The lit prison cell was silent except for the soft sound of Raiden and Ash breathing. Ash leaned against the cold stone wall, his body still sore despite the healing magic. Raiden sat cross-legged on the floor, his back straight, staring at the bars. His stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence.
"Three days without food, and now we're here, locked up in this strange place," Raiden muttered, shaking his head.
Ash chuckled weakly, his voice barely audible. "Could be worse. At least the princess is hot."
Before Raiden could reply, the sound of soft footsteps echoed down the corridor. The two looked up as Astrid approached, carrying a wooden tray with plates of steaming food. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled in the faint light, but her expression carried a weight of sadness.
"I figured you two might be starving," she said softly, opening the cell and giving then food. "It's not much, but it'll do."
Raiden grabbed the food without hesitation, handing a plate to Ash. "Thank you," he said, his voice genuine.
Ash stared at her for a moment before muttering, "You're a lifesaver, princess." He took a bite, sighing in relief.
Astrid chuckled lightly but then turned serious. "You're not like the others who've come to this island. You don't seem like threats. So, why did you come here?"
Raiden wiped his mouth, his gaze meeting hers. "We were lost at sea, looking for food and a place to heal him." He pointed at Ash. "He was poisoned, and we had no choice but to come here."
Astrid nodded but then looked down, her hands fidgeting. "I need to ask you something."
Raiden tilted his head. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to stay on this island," Astrid said, her voice trembling. She looked up, her eyes filled with pain. "I've been trapped here my whole life. My father—he's the king—he keeps me locked away because of something that happened when I was little."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Locked away? What could a princess possibly do to deserve that?"
Astrid took a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists. "It's not what I did. It's what was done to me."
Raiden and Ash stayed quiet, sensing the heaviness in her words.
"A few years ago," Astrid began, "some outsiders came to this island. At first, everything seemed fine. They were friendly, blending in with our people. But one day, they snapped. They started attacking everyone—killing, destroying. My father and his guards fought them off, but so many people died. My father was forced to kill every last one of them."
Raiden frowned. "That must've been terrible."
Astrid nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. "It didn't end there. A few years later, a woman with white hair came to the island. She wore a dark cloak, and her presence felt... strange. She approached me one day when I was out of the palace and introduced herself. She was kind, gentle even. She said she wanted to meet my father."
Ash leaned forward. "And? What happened?"
"I trusted her," Astrid said, her voice breaking. "I brought her to the palace and told her to wait while I asked my father if she could come inside. But before I could return, we heard a loud crash. She had forced her way in, with the head of one of the guard and the dead body of the other . Her cloak fell, and my father recognized her immediately. She was his sister—Lyra."
Raiden's eyes widened. "His sister?"
Astrid nodded. "She had been separated from him at birth because she was a user of dark magic. My father told me he had promised to find her, but he never did. She suffered because of that promise—tortured, abused, hunted. When she finally escaped, she came here to take revenge."
Her hands trembled as she continued. "She attacked my father, but his personal guard shielded him and was killed instantly. My older brother tried to protect him, but Lyra was too powerful. She looked at my father with tears in her eyes and said, 'You left me to suffer. Now, I'll make you suffer.' Then she grabbed me."
Ash's jaw tightened. "Then what did she do?"
Astrid's voice dropped to a whisper. "She cursed me. She said, 'If I can't destroy you, your daughter will.' Her dark magic flowed into me, tainting me who was born with no magic yet adored. Then she ran away my father tried to follow her but my mother stopped him because of the screams I let out when the dark magic burned through me. Since that day, I've been forbidden to leave the palace. My magic—her magic—has made me an outcast, even to my own family."
Raiden clenched his fists. "That's horrible. You've been punished for something that wasn't your fault."
Astrid's expression hardened. "I want to find her. I want to kill her for what she's done to me. If I haven't been to trustful I w I would have been free. But I can't do it alone, I can't kill her alone."
Raiden's eyes lit up with determination. "Then we'll help you. but if we help you will you join my crew to help stop slavery "
Ash groaned, rubbing his head. "You're always volunteering for dangerous things, Raiden."
Raiden smirked. "You'd do the same if it were me."
"What a hassle" Ash replied to him
Astrid looked at them, her lips curving into a small smile for the first time. "Help me, and I'll join your crew. I'll leave this island behind forever."
Ash sighed. "Great. This is one heck of a risky adventure. And this one involves magic. Wonderful."
Raiden laughed, clapping him on the back. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
Astrid extended her hand to them. "Thank you... both of you."
Raiden shook her hand firmly. "We'll get your freedom back. I promise."
Ash muttered under his breath, "This is gonna be a nightmare."
Astrid smiled softly. For the first time in years, she felt a glimmer of hope.