Chapter 4

Zypharain had never known true freedom—until now.

The moment she stepped beyond the borders of Oaky, a strange feeling coursed through her. For the first time in her life, she wasn't being watched, guarded, or controlled.

But she was not safe.

Her father, King Veylan, would not let her go so easily. His reach extended far beyond Oaky, and she knew his soldiers would already be searching for her.

She had only one choice: to flee to Rafina.

Rafina was the only realm where she could hide and learn to control her power. It was home to the seers and mermaids, beings of ancient magic. If anyone could teach her about the KURAT, it was them.

The journey was dangerous.

She traveled through the Wildlands, a vast expanse of untamed forests and desolate plains that separated Oaky from the rest of the realms.

Here, the land was lawless. Bandits, rogue sorcerers, and creatures of the night lurked in the shadows.

Zypharain kept her Veilstone close, using its magic to mask her presence. But the deeper she traveled, the more she felt something watching her.

One night, as she rested beneath the twisted roots of an ancient tree, a presence emerged from the darkness.

A figure stepped into the moonlight—a hunter clad in black armor, his eyes glowing red.

"You must be worth a fortune," he said, his voice like rusted metal. "A runaway princess… your father will pay handsomely for your return."

Zypharain's heart pounded.

She had no sword, no army, no allies.

But she had her magic.

The hunter lunged, and she reacted on instinct.

A wave of golden energy erupted from her hands, striking him with a force that sent him crashing into a tree.

He groaned but did not rise.

Zypharain stared at her hands, trembling. The power had acted on its own.

She had never used it like that before. It felt… alive.

She had no time to think. She ran—faster than she ever had before.

After days of exhaustion, hunger, and near captures, Zypharain finally saw it—the rivers of Rafina, glowing under the morning sun.

She had reached the realm of seers and mermaids.

But as she stepped forward, a strange energy pulsed through the air.

A voice echoed in her mind—soft, yet commanding.

"The lost one has arrived."

Zypharain froze.

She wasn't alone.

And she was expected.

***

Rafina was unlike anything Zypharain had ever seen.

Its skies shimmered with a soft golden glow, and its waters—clear as glass—reflected the light of an unseen force. The realm pulsed with ancient magic, a power that felt both familiar and foreign.

She had barely crossed the border when figures cloaked in silver robes emerged from the mist.

Their eyes—pale and luminescent—held no hostility, but their presence sent a shiver down her spine.

"You are the one we have foreseen," one of them spoke, their voice layered as if many voices spoke at once.

"The lost daughter of Oaky. The bearer of KURAT."

The seers were known throughout the realms as keepers of time and fate. They could see beyond the present—into the past, the future, and the hidden paths between.

Few had ever met them.

Even fewer had ever been allowed into their sacred city.

Yet Zypharain was led through the gates without question.

The city of Rain, one of Rafina's three great nations, was a marvel of magic. Floating spires carved from crystal rose into the sky, and the very air hummed with energy.

Zypharain felt small yet powerful—as if the realm itself was recognizing her presence.

In the heart of Rain, the seers brought Zypharain before an ancient altar.

Above it, golden symbols burned in the air, shifting and changing like a living script.

A hooded figure stepped forward. Unlike the others, their voice was singular, sharp.

"You seek to control what is already yours," the elder seer said.

"You run from your father, but you cannot run from your fate."

Zypharain's fists clenched. "Then tell me what my fate is."

The elder seer raised a hand, and suddenly, the world around her twisted.

Zypharain gasped as visions filled her mind.

She saw a great war, a battle that tore the sky apart. Two figures stood at its center—one bathed in golden fire, the other cloaked in shadows.

She saw a throne of blood, her father's voice echoing like thunder.

And then—Wendall.

A girl she had never seen before, yet somehow felt connected to.

"You are one of two," the elder seer whispered. "You cannot win this war alone."

Zypharain staggered back, her breath heavy. "Who is she?"

"You will find her," the seer replied. "When the time is right."

The visions faded, but something inside Zypharain had changed.

The seers had shown her a glimpse of what was to come, but more importantly, they had given her a choice—to embrace her power or be consumed by it.

As a final act, the elder seer placed a silver pendant around her neck.

"This will guide you when the path is unclear," they said. "But be warned—fate is never set in stone."

Zypharain bowed her head.

She had come to Rafina seeking refuge.

But what she found was a destiny she could no longer ignore.

***

The rivers of Rafina were unlike any in the other realms. Their waters glowed softly at night, pulsing with an ancient energy. They were connected to something far greater—the Depths of Fusha, home to the mermaids.

After leaving the Seers of Rain, Zypharain traveled eastward, following the pull of her pendant. The elder seer had given it to her, but she still didn't fully understand its purpose.

"It will guide you when the path is unclear," the elder had said.

Now, it tugged at her like a whisper in the wind, drawing her closer to the waters of Fusha.

As she reached the shoreline, a mist rolled in, thick and shimmering.

Then, the water stirred.

A figure rose from the depths, her silver hair flowing like waves, her eyes glowing a deep sapphire blue. More figures followed, their scales catching the moonlight, their presence both beautiful and eerie.

They were the mermaids of Fusha—keepers of the Deep Magic, and the watchers of fate.

The lead mermaid studied Zypharain carefully before speaking.

"You are the child of KURAT," she said, her voice carrying across the waves.

"You should not have come."

Zypharain frowned. "The seers sent me here."

The mermaid's eyes darkened. "The seers only see. We know."

With a flick of her hand, the water between them rippled, forming a mirror.

Zypharain stiffened.

In the reflection, she saw herself—but not as she was now.

Her hands were stained with blood, her eyes burning with golden fire. Around her, the realms lay in ruins, their skies blackened by war.

And at the center of it all—a man cloaked in shadow.

"Tyoran."

The name slipped from her lips before she even knew it.

The lead mermaid nodded. "The leader of the Owner of the Night. He seeks what you have. He will tear the realms apart to claim it."

Zypharain clenched her fists. "Then I'll stop him."

The mermaid laughed softly, but there was no humor in it.

"You still do not understand, child. You are not just fighting Tyoran."

She waved her hand again, and the vision changed.

Zypharain saw herself standing before a throne—but it was not Tyoran she faced.

It was her father.

King Veylan.

His eyes burned with the same golden fire as hers, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

"I will use you, Zypharain," his voice echoed. "Or I will destroy you."

Zypharain staggered back. The air felt colder.

Her father was still hunting her. And if Tyoran sought KURAT… then he and Veylan were on a collision course.

And she was caught in the middle.

The mermaid's voice softened.

"The tides of fate are shifting, Zypharain. Two forces will try to claim you."

"One will seek to use you."

"The other will seek to break you."

"But the third… the third will stand beside you."

Zypharain's breath hitched. "The third?"

The mermaid nodded. "She comes from the realm of men. She is like you, yet different."

Zypharain's heart pounded.

The girl from her visions.

Wendall.

Before she could ask more, the mermaids began to fade into the mist.

"Go now, child of KURAT. The waters have spoken."

Then, the waves swallowed the visions, and the mermaids were gone.

Zypharain stood at the edge of the shore, the warning echoing in her mind.

She was no longer just running from her father.

She was running toward something greater.

But now she had a choice.

Would she hide from her fate?

Or would she face the storm head-on?

With a deep breath, Zypharain turned away from the sea.

She had a war to prepare for.