"You were born from a forbidden relationship between King Dauntess II and the palace witch—Alyssa Cruise," Chiel said to Rain.
"King Dauntess II? Jace Dauntess' father?" Rain almost screamed. "Not!"
Rain's eyes flashed red. Something burst from within the girl.
"Markus Orwell is not your father! Your name should be Rain Cruise. Your mother—Alyssa Cruise, never married a king. You have no right to inherit the Dauntess name."
Rain shook her head vigorously. A demonic figure that was uncontrollable and which Rain never realized was stored inside her is now present and wants to take the girl's consciousness.
Rain choked Chiel's neck suddenly, very strong and fast. Rain pushed Chiel until he fell from his wheelchair. Rain forced the warlock against the wall as she continued to choke him.
On the other hand, Haramon was lying unconscious with a pool of blood seeping from his head. Moments ago, Haramon tried to attack Rain, who threatened to kill Chiel. With just one swing of Rain's left hand, Haramon was thrown against the wall. His head cracked, and he lay on the floor.
Chiel had already used his various magics against Rain. However, no matter how strong Chiel's magic is, it can't stop the girl. Rain is getting more potent and more dangerous. All of Rain's skin began to grow black streaks like Jace's. They weren't runes but blood vessels that looked like a tangle of black rose roots.
Rain's voice boomed. Her pale face was covered with black veins, and fangs protruded from her mouth. The girl's eyes reddened, and her nails grew long.
"Tell me what really happened! Who is Alyssa?" Rain choked Chiel harder and harder until his neck bones rattled.
Chiel uses his communication skills. Without making a sound, his words had already shot into Rain's mind.
"I told you Alyssa is your mom. She is the greatest witch to come from the human race. Alyssa's fate ends tragically because she has a forbidden relationship with the king. That forbidden relationship produced you!"
For a moment, Rain blinked, and her red eyes disappeared. The girl's basics returned, and her body changed to an ordinary human's.
Rain was confused and held her head. At that moment, Rain's stranglehold from Chiel's neck loosened. The warlock was panting as he clutched his neck, which was in excruciating pain.
"No!" shouted Rain. "Impossible. My mom is not a witch. My dad is the warlock."
Chiel grinned. "You are wrong, Young Girl. Mark is not your father. He's just like me. We're warlocks who work in the royal alchemist's laboratory and become Alyssa's personal assistant. We are living witnesses of how Alyssa's love affair with the king. It was an illicit relationship because it happened since the queen was pregnant with their first child, Jace Dauntess."
Rain held her head as it felt like it was going to explode. "Not! Not! That's not possible!"
Rain's head hurts a lot. Something flooded her head with great force, like a flood that shook the world. Those memories returned to Rain's head, not one by one but all together.
Danniel Flynn, the leader of the warlock association, realized Alyssa's potential and strength. Because of that, Flynn blows terrible news that makes Alyssa dragged to the gallows. Flynn exposes the forbidden relationship between the king and Alyssa in front of the queen. The angry queen finally dragged Alyssa to the gallows five years later. She made the king unable to fight, let alone protect Alyssa.
"That's not possible!" Rain shouted in pain as the memories filled her head.
"That is very possible. Alyssa managed to hide her pregnancy. She easily hides you. Alyssa's strength can protect you very well until you are five. During that time, you were cared for by Markus. Have you forgotten who your childhood friend was, Rain?"
Chiel grinned.
Rain looked up and remembered who Chiel Burley was. Chiel's body can't grow. He continues to be a child. Rain always played and was looked after by Chiel when her mother was busy working with Markus and the other wizards in the palace.
"Ever since you were born, Alyssa asked Mark to recognize you as his child to save you. You bear the surname Orwell instead of Cruise."
What Chiel said wasn't just a fairy tale. Those memories began to appear in Rain's head. She sees memories and flashes of the past. Everything Chiel said was the truth.
Memories shifted to another place when Rain was five years old. She stood among the  ​​people in the royal square and held Mark's big and strong hand. They stood in the yard to witness the execution of the accursed witch.
Rain's childish eyes stared at a beautiful woman whose face was similar to Rain's. That woman is Alyssa. She stood on the stage in front of the gallows with thousands of Darkwood people from both human and non-human races watching.
Alyssa wore a black brocade dress in mourning. Her body was covered with wounds. Her face was downcast, avoiding the stares of disgust and hatred from people.
On the other side of the throne, the king and his family, Rain saw a couple with golden crowns on their heads. Among them was a boy who was several years older than Rain.
The royal family was sitting and watching the witch's execution. Their faces were full of suffering, especially the king's. Cries echoed from the sea of ​​people for the witch to be executed immediately.
"The witch tried to kill the queen and her son using witchcraft."
"After rumors of her affair with the king failed to prove, now she is trying to kill the royal family."
"Cursed witch!"
"She deserves it! She must die! She must be removed from the kingdom and this world!" shouted the people around Rain.
Rain was scared and shaking. She covered her ears very tightly with her hands. It was as if all of that was happening before her eyes.
Rain remembered Mark standing beside her, trying to calm Rain down by hugging the girl and carrying her away. Markus wanted to take Rain away.
"Stop, Dad! You have to help Alyssa. She's innocent!" Rain whined and cried in Mark's arms.
Rebellion and turmoil continue to occur in the Kingdom after Alyssa's death. The king became a neglectful person and continued to be alone. The people think King Dauntess II has lost his mind and gone mad. The kingdom and the entire people of Darkwood were in a protracted crisis.
The royal traitors, especially Danniel Flynn, took advantage of the chaos. He incited the warlocks and wealthy landlords to revolt. King Dauntess II is deemed incompetent. Meanwhile, his sole heir, Jace Dauntess, who was then entering his teens, did not care about the kingdom and the people of Darkwood. Jace continues to party, have a fun, hunt, and continue to drain the empire's dwindling coffers.
Rain's memories dragged her into the dark Darkwood forest. Markus brought Rain to live in the depths of the woods after Alyssa died on the scaffold. Chiel Burley also ran away from death threats. Everyone who had worked and had contact with Alyssa saved themselves.
Rain was looking for firewood in the forest when an arrow shot toward her. Rain easily dodged and diverted the arrow toward a tree. A deer who was eating was surprised and ran away.
"Damn!" Shouted someone who appeared on a black horse behind Rain. "Damn country girl! You ruined my prey!"
Rain, whose face was hidden under a red coat hood, turned around and looked at Jace Dauntess, sitting haughtily on his horse.
"You dare look at me? Hah? Are you surprised by my good looks? What a shame. A country and dirty girl like you would never fit my ideal girl criteria!" The haughty and arrogant Jace pulled an arrow from his horse's saddle and pointed it at Rain, still standing silently.
"You're going to kill me?" Rain said softly.
"You have to replace my fugitives who fled!" Jace, without hesitation, drew the arrows on his bow and aimed at Rain. "Run! Run as fast as you can, haha!"
Rain didn't move. She just stood there, looking at Jace quietly.
"Damn!" He shouted. "You want to die, huh? Okay!"
Jace drew an arrow. The tip of the arrowhead shot towards Rain. The girl raised her right hand, and time suddenly stopped. The air around Rain looked like waves of water. The arrow flew through the air. Jace and his horse froze as well as all the creatures in the forest.
Suddenly Rain's body moved. She floated up and stood beside Jace, still sitting on his horse. Jace's pair of eyes could move and see everything. However, his body felt dead. He was surprised to see Rain flying and moving to his side.
"Jace Dauntess," Rain whispered. "When you are 17, you will get a terrible curse! Your entire body will be covered in black runes, and the monster within your soul will slowly eat you to death due to your arrogance and greed!"
Jace's eyes opened wide. He couldn't see Rain's face, which was covered by a hood.
"Unless," continued the girl. "You can make up for all your parents' and your kingdom's mistakes to Alyssa within five years of the curse happening!"
Time seemed to be sucked backward. Jace woke up from his frozen position, and the arrow shot and pierced a pine tree. There were no country girls there. There are no deer or other animals.
"You have cursed Jace Dauntess and the Darkwood Kingdom!" Chiel said, interrupting Rain's reverie.
"Impossible!"
"Yes, only you can remove the curse before the time runs out on tomorrow's full moon night. But I'm sure Jace's father won't let you undo the curse. He wants Jace's heart filled with curses to increase his strength and live eternally!"
"Jace's father? Isn't King Dauntess II dead?" Rain was confused.
Chiel grinned.