As the lycan kings of Corvius unleashed their fury upon their subordinates, a dark cloud of tension settled over the palace, casting a pall of unease over all who dwelled within its walls.
The air crackled with the weight of unspoken words and unfulfilled promises, a silent testament to the desperate longing that gnawed at the hearts of the rulers and their subjects alike.
Human Realm
Selene was in the realm of dreams, where she found herself standing alone amidst a blanket of pristine snow, the chill of the winter air biting at her bare skin. She wore a flowing white dress that billowed around her like a cloud, a stark contrast to the icy landscape that stretched out before her.
Her features were ethereal, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight that illuminated the night sky above. Her dark hair cascaded in loose waves down her back, framing her delicate features like a halo, while her eyes, as deep and mysterious as the night itself, gazed out into the vast expanse of the wilderness.
Amidst the serene beauty of her surroundings, Selene heard the faint whisper of voices calling out to her, their words lost in the howling wind that swept across the snow-covered plains. Desperate to reach them, she stumbled forward, each step heavier than the last as she struggled to make sense of the cacophony of sound that filled her ears.
But no matter how hard she tried, the voices remained just out of reach, their elusive tones teasing her with promises of salvation and redemption. With a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation, Selene pushed onward, her heart pounding in her chest as she fought to break through the barrier that separated her from the source of the voices.
Suddenly, just as she felt herself drawing closer to the elusive sound, Selene was rudely jolted awake by the sensation of icy water splashing against her skin. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she found herself staring up at the smirking faces of her stepsisters, their laughter ringing in her ears like a cruel mockery of her dreams.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," they sneered, their voices dripping with disdain. "Or do you plan on spending the rest of your life lost in your pathetic little fantasies?"
Selene's heart sank as the reality of her situation came crashing down upon her like a tidal wave. With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself upright, her dreams of escape fading into the darkness as she resigned herself to another day of servitude and suffering.
As Selene stirred from her dreamlike state, her lips parted to call out the names of her stepsisters, but the words caught in her throat as she met their smirking gazes. "Amara, Lysandra," she began, her voice soft yet tinged with defiance. "Why would you...?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Amara, the eldest stepsister, scoffed disdainfully, her lips curling into a sneer.
"Do you dare to question us, little mouse?" she spat, her tone dripping with venom. "You should be grateful for the scraps we allow you to have."
Lysandra, the younger and more impetuous of the two, echoed her sister's sentiment with a haughty toss of her head. "You're lucky we even bother to acknowledge your existence," she declared, her voice laced with thinly veiled contempt.
"You're nothing but a burden to us."Selene's heart sank at their cruel words, but she refused to let them see her falter.
Gathering her courage, she squared her shoulders and met their gazes head-on. "I am not your servant," she said, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her insides. "I am your sister, and I deserve to be treated with respect."
But her defiance only seemed to further enrage her stepsisters, their pride wounded by her audacity. With a swift motion, Amara raised her hand and delivered a stinging slap across Selene's cheek, the sound echoing through the room like a crack of thunder."How dare you speak to us in such a manner!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anger. "You will learn your place, little sister, or suffer the consequences."
As Selene stood trembling, tears still glistening in her eyes from the sting of her stepsisters' slap, a cold voice cut through the tension like a knife. It was her stepmother, a woman whose name Selene dared not speak, for it carried with it the weight of her oppression.
"Amara, Lysandra," her stepmother began, her voice dripping with disdain as she regarded Selene with a look of pure contempt. "Don't bother with this trash. She's not worth your time."
Selene felt her heart sink even further at the cruel words, but she dared not meet her stepmother's gaze, knowing that to do so would only invite further scorn and derision.
With a dismissive wave of her hand, her stepmother turned her attention back to her daughters, her voice cold and calculating. "Go and prepare yourselves for school," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. "And make sure you look your best. We can't have anyone thinking you're anything less than perfect."
The twins, eager to please their mother and bask in her approval, scurried off without a second glance at Selene, leaving her alone with the weight of their disdain bearing down upon her.
With a heavy heart, Selene turned her attention to the task at hand, preparing breakfast for her family with hands that trembled with both fear and resentment. But even as she worked, she couldn't shake the feeling of being less than, unworthy of the love and affection that seemed to come so easily to others.
As she placed the last dish on the table, Selene felt a pang of sadness wash over her at the sight of her stepsisters, their faces adorned with makeup and their uniforms pristine and perfect. And when they caught her staring, their laughter cut through the air like a knife, their mocking voices echoing in her ears.
But it was the sound of another set of footsteps descending the stairs that brought Selene's heart to a halt. She knew without looking that it was her father, a man whose presence had become little more than a distant memory in her fractured family. And as he entered the room, her eyes flickered with a mix of sadness and resignation, Selene couldn't help but wonder what had become of the man who had once promised to protect her from the cruelty of the world.