The guards instinctively stepped aside, their movements synchronized as if they had rehearsed this moment a thousand times. Their eyes widened with a mixture of awe and fear, for they knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the woman who stood before them was no ordinary person.
She was not someone they had expected. They were well-versed in the identity of most, if not all, of the powerful figures who walked the earth, but this—this woman was different. While other kingdoms remained oblivious to the identities of the Twelve Patrons, those in the Church revered them as living legends, figures of myth and power. They longed to be chosen, to be marked by the Patrons, for even a fleeting moment in their presence was considered an honor.
But Kiara—Kiara was the head. The one who led them all.
