The Shattered Realms

Chapter 2 - The Royal Hunt

The morning of the Royal Hunt arrived beneath a sky the color of pale silver.

From the eastern hills, mist drifted slowly through the trees, covering the valleys like a thin veil. Beyond the walls of the royal hunting grounds, the forests stretched endlessly, their ancient trees standing like silent guardians over secrets no living person could remember.

For the nobles, however, it was a day of celebration.

Horns sounded throughout the royal grounds.

Horses stamped impatiently against the earth as servants hurried between the stables and the gathering field. Bright banners bearing the emblems of noble houses fluttered in the morning wind.

Selerin stood among the servants near the edge of the field, carrying a basket of folded cloth.

She had been awake since before dawn.

The Royal Hunt was not an event meant for someone like her.

She was there to serve.

Nothing more.

She kept her head lowered as nobles passed by, their embroidered robes sweeping over the grass. Their laughter filled the air as they spoke about horses, weapons, hunting routes, and the prizes that would be claimed before sunset.

Selerin listened without interest.

She had never understood why people found pleasure in chasing frightened creatures through the forest.

She was about to turn away when the sound of approaching horses silenced the nearby conversations.

The royal guards entered first.

Their armor gleamed beneath the morning light.

Then came the generals.

And among them rode a man dressed in dark military armor.

Selerin stopped.

General Feli Ruiz.

She had seen him before.

But somehow, seeing him among the royal hunting party felt different.

He sat upon a black stallion with the calm authority of someone accustomed to commanding armies. His expression was unreadable, his posture straight, his eyes constantly moving across the gathering grounds.

Then his gaze stopped.

On her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Selerin felt something strange in her chest.

Not fear.

Not exactly.

It was a feeling she couldn't name.

As if she had seen those eyes long ago.

Feli's expression changed almost imperceptibly.

He had noticed something.

Something about her.

Before Selerin could understand what, a servant called her name.

She quickly lowered her eyes.

"Come."

She turned away.

Behind her, Feli continued watching.

He did not know why.

But something about the young woman unsettled a memory buried deep within him.

A memory of another time.

A child.

A prince.

A promise.

And a symbol he had sworn never to forget.

The hunting horns sounded again.

The Royal Hunt had begun.

---

Hours later, the forest had swallowed the sounds of the royal grounds.

Selerin had been sent to deliver supplies to one of the smaller hunting camps.

She followed a narrow trail between the trees, carrying a small bundle against her chest.

The forest was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

She stopped when she heard the sound of hooves.

A horse emerged from between the trees.

It was frightened.

Its eyes were wide, its breathing uneven.

"Ssh..."

Selerin slowly approached.

"It's all right."

The horse suddenly turned and ran.

Selerin instinctively followed.

"Wait!"

She ran after it.

Branches scratched against her sleeves as she moved deeper into the forest.

Only after several minutes did she realize something.

She no longer knew where she was.

The sounds of the hunt had disappeared.

There were no horns.

No voices.

No horses.

Only the wind.

Selerin slowed.

A strange coldness passed through the trees.

She looked around.

"Hello?"

No answer.

Then she heard something.

A soft sound.

A single step.

Selerin turned.

Between the ancient trees stood a white stag.

Its antlers were enormous, branching like silver against the dark forest.

It watched her.

Selerin forgot how to breathe.

The creature did not run.

Instead, it slowly walked toward her.

One step.

Then another.

Selerin instinctively stepped backward.

But the stag lowered its head.

And then-

It knelt.

Selerin stared.

"What... are you?"

A sudden warmth spread across her chest.

She looked down.

The hidden mark beneath her clothing burned against her skin.

She gasped.

Light slipped through the fabric.

The forest became unnaturally still.

The stag lifted its head.

For a moment, Selerin heard a voice.

Not from the trees.

Not from the creature.

From somewhere inside her own mind.

Find her.

Selerin froze.

"Who?"

The light disappeared.

The stag suddenly turned toward the deeper forest.

Then it vanished between the trees.

"S-stop!"

Selerin ran after it.

But before she could take more than a few steps, another voice came from behind her.

"Don't move."

Selerin stopped.

She knew that voice.

Slowly, she turned.

General Feli Ruiz stood several paces away.

His hand rested near the sword at his side.

But he wasn't looking at her.

He was looking at the place where the stag had disappeared.

Then his eyes fell upon Selerin.

More specifically-

the faint glow beneath her clothing.

Feli's face went pale.

"Where did you get that?"

Selerin instinctively covered the mark.

"I don't know."

"Show me."

"No."

His expression hardened.

"Selerin."

She stared at him.

He had never spoken her name like that before.

Almost as though he had been searching for it.

"What is it?" she asked.

Feli took a slow breath.

"That symbol..."

He looked toward the forest.

Then back at her.

"I haven't seen it in seventeen years."

Selerin's heart began to pound.

"What does it mean?"

Feli said nothing.

Because he already knew.

The symbol belonged to the Royal Yin family.

A family that the world believed had vanished from the political stage.

A family whose bloodline was never supposed to appear here.

A family connected to the prince who had once saved Feli's life.

The prince who had never become king.

Feli looked at Selerin again.

For the first time, a terrifying possibility entered his mind.

But he refused to speak it aloud.

Not yet.

"You need to forget what happened here," he said.

Selerin frowned.

"How can I forget something I don't understand?"

"Because there are people who would kill you for knowing."

Silence fell between them.

Selerin stared at him.

"Why would anyone want to kill me?"

Feli didn't answer.

Instead, he stepped closer.

"From this moment forward, you tell no one about the stag."

"And the mark?"

His eyes lowered briefly.

"Especially the mark."

Selerin felt anger rising inside her.

"You know something."

Feli remained silent.

"You know who I am."

His eyes met hers.

For one heartbeat, something almost vulnerable appeared in his expression.

Then it disappeared.

"No," he said quietly.

"Not yet."

Before Selerin could ask what that meant, Feli turned toward the path.

"We're leaving."

She remained where she was.

"General."

He stopped.

Selerin looked at his back.

"What are you afraid of?"

Feli closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he answered without turning around.

"Your past."

---

Far away, hidden beyond the trees, another pair of eyes watched them.

Qiao stood beneath the shadow of an ancient tree.

She had followed Selerin.

And she had seen everything.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeve.

Seventeen years.

For seventeen years, she had protected the secret.

She had watched Selerin grow without telling her the truth.

She had endured every question.

Every lonely night.

Every time Selerin wondered why she was different.

Because the truth had never been safe.

But now...

The mark had awakened.

And Feli Ruiz had seen it.

Qiao looked toward the forest where the white stag had disappeared.

"The time has come," she whispered.

For the first time in seventeen years, fear entered her eyes.

Because somewhere beyond the mountains-

something had awakened too.

Something that had been waiting for the return of the Royal Yin blood.

The Shattered Realms had begun to move.

And Selerin was standing at the center of it.