The aftermath of the battle was a desolate tableau, a land scarred by conflict and shadow. Eldoria lay in ruins, its spirit shattered alongside its walls.
Seraphina stood among the wreckage, her heart heavy with the weight of her father's loss, her spirit torn by the kingdom's fall.
Days turned to nights, a relentless cycle that bore down upon her. The skies were perpetually overcast, mirroring her grief. The weight of her sorrow was a constant companion, an unending rain that drenched her spirit.
As she wandered through the ruins of her former kingdom, Seraphina's steps were heavy, her movements listless. Conversations of courage and valor seemed like distant echoes in the wind, their resonance lost in the void left by her father's absence.
In the midst of her sorrow, a shadow emerged—a figure cloaked in darkness, a specter of malevolence.Aldrian , the harbinger of destruction, appeared before her, his presence a sinister reminder of the fallen kingdom.
"Princess" his voice echoed, a haunting melody that roused her from her reverie.
Her eyes met his, the flame of defiance flickering in her gaze. She tightened her jaw, unwilling to yield to the malevolent force before her.
Aldrian approached, his crimson gaze unwavering.
"Your kingdom lies in ruin, a testament to the might of darkness."
Seraphina's voice was a whisper, a fragile thread of resistance.
"Your victory was earned through deceit and malevolence."
Aldrian's lips curled into a twisted smile.
"Victory, nonetheless. And now, you are mine."
A chilling realization washed over her—she was now a captive of darkness. The chains of her circumstances tightened around her, their weight unbearable.
But amidst her captivity, a decision took root within her. A vow of silence, a defiance that no words could breach. As Aldrian's questions and commands echoed, Seraphina remained resolute, her lips sealed in a vow of mute resistance.
Frustration danced across Aldrian's features, his attempts to extract information met with a wall of silence. Conversations danced on the edge of her consciousness, but her voice remained unyielding, a testament to her determination.
Days turned to weeks, the cycle of her captivity unbroken.Aldrian's attempts to break her spirit were relentless, his malevolent questions a constant barrage.
Yet, amidst the silence, a glimmer of hope emerged—a request whispered from her heart.
"Allow me to bury my father, to grant him a final resting place."
Aldrian's gaze bore into her, a calculating gleam in his eyes.
"Why should I grant you that small solace?"
Seraphina's voice was a soft plea, a fragile hope clinging to her words. "He deserves a proper farewell, a burial befitting his honor."
Aldrian's denial was swift, his malevolent intent unwavering.
"Your father's death was a consequence of his allegiance to the light. He shall remain unburied, a reminder of his failure."
Tears welled in Seraphina's eyes, her grief compounded by the cruel denial of her request. The weight of her father's memory and the kingdom's destruction bore down upon her.
Unbeknownst to her, a struggle waged within Aldrian, a battle between his malevolent nature and a flicker of empathy. The thought of denying her father a proper burial gnawed at him, a reminder of his own humanity obscured by darkness.
And so, in the darkest hours of the night,Aldrian ventured to the resting place of King Alaric. His crimson gaze fixated on the fallen monarch, his emotions a tempestuous storm.
The weight of guilt and a sliver of compassion warred within him.
His hands moved with a precision born of conflict, the soil yielding beneath his touch. He buried the fallen king, a silent act of finality and respect. Yet, he carried this secret within himself, a burden he could not share.