The royal guards approached, seizing her and forcefully escorting her to the dungeon. Sera's gaze fixated on the floor, disbelief washing over her as she tried to come to terms with the unfolding events.
Thrown into a dimly lit cell, she huddled in a corner, consumed by sobs. She knew all too well that they would eventually throw her through a portal leading to Exiloria a desolate island reserved for the empire's most wretched criminals.
Lost in despair, an unexpected occurrence disrupted her misery. A radiant light filled the cell, revealing the presence of an older woman.
Despite the blurry image, Sera could make out the figure of a woman. Her hair was white, and her vibrant violet eyes were locked onto her.
In a soothing voice, the woman addressed her, "Child, I deeply regret your plight. While I am unable to directly intervene due to the constraints of certain rules, soon my champion will arrive in this world. Aylla, I need you to help him."
Sera, perplexed, murmured, "Help your champion? Who is he?"
The woman nodded, affirming her understanding. "You and your mother are descendants of a rare dragon bloodline, believed to have perished during the last Dragon-Human War. To my astonishment, a sole survivor escaped the carnage."
Pausing for a moment, she scrutinized the girl standing before her before resuming her words. "You possess a remarkable resemblance to her. Your ancestor was one of the wives of the last dragon king, who wholeheartedly devoted herself to him despite his indifference towards her."
Sera's eyebrows raised upon hearing the woman's words, sparking her curiosity. She couldn't help but wonder about the woman's identity, so she asked, "Who are you?"
The woman giggled in response and replied, "Well, let's just say that in the future, we may become more acquainted. However, whether that comes to pass or not is in his hands. I hold no sway in such matters."
Drawing nearer to Sera, the woman crouched down and continued speaking. "The road ahead will be challenging, but once he locates you, he will shower you with love and care beyond measure. I have been observing him for a while, and he appears to be a wonderful young man who knows how to cherish those who love him, unlike the clueless fool before him. This boy will possess the power to topple empires and kingdoms for your sake. Just ask, and it shall be done."
Sera nodded eagerly, filled with anticipation to meet him. Suddenly, the woman's finger made contact with her forehead, and a peculiar sensation surged through her being, causing her to lose consciousness.
As she slipped into the depths of unconsciousness, Sera caught one final sentence from the woman. "Little Aylla, I shall redirect the portal and guide him to where you are. He will require your aid in the years to come.''
The woman let out a wistful sigh, her beautiful face adorned with a trace of loneliness.
Speaking softly to herself, she murmured, "May the boy make the right choice this time. Those who came before him never did."
Days passed by as Sera languished in her cell, surviving solely on bread and water, while she awaited the arrival of the Spellcaster who would set up the portal.
One day, her father's first wife appeared, wearing a sly smirk as she gazed down upon her, speaking with a malicious tone.
"Look at what we have here. The once-celebrated seventh princess, the prodigy of the Coya family, has plummeted from grace."
The woman erupted into laughter, her voice saturated with arrogance. "Ah, it seems our little scheme worked to perfection. I truly doubted he would believe the concocted evidence, but to my delight, he fell for it, aided by a few carefully crafted words from yours truly."
As the woman continued to boast about her plans after Sera's banishment, she chose to tune her out, instead pondering what the mysterious boy would be like.
Before long, fatigue overtook her, and she drifted into a slumber.
Suddenly, she was jolted awake by the thunderous sound of a heavy door slamming shut. Lifting her gaze, she observed two guards approaching her cell with stern expressions.
With an audible click, the lock was undone, and the guards forcefully pulled her out, leading her toward the chamber designated for the rituals.
In a matter of minutes, she found herself standing in a chamber fashioned from dark stone, encircled by those she once considered her family.
She was thrown to the center of the room, surrounded by the familiar faces that now seemed so distant.
Her father stepped forward, his words resonating with undeniable grief, yet carrying a subtle tone of pleading. "Aylla, please just confess to everything, and I will revoke the banishment. We can help you."
Sera lifted her gaze, her eyes burning with a seething hatred directed at her father. "I am innocent! Your first wife has tainted you against me, a mere 16-year-old girl who still attends the academy. But remember this Kavi, one day I will return to the Empire, and seek revenge for the injustice I have suffered and everything you hold dear will burn."
One of the guards moved to strike her, but the emperor intervened stopping him, his eyes filled with sorrow. "So be it. Prepare the portal; she shall be sent to Exiloria."
The royal Spellcaster began chanting, and a shimmering blue portal materialized. Without hesitation, Sera rose to her feet and approached the portal.
However, before stepping through, Sera turned to face the man who she had idolized all her life, the man she had strived to make proud.
As she looked into his eyes, she could sense his reluctance and the influence of his first wife's venomous words.
Her final words were directed at her father, just as her mother rushed into the room, consumed by panic.
"I did nothing but strive to make you proud, yet you allowed a jealous, spiteful and petty woman to poison your mind simply because she wants her worthless son to inherit your throne."
Sera's mother turned to her father, pleading, "Kavi! You know she is not a promiscuous girl and despises all forms of evil. All she ever did was try to make you proud."
But he disregarded his other wife's words and gazed at his daughter, who stared back at him with eyes brimming with hatred as she stepped through the portal.
As she passed through, her body underwent a remarkable transformation, diminishing in size until she transformed into a red fairy dragon.
She found herself in the depths of the Blackwood Jungle, years before Archer would venture into its embrace.
Over time, she adjusted to her new form and began to embrace her new life. She started her long wait for the boy who the woman spoke about.
[Coya Empire 2 years later]
Emperor Kavi sat upon his throne, consumed by remorse for what he had done to his youngest daughter ever since the day she stared at him with pure hatred in her eyes.
He let out a sigh, his confidence in the evidence waning as the nobles grew increasingly unruly since her banishment.
It took him two years to harbor suspicions, prompting him to dispatch his spies to infiltrate noble households throughout the empire in search of any crucial information.
General Amaruq Windwalker, Kavi's head of intelligence, entered the throne room with a pallid complexion. He approached the emperor and bowed respectfully before speaking.
"My Emperor, I have vital information to convey, though it may distress you."
Kavi gazed at his trusted general and nodded, signaling for him to proceed. The man cleared his throat and began to speak.
"After a year of investigations and numerous interrogations, we have reached the conclusion that the princess was entirely innocent of all the accusations leveled against her. They originated from Duke Huayna Capac, the father of Empress Xochitl. They acquired Shadowcraft items from the black market. We have dispatched a large Spellcaster force to Exiloria in search of her, but I hold little hope of her discovery."
When the emperor received such news, his heart shattered, realizing that he had impulsively banished his own flesh and blood in a fit of anger.
Now, she was either dead or subjected to an even worse fate on an island teeming with criminals.
He couldn't blame anyone but himself. Anger surged within him, and he rose from his seat, summoning his guards. "Guards!"
A dozen men swiftly assembled before him, kneeling as he spoke. "Arrest the first empress, her children, and the entire lineage of Duke Huayna. Throw them in the dungeon!''
He turned to his General, issuing another command before departing the hall. "Dispatch the imperial army to Exiloria and locate the princess!"
Kavi walked down the corridor, memories of Aylla's childhood flooding his mind. He recalled how she always sought to please him, and how admirably she succeeded.
A tear trickled down his cheek as he entered his study, sinking into his chair. He opened a drawer, retrieved a mana crystal, and activated it.
A video played, depicting Aylla's intense training as she strived to master her Infernomancy—a sight that filled him with immense pride.
Now, all he could do was live with the regret of what he had done. None of his wives held warmth towards him anymore. With the exception of one, they all believed him to be cruel for what he had done.
Sera found herself in the jungle and survived for two years until one fateful day when a group of Junglebanes (Jaguars) began chasing her through the dense foliage.
Desperately fleeing, she found herself trapped in a tree as she couldn't fly anymore due to exhaustion. It was then that she caught sight of him, the boy destined to save her.
With his long white hair and captivating violet eyes, he resembled the woman who had once aided her.
She remained motionless until he approached, and from that moment onward, their destinies intertwined.
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