The sky was overcast as Elaria stepped into the old antique shop, escaping the light drizzle outside. It wasn't a place she had ever visited before, yet something about it pulled her in, as if an unseen force was guiding her.
She wandered between shelves filled with ancient books, vintage jewelry, and peculiar artifacts, until her eyes landed on a small wooden box engraved with strange symbols. Curious, she reached out and slowly opened it, revealing a silver ring adorned with a dark blue gemstone that seemed to swirl with an inner light.
"Beautiful…" she whispered, holding it up to the light.
"An interesting choice," came a rough voice from behind her. She turned to see an old shopkeeper watching her with piercing gray eyes. "That ring carries an old tale. They say it is tied to the fate of its wearer."
Elaria scoffed, amused. "Just a myth, right?"
The old man didn't respond, only staring at her in silence.
Without much thought, she slipped the ring onto her middle finger. The moment it settled, a strange sensation shot through her—like a jolt of electricity running through her veins. She tried to pull it off, but it clung tightly to her skin.
"What the…?" she murmured, but before she could react, the world around her started to spin. The lights dimmed, the walls melted away like a fading painting, and the shopkeeper's voice faded into nothingness.
Then... everything went black.
★
She woke to the sound of murmurs and hushed voices.
Slowly, she moved, feeling a strange heaviness in her body. She was no longer in the shop. Instead, she found herself lying on an enormous bed in an opulent chamber, decorated with velvet curtains and glittering golden chandeliers.
"Where… am I?" she whispered, sitting up slowly.
Before she could make sense of her surroundings, the door suddenly burst open, and a group of servants rushed in. But instead of excitement or joy… they all froze in place, eyes wide with shock as if they had seen a ghost.
"Impossible…" one of the maids whispered, her hands trembling as she covered her mouth.
"This… this cannot be real!" another servant muttered, his voice shaking with disbelief.
An elderly man, seemingly the head servant, stepped forward hesitantly, his stunned gaze locked onto her. "Your Majesty…?!"
My majesty?!
What the hell is going on?