Prologue: The Dream
The forest had no beginning and no end.
Visi ran barefoot along a narrow path woven between towering trees whose ancient branches stretched high above her like the arms of silent guardians. The air was cool against her skin, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and wildflowers she could never quite name.
Moonlight filtered through the canopy in shifting patterns of silver and shadow, illuminating the path just enough for her to continue.
She had walked this forest a thousand times before.
Or perhaps she had only dreamed it.
Ahead of her, nestled among the trees, stood the hut.
Its familiar silhouette sent a shiver through her.
The thatched roof.
The weathered wooden walls.
The soft glow of firelight dancing through the small window.
Every night, it waited for her.
Every night, she searched for answers within its shadows.
And every night, she failed.
"Wait!"
Her voice echoed through the stillness.
The figure walking ahead of her did not stop.
Tall and broad-shouldered, he moved with the quiet confidence of someone who knew the forest well. Though she had never seen his face, she recognized the steady rhythm of his footsteps and the strange sense of safety that accompanied his presence.
"Please," she called again, her breath growing ragged as she hurried after him. "Who are you?"
The figure continued forward.
Frustration tightened in her chest.
Years of dreams.
Years of questions.
Years of waking with the lingering ache of something important slipping through her fingers.
She refused to let him disappear again.
Gathering the folds of her dress, Visi pushed herself harder, weaving through roots and low-hanging branches as she chased the retreating silhouette.
"Please!" she cried.
For the first time...
the figure stopped.
The forest fell silent.
The rustling leaves grew still.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Visi's heart pounded painfully against her ribs.
Slowly, the figure began to turn.
Disbelief rooted her to the spot.
No.
This had never happened before.
Her pulse quickened as moonlight touched familiar hands, strong shoulders, and the outline of a face she had spent years trying to imagine.
Then his eyes met hers.
Warm brown eyes.
Ancient and gentle.
Filled with sorrow.
Recognition surged through her with startling force, powerful enough to steal the breath from her lungs.
She knew him.
She knew him.
Even though she had never seen him before.
Behind him, the hut burst into brilliant flames.
Visi gasped.
The fire rose toward the heavens, illuminating the forest in shades of gold and crimson. Yet instead of fear, an overwhelming sense of longing flooded her heart.
The man took a single step toward her.
Then another.
His lips parted as though he meant to say something.
"Visi."
The sound of her name on his tongue shattered the dream.
She awoke with a sharp intake of breath.
Moonlight streamed through the open windows of her chamber, bathing the room in pale silver.
Her heart hammered wildly as she sat upright in bed.
The doors flew open.
"Princess!"
Nayah rushed inside, followed closely by two startled maids.
"Are you alright?" Nayah asked, kneeling beside her.
Visi stared at trembling hands resting atop her blankets.
For a long moment, she could not speak.
The warmth of those familiar eyes still lingered in her mind.
The echo of her name still resonated deep within her soul.
When she finally looked up, tears glistened in her eyes.
"He turned," she whispered.
Nayah frowned.
"What?"
Visi pressed a hand against her racing heart.
Her voice trembled with equal parts fear and wonder.
"He finally turned."
