The wind howled through the trees like a warning. Clouds covered the moon, casting Willow Town into a cold, uneasy darkness. A small wooden cottage sat alone at the edge of the forest, its windows glowing faintly with firelight. Inside, a girl sat still, her eyes fixed on the flickering flame.
Her name was Mia.
She had just turned thirteen.
But she had no birthday cake, no candles, and no guests. Only silence. Only questions.
"Papa," Mia said, her voice barely louder than the wind outside. "Can you tell me about Mama?"
Her father, Olcan, looked up from sharpening his blade. His jaw tightened. For a moment, he didn't speak. Then, slowly, he wiped the blade clean and set it aside.
"Why do you ask tonight?" he said, his deep voice calm, but not without pain.
Mia hugged her knees to her chest. "I had the dream again."
Olcan's body went still. "What did you see this time?"
"A woman in a red dress… she was running through a castle. Everything was on fire. She was carrying a baby. I think— I think it was me."
Silence.
Outside, the wind slammed against the cottage walls.
"You said Mama died when I was born," Mia whispered. "But you never told me who she really was. I don't even know her name."
Olcan stood and walked to the window, his back turned to her. He stared into the darkness as if searching for something—or hiding from it.
"Her name was Lilith," he finally said. "Princess of Echelon. The last heir to the Vampire throne."
Mia's heart skipped. She stared at him, confused. "Vampire? But… I'm not a vampire."
"No," Olcan said, turning to face her. "You're something much more dangerous."
He crossed the room and knelt in front of her. His silver eyes—eyes that never aged—met hers with a heavy truth.
"You are a hybrid, Mia. Half vampire, half wolf. Born of two bloodlines that were never meant to mix."
Mia backed away slightly. "That's not possible. That's just fairy tale stuff."
"In this world," Olcan said softly, "fairy tales are warnings. And yours began with a prophecy."
He reached for the chain around his neck and pulled out a small crystal pendant. It glowed faintly in his hand.
"This belonged to your mother. The night you were born, the skies split open. Avalon's witches called it the mark of fate. A girl with the blood of night and the heart of a beast. A child who would rise to claim what was stolen."
Mia stared at the pendant. Her fingers tingled. Her heart pounded. Deep inside her, something stirred—something that didn't feel human.
"I don't understand," she said. "Why would someone want to steal the throne from her?"
"Because power," Olcan said, "turns brothers into monsters."
He stood, his expression darkening.
"King Athens, your grandfather, ruled the vampire kingdom with peace. But his younger brother—Vakar—wanted more. He couldn't stand the idea of Lilith becoming queen. So he made a deal with my people—wolves of Greenland. But not all of us agreed."
Mia looked at him closely. "You… you were one of them?"
"I was the crown prince," he said. "And I loved your mother. But the others—my father, King Demon—saw her as an enemy. They helped Vakar destroy her family. They killed them all. Or so they thought."
He looked down at her, pain and pride in his voice.
"They didn't know she had given birth. They didn't know I escaped with you."
Mia felt like her lungs couldn't breathe fast enough. Her world spun. Everything she believed, everything she knew, had just shattered.
"So why are we here?" she asked. "Why hide in Willow Town like ghosts?"
"Because if Vakar finds out you're alive, he will hunt you. If the other clans find out you're a hybrid, they'll see you as a threat. That's why I've kept you hidden."
He paused, then added, "Until now."
Mia stood up slowly. Her legs trembled, but not from fear. Something was waking inside her—something hot, sharp, and ancient.
"You're saying there's a prophecy," she said. "And I'm the girl in it."
Olcan nodded. "The prophecy says a queen will rise from blood and ashes. She will unite the four lands—human, vampire, witch, and wolf. And she will marry the last white witch, bringing peace back to the world."
Mia frowned. "Marry? I'm thirteen."
Olcan smiled faintly. "The prophecy doesn't care about timing."
She rolled her eyes, but deep down, she was shaken.
"Then what now?" she asked. "If I'm supposed to do all that… what happens next?"
Olcan's smile faded.
"Now," he said, reaching for a leather pack by the door, "we begin the journey back to Echelon. You must see where you came from. Learn to control your powers. And prepare for war."
"War?"
"There are those who will kill to keep you from taking your place. You'll need to be stronger than all of them."
Mia clenched her fists. Her blood boiled—not with fear, but with fire.
"Then let's go," she said.
And for the first time in her life, she knew her name meant something more.
Mia—the girl of the ancient prophecy.
The storm outside roared louder, but inside that small cottage, something even greater was rising.