It was a dark and stormy night. The Prince of Everton stared down at the kingdom, wondering what to do.

"Daughter of Hades." The Prince thought as he sread from an ancient text. May be she can help me overcome this curse.

The village streets filled with masses of people as the new day began. A loud chatter about the rumers that had been going on through the night.

A frail teenage girl looked worn out with her head spinning with random thoughts.

"Ever since I were a child, I always imagined. Is this really my fault? Could I really be the cause such a horrendous misfortune?"

These thoughts clouded Emilia's mind as she leaned against a vertical log onto which she was tied.

"Kill her!" An aggressive roar came from the crowd that stood before her. "Burn her to the steak." A creepy ragged voice followed.

So much hate was brewing within the crowd. "My son died because of you." A woman barked from within the crowd.

Emilia was panting with fear as she struggled to escape the ropes that bound her to the log.

"It's not me!" Emilia yelled back at them. "I did not do anything, I swear." Her voice grew thin as though she were about to cry.

"Witch.", "You're witch.", "Shut that witch mouth of yours and accept your fate.", "Burn witch burn." All these comments came from the crowd.

Emilia's breathing was becoming uneasy. She felt like the entire world was closing in on her. Beads of sweat rolling down her face along with tears.

On a platform above the audience stood the village leader, standing right next to Emilia. His belly stood out more visibly compared to his face that was covered with beards.

"My fellow brothers and sisters." He said. "I have received word from the king himself to see to it that this woman is executed immediately."

The crowd cheered in favor of the village leader followed by insults towards Emilia. 

"Ever since this young woman entered our village, we've had nothing but pain and suffering."

"An unimaginable evil walks the earth and we have reason to believe that it's her doing"

The man pointed at a few individuals within the crowd and said, "These are a few of the victims. They all have the same story to tell."

"One night, they discovered their loved one lacking a shadow even in the bright light of their lanterns."

"For one without a shadow is next. Next in line for death. Her misfortune cannot be escape. For whoever stands in the way of the evil dies too."

The village chief had finished giving the justification for the execution of Emilia. The crowds cheered with such resentment and disgust towards Emilia.

As this went on, no one had a clue of what was happening. The executioner was frozen still with his eyes transfixed on Emilia.

"May the execution proceed." The village chief declared. But the executioner would not barge.

"Her, her,.... Her shadow is missing." The executioner stammered with a flash of fear on his face.

The crowd gasped with fear on hearing this. Not because of the fact that the evil had struck again, but because this was not Emilia's doing.

"Then who is it?" A man yelled from the crowd. "Who is responsible for the evil that lurks among us? If not her."

The murmuring of the crowd was growing louder. Everyone had expected this evil to die with Emilia.

There was shiver on the lips of the executioner as though he wanted to speak despite his fear.

"She could be tricking us." The executioner blurted out. "Am ending this right here and right now."

He picked up the torch, flaming so vigorously for he was ready to burn Emilia alive.

The crowd cheered in excitement as Emilia shivered in disbelief. "What did I do to deserve this?" She wondered.

She could feel the heat of the torch get close to her and at that moment, she closed her eyes and waited.

The excruciating pain from the fire was just as she expected. Her skin dried instantly only to be set in flames by the fire.

"Step back." The chief told the executioner as Emilia lit up in flames. She screamed in agony as her entire body crumbled.

And this was when the pain stopped. She could feel it no longer. It's like she was one with flames.

Her skin healed instantaneously as the flames started to fade away. The once vicious and ferocious flames calmed.

"It's like the flame is alive." Emilia thought. "I can feel it's power flow through me like a wave of pure energy."

The crowd stared blankly at Emilia. The flames had been extinguished without leaving a single scar on Emilia.

The crowd started murmuring soon after. Debates of what was going on flared up among the crowd.

Emilia stood still and glanced at the crowd that stood before her. The clothes she was wearing were mostly burnt and all she could do was cover her body.

The loud chatter of the villagers was interrupted by the loud neighing of horses and distinct thud of a moving horse.

"The prince has arrived." A man declared as he got off his horse. The prince glared sternly at Emilia as she knelt down trying to cover her body.

He then got off his horse and walked through the crowd. Heading for the platform she was on.

The village chief and the rest of the village bowed gracefully as the prince walked by.

"Take this." The prince said to Emilia as he handed her a large piece of cloth or sheet.

Emilia's face was covered by a thin layer of dirt and so we're her eyes as though she was crying repeatedly.

Nevertheless she hurriedly took the sheet and wrapped herself. For she knew most of the village had seen enough.

"Welcome to our humble village, Your Highness." The village chief said. The prince looked at him for less than a second and then away.

"The command order of my father has changed." The prince said. "This woman is coming with me."