Her parents, King Alaric, and Queen Serana, had fought hard against the necromancer. Her father had stood at the castle gates, sword in hand, refusing to abandon his people. Her mother had hidden Lira in a secret passageway, kissing her forehead as tears streamed down her face.
"Stay quiet, my love," her mother had whispered. "No matter what you hear, you must stay hidden. One day, you'll see our city free again."
Those were the last words Lira ever heard from her mother. She had obeyed, trembling in the darkness of the passageway as the sounds of battle raged above her. When silence finally fell, she crept out, only to find the castle in ruins and her family gone.
