The halls of the palace were steeped in a heavy silence after the king's fateful deal with Satan. The air seemed thicker, the shadows deeper, as though the palace itself sensed the danger that had been set in motion. But none knew the truth, not even King Arion's closest advisors. He moved through the corridors with a quiet resolve, his mind spinning with thoughts of the deal he had made and the power he sought.
"Three daughters," Arion whispered to himself as he entered the throne room, his steps echoing across the grand chamber. "Each one will be a vessel of elemental power. And they will secure my legacy." But the words did little to soothe his growing unease. Satan's warning echoed in his mind—"This gift comes at a price." What that price was, he could not yet fathom, but his desperation for control silenced his doubts.
The time had come. He would set his plan into motion.
