Nevare and her entourage arrived just as the sun emerged, casting light on the high walls of Heles City. They reached the East Gate, the only gate connecting Heles to the Bog Forest.
This was the same gate where Nevare, once known as Anna, had waited for her friends to hunt red bear cubs in the Bog Forest.
Nevare could still spot the bayan tree where she had stood, waiting with a frustrated expression. She remembered that moment vividly, as if she could see it with her own eyes.
But the young girl with short white hair was gone, replaced by an adult woman with long silver hair.
The tomboy who had dreamed of becoming a powerful mage known throughout the ages had vanished. In her place stood a grand queen whose purpose was to ensure the glory of her species.