A roar echoed as another illusion materialized near Elseria. A chilling wind swept through the area as an imposing white wolf with claws and fangs made of ice lunged toward her.

Elseria sidestepped, dodging the claws of the wolf resembling sharp blades.

She tightened her grip on her sword and struck forward, but the wolf's body was tougher than the dragon's illusion. Her blade left only a slight wound on it. A purple light filled the sky before she could attack a second time.

A thunderous roar echoed, and a flash illuminated the surroundings.

As crackling lightning descended from the illusory sky, the water elemental particles around Elseria stirred as she circulated her crystal essence through her body, and a layer of pure water appeared above her.

The lightning crackled and sizzled as it struck the layer of pure water hovering above her, dispersing harmlessly the next moment.

The illusory wolf lunged at her again, its icy claws cutting through the air with deadly precision as blocks of ice were created around it, hurtling toward her at rapid speed.

Water columns rose around Elseria, hitting the blocks of ice approaching her. She took a step forward, raising her sword to intercept the wolf's claws. The force of the attack pushed her back a step, but with a movement of her blade, she redirected the massive body of the wolf to the side.

The wings on her back lit up, and the next moment, droplets of water appeared around them, taking the form of butterflies as a torrent of water surged from her hands to surround the blade of her sword.

"Water Butterfly Blade Dance"

Her blade sliced through the air gracefully as she began a dance while the butterflies behind her rushed forward, accompanying each of her movements. Her sword slashed in front of her numerous times, and with each strike, she directed the water butterflies to attack from different angles, overwhelming the wolf under a barrage of blows.

An ice spike rose from the ground between her and the wolf illusion, which seemed on the verge of disappearing after her attack.

The wings on her back fluttered lightly, and her silhouette vanished, reappearing several meters away from the wolf.

A sudden wind arose, taking the form of wind blades that attacked her from different angles. Her wings spread wide behind her, releasing water blades that blocked each of the wind blades.

"Elseria!"

While she was about to take a step forward and rush toward the wolf to finish it off, she heard Kieran's voice calling her from behind. Turning around, she saw him running in her direction without his Lycan form before abruptly stopping a few meters away from her.

 

Kieran's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Elseria's transformed appearance. The shock gave way to an expression of disgust as he furrowed his brows, his features twisted in revulsion.

"What… is that disgusting thing on your back?" his voice was cold as he spoke.

Elseria's body involuntarily shook as she met his gaze, her heart sinking as she saw the disgust filling his eyes. Buried memories resurfaced in her mind, memories of many pairs of eyes looking at her with the same expression.

'Why... Him too...' she thought.

Her left hand instinctively tightened around her right arm as she lowered her gaze to the ground. The ethereal light of the butterfly wings on her back faded until they shattered into myriad fragments that dispersed into the air like stardust. The captivating shades of blue that had overtaken her hair and eyes gradually receded, returning to their original color.

Hidden within her illusion, the smile on Lascia's face widened as the light emanating from the inscriptions on her staff intensified.

"The other elves were right, you are an abomination."

Elseria's heart shattered at Kieran's words, each one piercing her like a knife. She felt a lump in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Please... stop..." she murmured, her voice barely audible amidst the chaos of her emotions.

But Kieran persisted, his words like daggers aimed at her already wounded heart.

"I understand now why no elf sees you as a princess. You are not worthy of that title. You are a disgrace, a stain on the royal family," he spat, his tone filled with contempt.

"Please... say no more," she pleaded, her voice barely whispering as she placed her hands over her ears to try to drown out the words she never thought she'd hear from him.

But Kieran's words echoed in her mind, taunting her, tormenting her.

She felt her chest tighten, her breathing short as panic gripped her. The world around her spun, distorted by the mist of her tears.
Old memories flooded her consciousness again, this time more vivid and real than before.

She saw herself at the age of five, a few days after her awakening, her innocent eyes filled with wonder as she ran inside a palace.

"I wanted to show it to Grandpa first, but he left on a journey," her little face displayed an adorable pout as she walked through the palace halls under the gaze of many elves, who wore a dark expression every time their eyes fell on her.

She suddenly entered into a room with lively steps and a smile on her face. Four individuals were seated around a table crafted from the finest elven craftsmanship, sharing a cup of tea whose aroma wafted through the air.

Seated across from the other three individuals, one among them appeared notably younger.

He was a middle-aged man with long, flowing silver hair cascading down and piercing blue eyes resembling frost-kissed sapphires that held a timeless wisdom and depth. He was dressed in forest green and silver robes embroidered with elven patterns, exuding an aura of elegance and authority.

In contrast, the other three figures exuded an aura of ancient power, as though they had witnessed the passage of centuries. Each seemed to radiate a suffocating intensity, their mere presence commanding attention.

As the door swung open, the quartet turned their attention towards it, their gazes falling upon the figure of the young Elseria as she stepped into the room.

Elseria stopped momentarily upon seeing the three figures in front of the middle-aged man.

"Hi, Elders!" she said, her voice tinged with excitement.

The elders' faces darkened, their eyes filled with undisguised disgust. Unaware of their expressions, the young Elseria continued her course toward the middle-aged man.

"Daddy, Daddy, look, look!" Her voice grew increasingly high-pitched as she spoke, while her eyes sparkled with excitement. A pair of butterfly wings unfolded on her back in front of the four.

"Look, Daddy! Aren't they beautiful?!" Elseria spun around several times to show her wings to her father.

Yet, no matter how joyful the young Elseria seemed, only silence greeted her from the four.

*crack*

The room was filled with the sharp sound of shattering porcelain, causing Elseria to freeze in her tracks. One of the elders stood, holding a broken cup in his hands, his gaze fixed on her with unwavering intensity.

"Elder Sylvanar, what are you doing!" the middle-aged man's voice rang out, tinged with concern and anger as he rose from his seat.

"I am going to teach this thing a lesson, King Velenir," Elder Sylvanar replied, his tone cold and resolute.

Instinctively, Elseria stepped back as he advanced toward her, a knot of fear tightening in her chest.

"Daddy..." she murmured, tears welling in her eyes.

"Elder Sylvanar, she's just a child!" Velenir exclaimed, raising his voice.

"It doesn't matter. If you don't teach her now, she will expose her filthy things all over the kingdom. You should already be grateful that we haven't had her executed out of respect for the royal family, but if you attempt to restrain my hand today, you know what it will cost you," he declared with a cold voice.

Velenir clenched his teeth so tightly they threatened to shatter, but he remained silent.

"Dad... I... I'm scared... help me..." Elseria's voice trembled as she backed away, her eyes pleading for rescue.

But before she could retreat further, she stumbled, and suddenly, hands seized her delicate wings, wrenching them with brutal force, causing her agony.

"That hurts! That hurts! Daddy! Help me!" Elseria's cries filled the room, her agony echoing off the walls.

King Velenir watched his daughter suffer without moving, his body trembling with rage and his eyes carrying killing intent, but none of it appeared in the eyes of the young Elseria. Only the sight of her father not moving to save her was reflected in her small golden eyes.

The sound of something being torn filled the air, followed by Elseria's anguished screams. She collapsed to the ground, curled in on herself, tears streaming down her face.

Elder Sylvanar held the torn butterfly wings in his hands as he turned towards King Velenir without glancing at Elseria as if she didn't exist. He discarded the wings as if they were nothing but vulgar trash.

"Da... ddy... help... me..." Elseria's voice was barely a whisper as consciousness slipped away from her.

Inside the illusion, Elseria was still sitting on the ground, holding her chest as it rose and fell rapidly, her breaths uneven and her eyes seeming vacant as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The white wolf that was about to disappear before had come back to life, leaping forward, it rushed toward her with its mouth wide open, revealing its menacing ice fangs that were about to tear her apart.

Kieran, who was a few steps away from her, had a distorted smile on his face and was holding a dagger in his hands, quickly closing in on her.

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Young Elseria Illustration: