The village square fell silent.
Everyone stared at Elisa.
The royal messenger’s finger remained pointed at her hand.
“The mark…” he whispered.
Elisa quickly hid her hand behind her back.
“What mark?” she asked.
The messenger stepped forward.
“The Silver Crown.”
Fear appeared in his eyes.
The villagers began whispering.
“The Silver Crown?”
“Isn’t that part of the prophecy?”
“I heard it disappeared hundreds of years ago.”
Rose grabbed Elisa’s arm.
“We should leave.”
For once, Lily did not joke.
She nodded seriously.
“Definitely leave.”
The messenger opened his mouth again.
Then a loud voice interrupted him.
“ELISA!”
A young man sprinted through the crowd.
His black hair was a complete mess.
His shirt was half untucked.
He looked like someone who had run through three forests and a river.
Raphael.
Elisa immediately smiled.
Raphael stopped in front of her, breathing heavily.
“You—”
Pant.
“You—”
Pant.
“Need to stop causing trouble!”
Elisa blinked.
“Hello to you too.”
The crowd relaxed slightly.
Everyone knew Raphael.
He was the village blacksmith’s son.
Kind.
Reliable.
And completely in love with Elisa.
Not that he tried very hard to hide it.
Raphael looked at the messenger.
“Why is everyone staring at my girlfriend?”
The villagers exchanged looks.
The messenger frowned.
“Your girlfriend bears the Silver Crown Mark.”
Raphael turned to Elisa.
Elisa waved awkwardly.
“Surprise?”
Raphael stared.
Then he nodded.
“Okay.”
The messenger looked shocked.
“Okay?”
“Yes.”
“That is all?”
Raphael shrugged.
“I once saw her argue with a chicken for twenty minutes.
A magical mark isn’t even in the top ten strangest things she’s done.”
Lily burst out laughing.
Rose covered her face.
Elisa looked offended.
“The chicken started it.”
The tension broke.
Several villagers laughed.
Even the messenger looked confused.
How was everyone so calm?
Then the ground suddenly shook.
BOOM!
The laughter disappeared.
Another explosion echoed from the edge of the village.
Smoke rose into the sky.
People screamed.
“What happened?”
“Run!”
The messenger’s face turned pale.
“No.”
He looked toward the forest.
“They found her already.”
Elisa felt her stomach drop.
“Who found me?”
Before he could answer, a dark figure emerged from the trees.
Then another.
And another.
Black armor.
Red cloaks.
Silver swords.
There were at least twenty of them.
The villagers stepped back in fear.
The messenger whispered one name.
“Shadow Knights.”
The soldiers stopped at the village entrance.
Their leader removed his helmet.
A scar crossed his face.
Cold eyes swept across the crowd.
Finally, he found Elisa.
“There she is.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Elisa took a step back.
The man smiled.
“The First Crownless King sends his greetings.”
The villagers gasped.
Everyone knew the First Crownless King.
Lord Darius.
The ruler of the Northern Lands.
The strongest of the seven Kings of No Throne.
Why would someone like that care about Elisa?
The answer terrified everyone.
Because she mattered.
The knight raised his sword.
“Hand over the girl.”
Nobody moved.
“Hand over the girl,” he repeated.
Still nobody moved.
Raphael stepped forward.
The knight laughed.
“And who are you?”
Raphael swallowed nervously.
Then he stood straighter.
“I’m Raphael.”
The knight waited.
Raphael blinked.
“That’s it.”
The knight looked disappointed.
“Not a warrior?”
“No.”
“A mage?”
“No.”
“A noble?”
“No.”
The knight smirked.
“Then move.”
Raphael tightened his fists.
“No.”
Elisa’s eyes widened.
He was scared.
Everyone could see it.
But he stayed where he was.
The knight’s smile vanished.
“Interesting.”
A dangerous aura spread from him.
The air itself seemed heavier.
The villagers struggled to breathe.
Several fell to their knees.
The knight pointed his sword at Raphael.
“Last chance.”
Raphael did not move.
Neither did Elisa.
The knight sighed.
“Very well.”
He vanished.
A moment later he appeared directly in front of Raphael.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Elisa screamed.
“Raphael!”
The sword flashed.
But before it could strike—
A brilliant silver light exploded from Elisa’s hand.
The Crown Mark blazed like a star.
The entire village shook.
The Shadow Knights were thrown backward.
The clouds above split apart.
A giant silver crown appeared in the sky.
Every person in the kingdom saw it.
Kings.
Generals.
Mages.
Assassins.
All of them.
Far away, inside seven different castles, seven rulers rose from their thrones.
Their faces were filled with shock.
The prophecy was true.
The heir had awakened.
And now the whole kingdom knew where she was.
Elisa stared at the glowing crown above her head.
The voice returned.
Clearer than before.
Find the Empty Throne.
Before they find you.
Then the light vanished.
Silence covered the village.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because everyone understood the same thing.
A war for the throne had just begun.