***
A surprise attack…
Within the realm distant from Earth, a once-green forest turned bright red amidst the moonlight. Within the said forest, the elf kingdom of Pencyne existed, yet would soon become non-existent. The whispers and melodies of elves' songs, once brought peace across the territory, turned into shouts of panic and chaos.
Wooden houses and tree houses smoldered from the arson of the army of armored knights from an unknown kingdom. The swinging of blades cut through the elf residents' flesh and splattered blood everywhere. The smell of burnt wood and smoke permeated the atmosphere, making it favorable for the unknown enemies.
Within the world tree, where the royalty of the Pencyne lived, the elf king barged his daughter's door open. He spotted his trembling daughter crying and sitting in the corner of the room, her ears covered by her hand from fear. She had blonde hair that weaved down her waist, and Elven's long ears. She wore a hair brooch imbued with an emerald gem having the same green as her eyes. Not only that, but she was already a teenager, yet she still acted like a kid.
"SERA! Let's get out of here!"
"W–What's happening, Father? Why are we getting attacked?"
"There's no time! This kingdom is no more."
The king dragged Sera out of her room. However, the knights already infiltrated their home and greeted them with a thirst for blood. Sera flinched back in fear, her heartbeats racing. The king drew the sheathed sword from his waist and readied a stance.
"Sera, leave this place now! I'll offer everything in my possession for your safety. I don't want you to become slaves to these filthy pigs!"
"Father, don't leave me… You're my only family… I don't want to lose you like Mother did…"
"No, Sera. As long as you're safe, I don't care what happens to me or the kingdom. Please let me be selfish once, I want you to secure your safety. Go to the underground. It will provide you with a place for escape. Now run!"
Sera ran on the opposite of the guarded hallway but stopped midway. When she returned her gaze to her father who readied a stance as his enemies rushed at him, the trails of tears swirled around her head.
"Father, I don't want to lose you… Please be safe! I'll always find my way back to you!"
She ran endlessly until she lost sight of her father.
Sera hadn't reached the underground yet, and she didn't have an idea what the place looked like. Hiding inside a closet, Sera heard the footsteps of a knight who scanned the room she was in. The smoke that entered the space restricted her breathing, her cloth would be her only sustenance from being suffocated.
Forcing herself to keep silent, she couldn't stop the shakiness of her limbs. Even though her heart would nearly explode from hastened beating, she should hold back her cries. The lack of fresh air, accompanied by her accelerated breathing, left dizziness in her consciousness, nearly making her faint.
A minute later, the footsteps vanished not gradually but suddenly. Confident that the knight already left, Sera opened the door, coughed loudly, and exhaled as much air as she could. The knight didn't leave yet but only stood before the bed. When their gazes met, she gasped, her eyes widened like a sudden coldness that hit her core.
"You… You won't escape our wrath!" The guard growled.
She froze in her place as the entity approached her, thinking, It's already over. Her father's words soon wrapped thoughts like adrenaline that cleansed her body from fear.
As long as you're safe, I don't care what happens to me or the kingdom.
She grabbed the statue of a goddess placed over the desk behind her and threw it at the knight. Due to his heavy equipment, he could only block the projectile with his arms. While he was distracted, Sera took the opportunity to run out of the room.
Sera ran down the hallway, looking into the path to the underground, a secret place that her father once forbade her to access. The stalled knight shouted a war cry and called reinforcements to chase for Sera. Followed by three people in heavy equipment, Sera forced herself to run as fast as possible, her legs trembling.
Her energy was depleted extensively, knowing she never had this experience before. As the royalty princess, she never experienced straining herself beyond her limits. Just before she encountered the thick metal doors that lead beneath the castle, a tingling sensation scratched her stomach, accompanied by the sudden nausea. If she collapsed now, she already imagined that her fate of becoming a slave would be certain.
After entering, she locked the metal doors from the inside. Securing her safety, her hand supported her weakened body. She faced down to the ground and vomited out her exhaustion. The dryness of her throat made her seek for water. Her eyes were blurred from her tears and dizziness; the circular ladder lit by torches welcomed her.
Uncertain of her fate, she ventured into the path while hearing explosions that synchronized the earth's shaking. She reached the dome-shaped room her father asked her to go to. Its ground was painted with a distorted magic circle, its symbols represented messages that even an elf can't discern. This was a secret room only the king knew. It was only used for emergencies.
The circle glowed bright blue after she made her step on it. Soon, the massive blue light covered the room, wrapping and blinding her into uncertainty.
"What's happening!?" Incalculable of her path, Sera experienced rasping breaths, her eyes bulging and unable to blink. The force from the magic activation felt like she was being pushed in all directions. Soon, a crack from her brooch slightly shook her head. She didn't only develop fear, but the terror towards the unknown.
A teleportation circle? Where did my father intend to send me? If he wanted to live, he should have accompanied me! There's no point for him to stay behind! I can't live alone!
The knights managed to breach into the metal door and chase Sera, but they were too late. They didn't intend to venture into an unknown magic circle that they thought was dangerous.
Like a bubble soon popped, she vanished without a trace.