In the quiet halls of Paviari’s citadel, Princess Dianora sat in her chambers, her slender fingers tracing the edge of a small hourglass, her thoughts far away. Every night, as the last ray of sunshine slipped into the Ciminian Forest, a shadow settled over her. Dianora’s smooth skin turned to cold scales, her eyes to slits, her form sinuous and hissing. Only her closest servants knew the truth—the princess had been cursed, forced to shift into the shape of a serpent each night.

Dianora adjusted the long sleeves of her nightgown, hiding the subtle changes in her body. The moonlight spilling through the arched windows revealed her reflection in the mirror, her human face now half-hidden by dark scales, her once-brilliant eyes flickering with a reptilian glow.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Dianora hid the hourglass under a cushion and sat up straighter. “Enter.”