Semua Bab The Death-Chosen Daughter: Bab 1 - Bab 10

From my earliest memories, I knew I was no ordinary elf.I was Death's chosen acolyte, a selection made by fate.On my eighteenth birthday, the Night of the Shattered Moon, I was destined to follow the deepest roots of the World Tree back to the throne of the Lord of the Underworld.But my entire family, House Vaelen, was convinced that the child who "would not live past eighteen" was my twin sister, Nyssa, whose magic was frail and weak.And so, Nyssa was lavished with everything: robes woven from moonlight and dew, and the warmest of embraces.Even the sacred marriage pact between me and Caelum, heir to the elven royal family, was transferred to Nyssa.With thirteen nights left until my eighteenth birthday, I cornered Caelum amidst a lattice of the World Tree's winding branches. It was the ninth time he had avoided our soul-binding."Caelum," my voice was soft, yet it held an unmistakable despair, "you don't intend to complete the soul-bond with me anymore, do you?"The noble elven p

The hollow ache of my spent magic still throbbed in my palm. My fingers trembled uncontrollably.I slowly turned to meet Caelum's gaze.For a moment, I thought I had misheard him."What did you just say?"There was no trace of guilt on Caelum's face, only a look of weary condescension.He grabbed my wrist, pulling me away from the reverent eyes of the commoners and into the deep shade of a nearby ancient tree.He lowered his voice, his tone that of someone placating a difficult child."Elowen, don't be difficult.""Nyssa only has thirteen days left."He avoided the word "death," as if the very sound of it carried a curse."I know you suffered from the cold iron last night. I know you're in pain." He looked at my pale face, his tone meant to be gentle, but the entitlement in his eyes was colder than any blade."But if you're already giving her your flesh, blood, and magic, why deny her this small sliver of glory?""Your mother sent you to the Lower District to accumulate the Tree God's

The silver-black stain on the silk was like a star extinguished upon fresh snow. My legs gave way, and I nearly collapsed."Elowen!" Caelum's expression changed. He strode forward, catching me in his arms. "Summon the royal priest! Now!"His palm pressed firmly against my back, the force so great it felt as if he were trying to knead my splintering soul back into my bones.The entire corridor erupted into chaos, servants scrambling in every direction.Faye came stumbling over, her face as white as a sheet. "I'll get the high priest, I'll go right now…"Caelum said nothing more. He bent down, swept me into his arms, and practically flew back to my chambers, placing me on the bed.He leaned over me, his pale gold eyes, usually so calm, now churning with an emotion I had never seen before. It was the panic of someone watching things spiral out of their control."How could you be coughing up this kind of blood?""Did the wound from last night tear open again? Didn't you apply your medicine

My consciousness plummeted into boundless darkness.When the agony that flayed the flesh from my bones finally receded, I thought I would descend into nothingness.But I did not.I landed in an impossibly soft sea of spectral flowers. The sickening stench of blood and rot from the Lower District was gone, replaced by a rich, dark fragrance woven from cold stardust and frost.I slowly opened my eyes.The blossoms unfurled from my feet, blooming into a path that stretched into the distance. Their petals were bone-white, yet their hearts burned with netherfire.As the wind blew, they dissolved into blue luminescence that whispered against my ears.And at the end of the endless sea of flowers stood a massive throne.A figure sat upon it.He wore a robe of pure abyss. His face was obscured, leaving only his eyes visible. They were deeper than the River Styx and quieter than the eternal night.The moment I approached, he rose.He stepped down from that lofty throne of bone, treading across t

In just five days, the once proud elven royal court had descended into a living hell.With the fall of Death's true emissary, her heart filled with bitterness, the lifeblood of the World Tree was completely severed.Starting from the abyss, the curse of the wither crept steadily upward.The lower roots rotted on a massive scale. Countless commoner elves contracted the Black Death, their wails echoing day and night. The Lower District had already erupted into three bloody riots that nearly broke through the upper level's defenses.Meanwhile, inside the estate of the Vaelen family, a nauseating stench of blood permeated the air.Nyssa went mad.To stave off her rotting appearance, she resorted to extreme measures, secretly draining the magic of three low-ranking maids in the dead of night.But even so, she could barely maintain a human shape for a few hours before reverting to a foul-smelling monster.As for Caelum, he had become a walking corpse.For these five days, he had not drank a