The night was cold and still, the moonlight reflecting off of the black waters like a silver mirror. The stars glittered in the sky, brighter than they’d been in centuries. It was a night of magical beauty, but beneath it was an unspoken dread.
In the kingdom of Mors, the people were restless. For years, rumors had circulated about a great evil stirring deep within the castle walls. No one knew for sure what it was, but whispers of darkness and despair had grown stronger with each passing day.
The king and queen, desperate to ease their people’s fears, had promised that their beautiful daughter, Princess Samantha, would be wed to a powerful prince from a distant land. But the princess had no interest in marriage, or any man for that matter. She preferred to spend her days reading books, often dreaming of faraway places and creatures that only existed in her imagination.
One fateful night, while the princess slept, a deep voice called out to her in her dreams. It promised her power and glory if she would only accept its offer. The voice was so compelling that she could not resist its lure and soon found herself agreeing to its terms.
When she awoke the next morning, she found herself changed. A beautiful set of wings had sprouted from her shoulders and her eyes were now a deep crimson red. She had become a creature of the night and was no longer a mere mortal.
The prince from the distant land was now terrified of her and refused to marry her. The king and queen, not knowing what else to do, locked her away in the highest tower of the castle, never to be seen again.
For months she remained locked away, until one night she heard a distant voice calling out to her from beyond the walls. It promised freedom and power if she would only accept its offer once again. Curious and desperate for freedom, she agreed to its terms and soon found herself flying away from the castle with a horde of other creatures of darkness.
Together they flew through the night sky, searching for someplace where they could belong. Eventually they came upon an ancient castle nestled in a secluded valley. It seemed to be abandoned but as they drew closer they saw it was filled with life and light.
This was the castle of the White Witch, an immortal sorceress who was said to have powerful magic and knowledge beyond mortal comprehension. The creatures of darkness bowed before her and Samantha soon found herself in her presence.
The White Witch told Samantha that she was chosen for a special purpose: to save the kingdom of Mors from a terrible fate. If she accepted this mission, she would gain great power but it would also come with great danger. Samantha accepted without hesitation and soon found herself leading an army of creatures of darkness against an ancient evil that threatened to consume the kingdom.
In the end, it was Samantha’s courage and strength that saved the kingdom, but at a terrible price. She had sacrificed her own mortality to defeat the enemy and as she lay dying in her father’s arms, she saw a vision of a beautiful place where she could be free forever.
And so it was that Samantha, once a simple princess, became an immortal being whose name will forever be remembered in the annals of history.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Staby. Publisher: Cyber.