Under the moonlight hidden behind the clouds, her breath quickened as she ran through the narrow alleys of the village. The voices of the guards grew closer, their shouts tearing through the silence:

“Catch her! Don’t let her escape!”

Her heart pounded wildly, as if every step might be her last. Her torn dress clung to the muddy ground, but she didn’t stop… there was no path left but survival. And when she caught sight of a grand palace gleaming in the darkness, she hurled herself toward it with the last of her strength.

She crashed against its heavy iron gates, pushing with her frail body until they creaked open. She stumbled inside, breathless, expecting the guards to catch her—or to be cast out at once.

But the scene shifted suddenly… an eerie silence fell, and steady footsteps echoed across the marble floor. A man of regal presence descended, his eyes glinting with a light she couldn’t comprehend, and his deep voice pierced through her fear:

“As long as you are in my palace, and your steps touch the soil of my empire… you are my princess now.”