Lady Vanya has always lived behind the safety of the Emeraldae estate, raised by her guardian Theresa and a household that became her family after her parents vanished without a trace. Gentle, curious, and quietly defiant, she longs for a world beyond the manor walls but she never expects the world to look back.

At a royal gathering meant to celebrate unity among nobles, Vanya finds herself pulled into a web of political tension and hidden agendas. Lord Alexander Valoric, the enigmatic envoy of the ruler, watches her like a man searching for truths she never meant to reveal. Yet it is not him alone who unsettles her.

From the shadows, a mysterious figure with glowing eyes appears silent, unreadable, and hauntingly familiar. A man she has seen before only in fragments of night and memory.

As the court grows more dangerous and whispers of power shift beneath polished smiles, Vanya realizes she is no longer just a guest in the palace.

She is part of something already in motion.

And someone in the darkness has already chosen her.

Chapter 3 - RAIN AFTER SUMMER