Prologue

...The Night the Moon Fell...

The moon hung low over the capital of the Kingdom of Aetherion.

Cold silver light spilled across the marble terraces of Solmaire, illuminating the towering spires of the royal palace. Beneath that pale glow stood a single figure, bound in chains forged with runic steel.

Valentina Ravenscroft did not look at the crowd.

Instead, she looked at the moon.

A strange calmness filled her chest, as if the world had already left her behind.

She could hear the murmurs of nobles gathered below the execution platform.

Whispers filled the night air.

“That's the Mistress of the Moon.”

“The villainess who tried to assassinate the royal family.”

“They say she practiced forbidden magic.”

“How shameful for House Ravenscroft.”

Each word floated through the air like drifting snow, but none of them reached her heart anymore.

Valentina Ravenscroft stood quietly at the center of the execution square, her long black hair falling over her shoulders like ink spilling into the darkness. The silver chains around her wrists glowed faintly, suppressing the mana in her body.

Six years ago, she had walked through these very streets as the proud heir of House Ravenscroft.

Now she stood here as a criminal awaiting death.

The irony almost made her laugh.

At the front of the platform stood the royal guard captain, reading from a scroll with a voice devoid of emotion.

“Valentina Ravenscroft, daughter of Duke Cassian Ravenscroft, you stand accused of treason against the crown of Aetherion.”

His voice echoed through the silent square.

“Your crimes include the use of forbidden magic, the attempted assassination of the Second Prince, and conspiracy against the royal family.”

Valentina lowered her gaze slightly.

Attempted assassination.

Forbidden magic.

Conspiracy.

Each accusation felt strangely distant.

Not because they were lies.

But because none of it mattered anymore.

The real tragedy had already happened.

Her family was gone.

House Ravenscroft—the military pillar of the kingdom—had been destroyed.

Her father had died defending their name.

Her mother had been imprisoned.

Ravenport had been seized by the crown.

And her younger sister…

Valentina’s fingers trembled slightly.

Adeline.

She wondered where her little sister was now.

Perhaps hiding somewhere far from Solmaire.

Perhaps already captured.

Perhaps—

No.

Valentina forced the thought away.

The royal guard captain finished reading the charges.

“The court has found you guilty.”

The crowd erupted into whispers again.

A faint breeze brushed across the execution square.

Valentina slowly lifted her head.

(Ignore what you have to)

Above the platform stood two figures she once believed would shape her future.

Prince Lucian Aurelius

And

Isabella Valmont

The future king and queen of Aetherion.

Lucian stood tall along the balcony of the Imperial Palace, his silver hair gleaming beneath the moonlight. His expression was calm and composed, like a ruler already accustomed to power.

Beside him stood Isabella Valmont, her crimson hair flowing gently in the night wind. The emerald brilliance of her eyes reflected the flickering torches surrounding the square.

They looked like a perfect pair.

A hero and his beloved heroine.

The same way any story had always described them.

Valentina studied them quietly.

She did not feel hatred.

She did not feel anger.

Only a deep, aching emptiness.

For years, she had loved Lucian Aurelius.

She had believed that one day, her loyalty and devotion would mean something to him.

How naive she had been.

Lucian had never loved her.

He had only needed the power of House Ravenscroft.

And Isabella…

Valentina’s gaze shifted to the young woman.

Isabella Valmont had always been dazzling.

Brilliant.

Kind.

Beloved by everyone.

Even Valentina herself had once admired her.

But admiration had turned into a rivalry.

The rivalry had turned into ruin.

A faint smile touched Isabella’s lips as she spoke quietly to Lucian.

Valentina could not hear their conversation.

But she did not need to.

She already knew how the story ended.

The villainess would die.

The hero and heroine would rule the kingdom.

A perfect happy ending.

At least, that was what the anonymous author had written.

Valentina exhaled softly.

The chains around her wrists clinked as she raised her head toward the sky again.

The moon was beautiful tonight.

Strange.

She had always loved the moon.

Her mother used to say that the Ravenscroft bloodline carried the blessing of the northern seas and the silent night.

But Valentina’s magic had always been… different.

While her family commanded water and ice, she had inherited something far older.

Something darker.

Moon magic.

Power drawn from shadows and starlight.

Power no one fully understood.

Perhaps that was why it had been so easy to accuse her of forbidden magic.

The royal guard stepped forward.

“It is time.”

The executioner lifted his blade.

The steel shimmered beneath the moonlight.

Valentina closed her eyes.

Memories drifted through her mind like fragments of shattered glass.

Her father teaching her swordsmanship in the courtyards of Ravenport.

Her mother brushing her hair while speaking of noble responsibilities.

Adeline smiling as it snowed across the palace gardens.

And Lucian…

Lucian smiling at her during the Imperial Academy festivals.

Lucian accepting the support of House Ravenscroft.

Lucian standing beside Isabella.

The memories twisted together until they became something unbearable.

Valentina opened her eyes.

For the first time that night, she looked directly at Lucian Aurelius.

He met her gaze.

For a brief moment, the square seemed to fall silent.

Lucian’s silver eyes were unreadable.

Regret?

Indifference?

Or perhaps nothing at all.

Valentina finally understood something at that moment.

She had never been part of their story.

She had only been a stepping stone.

The villainess, destined to fall.

A quiet laugh escaped her lips.

The sound startled the crowd.

The executioner hesitated.

Valentina looked toward the moon one last time.

“If I had another chance…”

Her voice was soft, barely audible beneath the wind.

“…I would never love you.”

The blade fell.

Darkness swallowed the world.

___________________________________

Pain never came.

Instead, there was silence.

Endless, weightless silence.

Valentina drifted through the void, unsure whether seconds or centuries had passed.

Then—

A voice.

Faint.

Distant.

“Lady Valentina…?”

Warm sunlight brushed against her eyelids.

“Lady Valentina!”

Her eyes snapped open.

A bright morning light flooded the room.

Valentina sat up abruptly.

Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath.

The scent of lavender and polished wood filled the air.

Her bedroom, In Ravenport.

No.

That wasn’t possible.

Valentina stared at her hands.

The chains were gone.

Her skin was smooth and unscarred.

A mirror stood across the room.

She stumbled toward it, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

The reflection staring back at her was younger.

Much younger.

Her face.

But not the face of a woman who had lived through betrayal and execution.

This was the face of a nineteen-year-old girl.

Six years earlier.

Valentina’s breath caught in her throat.

Outside the window, the northern sea shimmered beneath the morning sun.

Ships moved through Ravenport’s harbor.

The city was alive.

Untouched by tragedy.

Her door burst open.

A small figure rushed into the room.

“Sister!”

Valentina turned sharply.

Adeline Ravenscroft stood in the doorway, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement.

Her little sister ran forward and threw her arms around Valentina.

“You’re finally awake! Father was worried because you overslept.”

Valentina froze.

Adeline—

Alive.

Young.

Only twelve.

Valentina’s hands trembled as she slowly returned the embrace.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes.

This was impossible.

This was a dream.

But, the warmth of Adeline’s small body felt real.

The sound of waves crashing against Ravenport’s harbor felt real.

Everything felt real.

Valentina pulled back slightly and studied her sister’s face.

Unharmed.

Unbroken.

Alive.

A sharp realization struck her.

The past.

She had returned to the past.

Six years before her execution.

Six years before the destruction of House Ravenscroft.

Six years before the story reached its tragic end.

Valentina’s gaze drifted toward the window.

Somewhere far beyond the horizon lay Solmaire.

And within that city…

Prince Lucian Aurelius.

Isabella Valmont.

The same people who had stood beneath the moon as she died.

Her fingers slowly curled into fists.

This time would be different.

She would not fall in love with Lucian.

She would not compete with Isabella.

She would not walk the same path that led to her family’s destruction.

The story could continue without her.

Let the hero and heroine have their happy ending.

Valentina Ravenscroft would simply stay out of their world.

She looked down at Adeline again.

Her sister smiled innocently, unaware of the fate that had once awaited them.

Valentina gently placed a hand on Adeline’s head.

“I promise,” she whispered softly.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Outside the window, the morning sun climbed higher into the sky.

But somewhere beyond the horizon…

Fate had already begun to change.

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