in this state, she still tries to protect her bastard. She must have truly fallen for her lover.” Kaelen’s eyes went cold. “A treacherous harlot like you… drowning would be too kind. Today, I will make an example of you and purge this Order of its sickness.” Two disciples seized me, hauling me to my feet. They wrapped heavy iron chains around my body, cinching them tight over my still-bleeding womb. “No… Kaelen, what are you doing? Let me go!” I screamed. “If you touch my child today, you will face a fate so dire you will regret this moment for all eternity!” No one listened. I was bound brutally to a great stone pillar and hoisted a hundred feet into the air. “Kaelen, let me go!” My voice was shrill with terror. Hearing the fear in my voice, a smile finally touched his lips. “When you were so bold as to take a lover within these sacred walls, did you not once imagine the shame of this day?” The enchanted iron chains tightened, activating the protective magic woven into my undergarments—the Vestments of Woven Light. Seeing it shimmer, Elara’s eyes flashed with jealousy. “Master, this witch has shamed you so profoundly, yet she still has the audacity to wear the Order’s most sacred treasure!” At her words, Kaelen sneered. With a mere thought, the Vestments vanished. I felt a sudden coldness, and a moment later, heard the gasps and lewd laughter from the crowd below. I realized with dawning horror that I was naked. I tried to cover myself, but my limbs were bound fast. “Kaelen, for what you have done today, you will surely live to regret it!” The sound of mocking laughter echoed from all sides. Kaelen took Elara’s hand, and together they ascended the steps of the hall to sit upon the throne of judgment. His voice was imperious. “There is no one in this world who can make me feel regret!” “Let the punishment begin!” At his command, a wind rose from nowhere. Thirty-six Gales of Atonement, each crackling with lightning, swirled towards me. I hung naked and exposed, the winds tearing strips of flesh from my body. One gale, then two… The crowd roared its approval. Some began to throw stones. I screamed, but my cries were lost in the storm. My flesh was flayed away, my blood painting the ten thousand marble tiles of the hall a gruesome crimson. Beneath the chains, the pain in my belly had turned to a numb ache. I felt something shift inside me, something giving way. “No, Kaelen, please, stop…” I shrieked, tears and blood streaming down my face. Kaelen watched, deaf to my pleas, a cold smile on his face as the torture continued for two full hours. By now, every last member of the Order had gathered to watch the spectacle. When the gales finally subsided, I was a raw, bloody mess, not a single patch of skin untouched. Only the faintest breath proved I was still alive. “The child…” Kaelen rose, surveying my wretched state from his high throne, a look of satisfaction on his face. “This, Seraphina, is the price of betraying me.” He leaned forward. “As for that bastard… beg me. If you beg me nicely, I might just let it live.” Hearing this, I threw away my last shred of dignity and began to plead, my voice raw. “Please, Kaelen! I will be your slave for the rest of my life, just please, spare my child! I’ll do anything you ask!” With a flick of his wrist, he used his magic to lift me, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Then confess. Confess before the entire Order. Tell them exactly what sins you have committed.” I looked down at the faces of the disciples who had once called me Lady-Regent with respect, and I began to speak, my voice a hollow murmur. “I am a harlot… I should not have taken a lover… I have brought shame upon this Order… I am a sinner…” Hearing my confession, Kaelen finally seemed satisfied. He laughed, a triumphant, ugly sound. “Since you have seen the error of your ways, I will grant you your life.” His smile turned cruel. “But this unholy spawn cannot be allowed to exist. I will send it to be reunited with its father!” He drew his sword, the sharp tip aimed at my swollen abdomen, where the fate of my child was already sealed. I raised a hand, a futile, final gesture to protect him, my eyes filled with utter despair. A flash of cold steel, a searing pain deep within me. And at that exact moment, a wave of power so immense it could level mountains crashed down upon the hall.
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