Once Upon a Slightly Ridiculous Time
In a small but vibrant village at the edge of the kingdom, Layla leaned against the wooden railing of her tiny, chaotic home. The scent of ash and burnt bread wafted through the air. Her stepsisters—Klara and Margo—were inside, screaming bloody murder over a botched potion experiment.
Their mother, the ever-dramatic Lady Eliza, was busy practicing fake swoons for some ball she wasn't invited to yet.
Layla rolled her eyes. Her black hair with purple streaks shone in the sunlight, and her leather boots thudded against the porch as she turned away from the noise.
She'd tried to leave this madhouse at least three times that week, but something always dragged her back—namely, the ridiculous debts her father had left behind before mysteriously vanishing with a circus troupe.