I am Lavena Isolda Keira, living in the mysterious kingdom of Zlatav. My fate, it seems, was completely rewritten on that fateful night.

It was a gloomy evening when my husband Tristan and I entered a dark and unkempt house with apprehension in our hearts. I was pregnant, my belly slightly swollen, yet my heart was filled with unease and resistance. But my husband firmly believed that we had to come here because in this kingdom, it was a tradition and an official decree that every married couple with a pregnant wife must do so.

Under the dim light of the oil lamp, we met an old woman in her sixties. She was the renowned fortune-teller, Madame Lizhard. Her long silver hair was strewn about, her face wrinkled, her makeup strange, and her eyes cold, without a trace of a smile. The crystal ball in front of her emanated a mysterious aura, as if separating us from another world.

Without hesitation, my husband stated our purpose, hoping to know the future of the child in my womb. Madame Lizhard began to mutter incantations, and the atmosphere in the room grew even more eerie. Her voice was deep and heavy, as if coming from another realm: "The child in your wife's womb will become the greatest witch, the most powerful dark witch in our history. She will be known for her beauty, intelligence, and resourcefulness, but this will come at the cost of many lives. She will have chestnut brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes."

This terrifying prophecy struck my husband and me like a bolt from the blue. We had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this child, and never could we have imagined such a curse. In Zlatav, this curse was well-known, and according to the government regulations, if a child was predicted to be like this, we were obliged to kill our own flesh and blood.

My face turned pale, and tears welled up in my eyes, yet I couldn't utter a single word. My husband Tristan was also on the verge of breaking down, with tears glistening in his eyes. Madame Lizhard further warned us that after the child was born, we either had to kill her or abandon her in a hidden place, or else the consequences would be unimaginable.

After leaving Madame Lizhard's house, our hearts were unbearably heavy. The carriage slowly made its way on the silent night road, the hoofbeats monotonous and dull, as if pounding on our shattered hearts. I leaned on my husband's shoulder, my mind in turmoil. I couldn't understand why we had to endure such a fate. Was there really no other way? How could I bear to part with the baby I had been longing for?

My husband Tristan held my hand tightly, his grip a mixture of love and despair. He too was at a loss. We both knew that as ordinary humans, we couldn't easily go against the will of the gods and goddesses, yet the thought of harming our own child was tearing us apart.

I remembered the journey to the fortune-teller's house. The path had been dark and foreboding, as if foreshadowing the doom that awaited us. The trees along the way seemed to reach out with twisted branches, as if trying to hold us back from the truth we were about to face. And now, on our way home, the same darkness engulfed us, but this time, it was accompanied by a sense of hopelessness.

As the carriage continued to move, I couldn't help but think about the past. Tristan and I had been married for three years, and this child was the fruit of our love. We had prayed and hoped for a family, and now that our wish was finally coming true, it was being snatched away in the most cruel way.

I thought about the first time I realized I was pregnant. The joy that had filled my heart was indescribable. I had immediately started imagining what our child would look like, how we would raise her, and all the wonderful memories we would create together. But now, all those dreams seemed like a distant mirage.

The night was still and quiet, save for the sound of the carriage wheels and the occasional hooting of an owl. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting to see what we would do. I looked out of the window into the darkness, and for a moment, I thought I saw a pair of eyes staring back at me. But when I blinked, they were gone. Was it my imagination, or was something out there watching us?

Tristan finally broke the silence. "Lavena, we have to think about this carefully. There must be a way out. Maybe we can find someone to help us, someone who can change our fate." His voice was filled with determination, but I could hear the underlying fear.

I turned to him, my eyes filled with tears. "But who? Who can go against the prophecy? Madame Lizhard is known for her accuracy. If she says this will happen, then how can we avoid it?"

We both knew that in this kingdom, the power of the fortune-tellers was not to be underestimated. Their prophecies were often seen as the will of the gods, and to go against them was considered a great sin.

The carriage ride seemed to last forever. The minutes dragged on, each one filled with more anxiety and uncertainty. I felt as if I was trapped in a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up.

When we finally arrived home, the grandeur of our residence seemed almost mocking. The torches that lit up the courtyard did nothing to dispel the darkness that had settled in our hearts. Tristan carefully helped me out of the carriage, and we walked slowly towards the house.

As we entered our bedroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The room that had once been a place of love and comfort now seemed cold and forbidding. I lay down on the bed, my body exhausted but my mind unable to rest.

Tristan paced back and forth, his thoughts clearly in turmoil. "Lavena, I can't bring myself to do it. I can't kill our child. There must be another way. Maybe we can leave the kingdom, go somewhere where no one knows us and start anew."

I looked at him, his words giving me a glimmer of hope. But I also knew that it wouldn't be that easy. Leaving the kingdom meant leaving behind everything we knew, our families, our friends. And who was to say that the curse wouldn't follow us wherever we went?

Suddenly, there was a strange noise outside the window. It sounded like a gust of wind, but there was something different about it. I sat up in bed, my heart pounding. Tristan also heard it and walked over to the window to investigate.

When he opened the window, a cold breeze blew in, carrying with it a faint scent of something I couldn't quite place. Tristan looked out into the darkness, his body tense. "There's nothing there," he said, but I could tell he wasn't entirely convinced.

As he closed the window, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. The events of the day had made me paranoid, but I couldn't help it. The prophecy had shaken the very foundation of our lives, and I didn't know what to believe anymore.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the face of Madame Lizhard and heard her ominous words. I prayed to the Goddess Asiles, begging for her guidance and help. But there was only silence.

In the early hours of the morning, I finally drifted off into a fitful sleep. But my dreams were filled with darkness and danger. I saw myself running through a forest, being chased by an unseen force. I could hear the sound of footsteps behind me, getting closer and closer.

I woke up with a start, my body covered in sweat. Tristan was still asleep beside me, his face troubled even in slumber. I got out of bed and walked over to the window. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a pale light over the landscape.

As I looked out at the new day, I knew that we had to make a decision. We couldn't just sit around and wait for fate to take its course. We had to fight for our child, for our family. But how? The road ahead was filled with uncertainty, and I didn't know if we would succeed. But one thing was certain - I wasn't going to give up without a fight.

As the day dawned, we would begin our search for a way to defy the prophecy, to save our unborn child from the dark fate that awaited her. But little did we know, the forces that were set in motion were far greater than we could imagine, and the journey we were about to embark on would test our love, our courage, and our very souls.

What lies ahead for us? Will we be able to find a way to change our fate, or will we be consumed by the darkness of the prophecy? Only time will tell.

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