Unsure of what to do, Veronica sent a message to Leticia, disguised as an invitation to a meeting. The princess found the unusual request strange, but Veronica always reserved the most beautiful flowers for her, and Leticia imagined it might be something urgent. She accepted the invitation. Upon meeting the florist, she noticed her nervousness and distressed expression, but attributed it to some personal problem. She followed Veronica, trusting in her known kindness.
As they entered a dark and deserted street, the trap was sprung. A group of men emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.
"I brought her as you asked," Veronica said, her voice trembling with fear. "Now, please, return my son!"
"Have her surrender, and he will be released," replied one of the bandits, his dagger flashing dangerously close to the child's face.
Veronica, desperate, begged Leticia to surrender. Tears streamed down her face as she knelt at the princess's feet.
"Please, miss! They'll kill my son! I can't lose anyone else in my family!"
Leticia, touched by the mother's despair, knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, offering some comfort. Then, she looked up, fixing her gaze firmly on the bandits.
"I will go with you," she declared, her voice calm and resolute. "However… return this woman's son."
The bandits hesitated for a moment, surprised by the princess's courage. Then, they shoved the child towards Veronica and led Leticia to an abandoned shed. They tied her up with rough ropes.
"The ropes aren't very tight," Leticia thought, analyzing the situation. "But there are so many of them… Oh! I should have told Laurenn I was going out."
Frustration at her recklessness mingled with growing apprehension. What did these men want with her?
The bandits gathered around their leader, anticipation hanging heavy in the air.
"We captured the girl, boss. Now what?" one of them asked impatiently.
"I sent a messenger to the nobleman who ordered her head," the leader replied with a cruel smile.
"But last time he was hooded. How will we know it's really him?" another bandit questioned.
Leticia, despite the fear clutching at her chest, listened intently. She discovered that these men were merely pawns in a larger game, unaware of the true enemy's identity.
"Boss, the girl is quite pretty… we could have some fun with her before…" suggested one of the bandits with a lascivious look.
He approached Leticia and touched a strand of her hair. Another bandit began to circle her, his eyes raking over her body greedily. The leader, leaning back in a makeshift chair, shrugged, granting permission indifferently.
"As long as you don't damage the merchandise," he said with a sadistic smile.
Panic threatened to overwhelm Leticia. She needed to escape, to call for help. Her eyes scanned the shed, searching for an escape route. There were too many; escape seemed impossible. But she had to react somehow. With a sudden movement, Leticia broke free from the bandits surrounding her and ran, her hands still tied behind her back.
The chase was short. She managed to dodge one of the men, but another intercepted her, throwing her violently to the ground.
"Idiot!" the leader shouted furiously. "I told you not to damage the merchandise! Do you want us to lose the reward?!"
Suddenly, a dagger flew through the air, striking the bandit leader's shoulder with a thud. At the entrance of the shed, two figures emerged from the shadows. Leticia could barely contain her surprise. It was Laurenn, accompanied by Aleph.
Laurenn, with controlled fury, ran towards the bandit holding Leticia and struck him with a well-aimed kick, pulling him away from her. His icy gaze fixed on the fallen man.
"A filthy worm like you shouldn't even dare to touch my sister, you should just disappear," he growled, his voice laden with menace.
Drawing his sword with a swift movement, Laurenn advanced on the bandit who had attacked Leticia. The gleaming blade stopped inches from the man's throat, poised to deliver the fatal blow. At the last moment, Aleph intervened, gripping Laurenn's arm firmly.
"There are more effective ways to deal with them," he said calmly. "A punishment worse than death. Leave them to me. Take care of the princess."
Laurenn hesitated for a second, the conflict evident in his eyes. He knew that, as crown prince, he was forbidden to take a life directly. Tradition allowed him to order executions, but not to carry them out with his own hands. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his sword and turned to Leticia.
His eyes scanned his sister's body, searching for any sign of injury. With a gentle touch, he caressed her face, concern etched in his eyes.
"Did they hurt you? Did they do anything to you?" he asked, his voice hoarse with anguish.
Leticia shook her head, her eyes welling with relief.
"I'm fine, Laurenn," she replied, holding her brother's hand against her face. "Thanks to you… and Aleph."
The bandits surrounded the three, menace hanging in the air. The leader, pulling the dagger from his own shoulder with a grunt of pain, threw it at Laurenn's feet.
"You think three can stand against us all?" he mocked with a cruel smile.
"I alone will be enough to fight you all," Aleph replied with icy calm.
He drew his sword and positioned himself in front of Laurenn and Leticia, in a defensive stance. To everyone's surprise, he held the blade inverted, pointing it towards the bandit leader. The man laughed incredulously.
"You're going to fight with the blunt side of the blade? Are you joking?"
Ignoring the taunt, Aleph replied:
"I don't intend to kill you… yet," he said with a penetrating gaze.
The leader, enraged, ordered the attack. The bandits advanced on Aleph, who moved with astonishing speed. Dodging their blows with agility, he immobilized his opponents with precision and force, without bloodshed.
One of the bandits jumped, attempting a surprise attack. Aleph parried the blow and, with a fluid movement, spun his sword and struck him with the hilt on the temple. The man fell unconscious to the ground. Two others attacked simultaneously. Aleph, with Herculean strength, blocked both blades and pushed them away with a single movement. Taking advantage of one opponent's recoil, he delivered a precise blow to his knee, destabilizing him. The remaining bandits continued to attack, but Aleph, relentless, neutralized them one by one, leaving them unconscious on the ground.
The leader, watching the scene with growing terror, his hands trembling as he gripped his sword, stammered:
"What… what kind of monster are you…?"
"At the moment, just a knight of the Winter Kingdom," Aleph replied with a cold smile. "And aspiring official knight to Princess Leticia."
"Princess?!" the leader exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear. "No one told us she was the princess! Then… that's the… prince?!"
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the leader tried to flee, but Aleph intercepted him with ease. At that moment, the Royal Knights arrived at the scene.
"Wait!" the leader pleaded desperately. "Are you going to hand us over to the Shineideas?! Please, no!"
"Now you're afraid?" Laurenn asked with a look of contempt. "But you didn't hesitate to attack a defenseless woman, did you?"
The Royal Knights arrested the bandits and took them into custody. The justice of the Winter Kingdom, known for its severity, would decide their fate. For crimes like this, not even the Shineideas granted clemency.
…
The Shineideas, beautiful as roses, conceal dangerous thorns. Formerly human, they were imbued with negative magic, transforming them into beings with extraordinary abilities and an ambiguous nature. With a penetrating gaze, they can probe the deepest secrets of the mind, hypnotizing their victims and uncovering their hidden memories. Through a kiss, they transform ordinary people into new Shineideas, controlling their thoughts and actions like puppets.
Their bodies are resistant to common injuries, and their lives are prolonged to near immortality. Only a sword imbued with magic or a special ability can destroy them, rare gifts bestowed upon a select few.
In the past, the Shineideas were guardians of the law, judges, and ruthless enforcers. Over time, however, their function became corrupted. Justice gave way to ambition, and the power that once served order became an instrument of their own desires.
Despite the corruption that has spread among them, some laws remain inviolable. There are transgressions so serious that not even the Shineideas dare to ignore them. The punishment for such crimes is summary annihilation, a ruthless display of power that reminds everyone of the limits of their influence.