Here she was, strapped to a hospital bed, her wrists raw against cold restraints, her power hijacked by a man who thought he could play god. The sterile hum of the hospital machines buzzed in her ears, blending with the sharp tap-tap of shoes on tile. She stared up at the surgeon leaning over her, his face partially hidden behind a white mask that shifted with his breath. His glasses caught the glare of the operating light, briefly obscuring his intense, focused eyes. A single bead of sweat clung to his brow before a nurse wiped it away. The sound of metal instruments moving inside her head sent chills down her spine.
A Queen of Light—something she had never wanted to be. She was just a child, but she had already learned the truth the hard way: the power of Kings and Queens was never meant to be a tool. Those who dared to wield it—sovereigns, visionaries, conquerors, and now, arrogant scientists—had shaped the rise and fall of nations, the fate of entire civilizations. But they had also left scars, etched deep into the foundation of human society: the illusion that the Light could be controlled, if only the right tools existed. Fools.
The surgeon straightened, glancing at the monitor beside him. “Her heart rate’s rising,” he said, calm but firm. “More adenosine. We need to stabilize it before we proceed.”
The nurse prepared the medication swiftly, her movements precise. Malee clenched her fists tighter as the cold bite of the restraints grounded her in the moment. The machines' steady beeping grew louder in her ears as the injection was administered, the seconds dragging on unbearably. But she refused to break.
Words formed in her mind, defiant and unyielding: You won’t control me. But she did not know if the sound had escaped her lips. The connection between her thoughts and her muscles had been severed, leaving her silent, powerless to feel or express the resistance burning within her.
The world began to fall apart. The hospital bed blurred, its sharp lines dissolving into fragments of light. The blinding lamp above her fractured into shards that scattered like glass, the walls rippling as if made of water. Everything solid unraveled, giving way to a pulsing, living current. All boundaries dissolved, leaving only endless connections, the rhythm of something greater. The Light.
She reached out instinctively, her hand trembling, and the Light responded. It rippled outward, connecting her to everything, to everyone. She floated like a drop of water in a vast ocean, sensing its rhythm weaving through her and the world around her. The power of the Light wasn’t something to control—it was something to live within. And Malee, as a Queen, could live in it like no one else.
The sterile hum of the hospital was gone, replaced by the sound of wind rustling through tall grass. Malee opened her eyes to find herself standing in an endless field. The cool breeze caressed her face, and the sharp scent of greenery filled her lungs. Her wrists were free of the restraints, the red marks fading as if they’d never been there.
The field stretched to infinity, a sea of green beneath a sky alive with swirling light.
Where am I?
To her left, a dense forest cast long shadows, and beyond it stood a crumbling tower. But it wasn’t the tower that held her gaze. It was the kids—boys and girls her age, scattered across the field. They weren’t playing; they were fighting, clashing in bursts of radiant Light that arced like shooting stars.
Malee’s breath caught. Is this my doing? Are they fighting because of me?
The Light wasn’t just energy; it was alive. She felt its rhythm thrumming within her, resonating with every beat of her heart. The others bent it to their will, shaping it into shields and beams of power. But to Malee, it wasn’t a weapon—it was part of her, a song only she could hear.
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This is the Surgeon’s doing, she realized. He’s using my power.
“I’m sorry! This wasn’t my idea!” Malee screamed, her voice raw and desperate as it carried on the wind.
She stepped forward cautiously, her bare feet sinking into the grass. Her every movement was deliberate, but the Light betrayed her—it rippled outward, impossible to hide.
Among the fighting boys and girls, her gaze settled on a boy—Michael. His Light felt unmistakably familiar, strongly connected to another Light like hers. The possibility made her heart race. Could it be? Could there be another Queen?
But as she observed him closer, there was something else. His Light carried an innocence, untainted and childlike despite his age. He clearly could not control the Light, he barely knew what it was. The pulsing in her rune palm, the Teiwaz, became stronger, emitting a darker shade of crimson. He was asking for more. Who are you?
But her focus was interrupted. A girl placed herself between Malee and the boy.
The girl moved quickly, her presence commanding and her gaze sharp. The Light surrounded her differently, shielding her and Michael from Malee, who felt both intimidated and drawn to her. Their eyes met, and Malee’s breath hitched. For the first time, she didn’t feel entirely alone.
The girl stepped closer, her voice calm yet firm. “You see it too, don’t you? The Light… you’re not like the others. Are you… a Queen?”
Malee hesitated. Her heart raced, caught between fear and the strange pull she felt toward both the girl and Michael. “Yes, we’re not like them,” she managed softly, yet the girl nodded as if she’d heard her perfectly.
The ground vibrated beneath them. Malee reached out, a thread of Light stretching from her trembling hand toward the girl. The connection snapped into place, and power surged through her—exhilarating, terrifying, all-consuming.
Around them, the others stopped. Their gazes shifted, filled with awe and unease as they watched.
“Are you using… Realm of Light?”
What? She's asking me if I'm using a Queen power? But I am doing nothing… unless…
In that moment, Malee understood.
This battlefield was her unwilling creation. The surgeon was using her, controlling her mind. That is what it was all about: he wanted to control the world, get unimaginable power using her like a tool to yield the most powerful army of all times. But he didn’t understand the Light, couldn’t comprehend a world that defied control. He called himself a scientist, but he was only a technocrat.
No, I cannot just fight back, I cannot just try to refuse to become his toy. I need to end it, once and for all.
It was her duty to destroy it and show them another way. But how to do it? It was already there.
She withdrew her hand abruptly, the thread of Light snapping back. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, her voice cracking. Her gaze swept over the wary children, and her chest ached. Yes, there was only one way. I’m sorry! She screamed mentally. I don’t want to hurt you. But this... this needs to be done.
The other girl tilted her head slightly, her expression hardening. “I will defend them, you know.”
“I know, but… Can we do this together?” Malee asked, her tone steady despite the challenge.
The girl hesitated. “You ask for too much. I care for my friends. I care for him. And I will fight you if you so much as harm a hair on his head.”
Malee swallowed hard, faint whispers from old stories stirring in the back of her mind. Queens of the Light, rare and powerful, were never meant to coexist peacefully. Always rivals. Always war.
“Be as it needs, I’m going to find my own way,” she said firmly. “No matter what it takes.”
The other girl nodded, her expression unchanged. She snapped her finger and, suddenly, they were all gone.
The field dissolved abruptly, replaced by the sterile hum of hospital machines. Malee’s senses jolted back to reality as cold restraints bit into her wrists. The surgeon stood above her, his expression darkened with frustration as he struck the table,. “What did you do?”
Malee’s chest rose and fell unevenly, her connection to the Light severed but still faintly present, like the rhythm of a distant memory. She was unable to move or speak, but she could still feel the weight of the consequences, the lives affected, and her heart ached deeply. Tears welled in her eyes, though her body refused to respond.
Name: Malee
Illumination type: Queen
Power: Realm of Light
Name: Erica
Illumination type: Queen
Power: ?
Name: Michael
Illumination type: ?
Rank: 1
