Kitana blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings. A vast field of flowers stretched beneath her feet, their petals swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance, a village stood against the horizon, its rooftops bathed in golden light.
She hesitated for only a moment before deciding to head toward it. But after just a few steps, she stopped.
A family was playing in the field—a couple with three children, two boys and a younger girl. Their laughter filled the air, warm and carefree. Kitana exhaled, relieved. Maybe they could help her.
She approached cautiously, her voice steady but urgent. "Excuse me… Could you help me? I have no idea where I am."
No response. The children continued to chase each other, their parents smiling as they watched.
Kitana frowned. "Hello?" she tried again, stepping closer. Still, no reaction.
Irritation flared in her chest. People usually stared at her, whether in fear or curiosity—ignoring her entirely was new. She reached out to tap the man's shoulder—only for her hand to pass right through him.
Her breath caught. It was like she wasn't even there.
A ghost? No, that wasn't possible. She clenched her fist, trying to ground herself. This had to be some kind of illusion.
With no other choice, she watched. The family continued as if nothing was wrong, their moments filled with warmth. Eventually, the mother called out, "It's time to go inside."
The youngest girl pouted. "Just a little longer? Please?"
The woman sighed, shaking her head fondly. "Alright, but only a few more minutes."
Kitana considered following them—but the moment she tried, she found herself right back where she started, next to the little girl. No matter how many times she moved, she couldn't leave.
So she waited.
The girl was small, no older than six or seven, with warm brown eyes, tanned skin dusted with freckles, and soft brown curls. There was something strangely familiar about her.
Then, everything changed.
The sky darkened without warning, heavy clouds swallowing the sun. The wind howled, bending the flowers. Thunder rumbled in the distance, low and menacing.
The child whimpered, turning toward the house. She took one hesitant step forward—
A deafening crack split the air.
Kitana flinched as something streaked across the sky, burning like a falling star. It was coming fast, too fast—straight toward the girl.
"No!" Kitana lunged forward, instinct taking over. But her hands, useless as before, passed right through.
The star struck.
The girl gasped, her small body convulsing as power surged through her. Kitana had felt something like this before—the raw, violating force of demon blood invading her body. But this… This was different. It wasn't corrupt. It was something pure.
The energy pulsed, then faded. The child crumpled to her knees.
Kitana stared, breath caught in her throat.
The little girl was no longer the same.
Her brown curls had turned a stark, unnatural white. Her warm eyes had lost all color, leaving behind a haunting, empty white gaze. Her skin, once sun-kissed, was now pale as death.
Kitana's blood ran cold.
What just happened?
Kitana dropped to her knees beside the collapsed girl. "No… what can I do?" she whispered, her hands hovering uselessly over the child's trembling body. But before she could act, her surroundings shifted once more.
She was no longer in the open field. Now, she stood inside a modest home. The same family was there, but the girl was missing. Kitana's heart clenched. She was so young…
The moment of sorrow was cut short by a piercing scream.
"Mommy, please! It's me! Please!"
"Brother! Daddy! Someone, help me!"
The desperate cries sent a chill through Kitana's veins. Slowly, she followed the sound, dread pooling in her stomach. When she reached the next room, she froze.
The girl was there—alive, but barely. Her small body was covered in bruises, her wrists bound in iron shackles. Blood stained her once-pale skin. Kitana opened her mouth to speak, to do something, but the scene dissolved before her eyes.
Her chest tightened as the world shifted yet again. Now, she stood before a cage. Inside sat a breathtakingly beautiful girl with stark white hair and empty, lifeless eyes. Dressed in fine clothes yet stripped of freedom, she was like a doll—fragile, unmoving, and trapped.
Kitana inhaled sharply. It's her. The angel… But something was wrong. The girl's eyes…
Kitana remained silent, knowing this had to be a memory. She watched as the girl, once numb, suddenly gasped for air. Her body convulsed, and she stumbled forward, her expression twisted in pain.
Then, her eyes began to glow.
The light was blinding, radiating with an intensity no human could bear to witness. The girl screamed, her voice raw with agony.
"Powers of the heavens… Mortal… Return, or you shall be punished!"
Her cries shattered the air, and then—her glowing eyes burned away, vanishing into nothing.
Kitana reached out instinctively, her heart pounding. "No—!" She wanted to hold her, to console her, to do something—but, as before, her hands passed right through.
The memory shattered.
Kitana blinked, and suddenly, she was back at the auction. The girl was there, her caged body still and broken.
Kitana's eyes never left her. Her breath came in shallow bursts, rage bubbling in her chest.
"It's an angel," she murmured, voice trembling.
Lucian barely glanced at her. "Huh?"
But this time, Kitana didn't hesitate. She turned sharply, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.
"It's not an angel!" she shouted. "It's a girl!"