Prologue
The howling storm clawed at the forest like a savage beast.
With a deafening roar, trees bent and twisted, branches and leaves and bits of shattered stone whipping wildly into the air. Tossed and flung about against their will, much like a life driven by forces beyond control.
In the midst of it all stood a man and a woman.
They faced each other across a few strained paces, locked in a grueling standoff.
“Think again, Yulaina!”
The man shouted himself hoarse. Desperate to catch her as she seemed to flee, he flailed wildly. Then a sudden gust shoved him off balance, sending him sprawling pathetically. Unable to rise, he unleashed a torrent of vicious curses.
How ridiculous. To have wasted her heart on someone like him.
With that thought, Yulaina clutched the hood of her billowing robe tightly. She braced her whole body against the onslaught of wind. Though she’d grown so thin over the past year that her clothes hung loose, she stood remarkably steady.
It was possible because she wasn’t here to escape—she was here to kill. The burning rage anchored her firmly in the heart of the storm.
“Aaaargh!”
Unlike the composed Yulaina, the man was impulsive. He thrashed to get up but couldn’t master his own body, staggering wildly. Finally grasping a nearby tree, he peeled away strands of hair plastered to his face like wet seaweed and exploded in fury.
“Damn it, this cursed wind!”
Flash! As if punishing his crude outburst, the sky lit up in a blinding streak.
The man winced at the intense glare, glancing uneasily upward. While his eyes wandered the void, Yulaina released her grip on the robe. With a flap, it sailed far away.
Another flash.
In the stark light, her face emerged clearly. Weary and exhausted though she was, her innate beauty remained undimmed. Her tangled golden hair and pale, gaunt features held the resolve of an empress facing her final battle.
“You underestimated me far too much.”
Her vibrant green eyes shone brightly, and her lovely lips conveyed unyielding determination.
“You saw me as young, immature, weak.”
Her strong voice pierced through the intensifying gale.
“An easy mark to exploit—a worthless country girl.”
The man, teetering in the storm, bellowed back.
“You need my protection!”
“No…!”
Her straight, clear voice cut through the wind’s howl with perfect clarity.
“I don’t need anyone’s protection. I move by my own choices.”
“You little…!”
Unable to curb his true nature, the man sneered.
“What do you even know…!”
Yulaina didn’t flare up; instead, she smiled leisurely.
“And I’ll go to someone who respects my choices.”
In that instant, the storm inexplicably weakened, as if control over the winds had passed entirely into her hands.
“What the…?”
As the bewildered man’s gaze roamed the sky.
Crack… Boom!
A ferocious thunderbolt ripped the heavens apart and slammed into the earth.
“Huh!”
The jolt sent a tingling aftershock through his legs. The man stumbled, eyes squeezing shut. Whether from the thunder or not, a chill sensation bloomed in his gut.
“What is this…?”
Yulaina stood right before him.
‘How? When?’
Before he could think, the deeply embedded blade twisted through his insides and yanked free.
“Urk!”
With a single groan, his body lurched forward, pulled by the knife’s tip. Clutching his abdomen desperately, he managed a faint murmur.
“How did you…”
Once again, the man couldn’t finish his words. As everything inside him poured out in a rush, he toppled completely, collapsing backward.
“You said you wanted to change the world, didn’t you?”
The pounding rain washed away the blood soaking the ground, spreading it like diluted paint.
“There she is!”
Shouts from soldiers echoed behind her. Sensing the end, Yulaina tossed the knife aside and spat bitterly at the man.
“With that rotten mindset, you’ll accomplish nothing.”
“Freeze! Drop the knife and hands up!”
She raised both hands and turned slowly. The soldiers, catching sight of her relieved smile, exchanged glances and readjusted their bayonets.
“You know what, everyone?”
She abruptly addressed the soldiers aiming at her.
“It’s not over yet.”
With bloodstained hands, she swept back her wet, disheveled hair and smiled again.
“It’s not over. There’s more…”
Just then, an officer shoved through the soldiers’ shoulders and seized her by the hair.
“You crazy bitch, you lunatic! Tie her up!”
As her knees buckled and her arms were bound with rope, Yulaina laughed out loud, over and over.
“It’s not over yet…”
Rumble rumble rumble.
Suddenly, a powerful vibration shook the ground beneath their feet, and the soldiers froze in confusion, faces hardening.
“What is it? An earthquake?”
“Head to the castle!”
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
Like a colossal mole burrowing underground, a swift and mighty wave surged toward them, sending soldiers staggering and dropping one by one.
Boom!
The unbelievable happened. Beyond the forest, a massive pillar of fire shot skyward. Even in the storm’s core, the enormous flames refused to die, surging relentlessly. It was a powerful, immense explosion.
“It’s… the castle!”
“What the hell is going on!”
They shouted, but no one dared move rashly. Who could possibly approach that towering inferno?
“It’s done.”
Yulaina turned to them with a wide smile. Though she was clearly smiling, tears streamed endlessly from her sparkling green eyes.
“Now, it’s all over…”
Mumbling incomprehensible words on and on, she slowly closed her eyes.
Yulaina Heidenberg.
Just a year ago, a woman completely isolated from the world. As she grew from girl to woman, her nationality changed, her surname changed, she weathered every storm that crashed upon her, and finally, she had fulfilled her last duty.
In the typhoon’s grip, she smiled with profound relief.
