00:00I am the second princess of Clan Aurelion, pure blood golden scale, and I fell in love with a
00:06filthy black serpent. In my past life, I chose him at the selection rite, insisted on him as
00:12my bonded mate. I was the one who defied every voice in Clan Aurelion to drag him out of the
00:17serpent's abyss and up to Drake's fire. We spent every night together, and on our wedding day,
00:23the black serpent I'd dreamed of for years drove a blade straight through me, three months pregnant.
00:29I collapsed in a pool of my own blood. Draven's voice was full of disgust.
00:34If you hadn't been in the way, I would have had Isoleth long ago. You deserved this.
00:40Only then did I understand. From the very beginning, he'd had his eyes on my sister,
00:46the one already chosen as the next archon. Isolde nestled into his arms. The foot slammed into my
00:53bleeding chest. Pathetic little wretch.
00:56The pain through my heart sent tremors down every limb. With my last breath,
01:01I curse you both to ruin without end. If fate grants me another life, I'll be the other one
01:11holding the blade.
01:13My eyes open. I'm standing on the sacred altar. Wind howls across Drake's fire, carrying ice and
01:20the scent of stone. I'm alive. No, I'm reborn. My father, the man who died long ago in my previous
01:28life, touches my shoulder. A quiet reminder.
01:32Serafina, you're the one who insisted on bonding with the black serpent. Why are you standing there
01:36like you've seen a ghost? Bonding? I look down past the sacred altar. The serpent candidates
01:42stand in a line, waiting to be chosen. The selection rite. I've returned to the day I chose
01:48my bonded mate. Father. A voice cuts me off. Draven Vos steps out of the line. He walks right past
01:55me,
01:56his gaze burning toward Isolde behind me. He drops to one knee. Lord Artron, with all due respect,
02:02my heart does not answer to obligation. It knows only one name, and it is not Serafina.
02:08He lifts his head toward Isolde. I wish only to stand beside the first princess Isolde for the
02:15rest of my days. Dead silence. Father's expression darkens. Everyone knows the black serpentine claim
02:21half-leviathan blood, but the lineage is impure. By every rule, Draven Vos has no right to set foot
02:28in the sacred altar. I'm the reason he's here. I liked him. I chose him. I forced father to make
02:34an exception, to let a serpent stand before dragons. And now, moments before the bond ceremony begins,
02:42he slaps me across the face in front of everyone. David's eyes were cold, contemptuous, and full of
02:48calculations. It hits me at once. He's reborn too. Draven thinks bonding with my sister will rocket him
02:54to the top. What he doesn't know is that who becomes the true Archon of Clan Aurelion isn't
02:59his choice. It's mine. This time around, without my designation, I'd love to see how far either of
03:06you climb. Father erupts. His dominance aura crashes down like a landslide. Draven's knees buckle. His
03:13forehead hits stone. You forget what you are. Serafina is the second princess of Clan Aurelion.
03:19Do you think you're choosing livestock at market? Even with the Archon's aura grinding his joints to
03:25the breaking point, Draven refuses to yield. He speaks through clenched teeth. Lord Archon,
03:31what is my crime? Must I bond with the second princess simply because she fancies me? I love
03:36the first princess, I'm solid. The first princess trains day and night, treats everyone with grace.
03:42The second princess is reckless, idle, never once honed her power. If any of you were in my position,
03:51who would you choose?
03:53Every word sounds sincere, but I know exactly what's behind it. In the last life,
03:57he learned Isolde was father's chosen successor. Bond with the Archon's chosen. Share the ancestral
04:03power. Catalyze his impure Leviathan blood. Evolve into a true Leviathan. It's never been about love.
04:10It's about leverage. Father's fury deepens. The dominance aura intensifies. A filthy serpent
04:17daring to judge my daughter. You have a death wish. Father, stop. Isolde steps out from behind me.
04:25Her cheeks flush pink. Her eyes glistened with just the right amount of tears. Every word of
04:31Draven's confession. She heard it all. I accept him. Stunned silence. Father stares at her.
04:37Isolid, do you hear yourself? He is Seraphina's chosen mate, and Draymond Vos is nothing more than
04:44a mongrel serpent. Bonding with him would only drag you down. Before he finishes, Draven produces an
04:51obsidian case from inside his robes. He kneels again, presenting it to Isolde with both hands.
04:57The lid opens. Inside lies a pearl. I offer this to the first princess. Someone in the crowd
05:04recognizes it instantly. A Leviathan pearl. I glance at it. Lower my lashes. Leviathan pearl.
05:10An ancient relic from the depths of the serpent's abyss. Nine out of ten who search for it. Never
05:15come back. In my last life, I burned through every resource the clan gave me trying to find one for
05:20Draven. He'd held me close. Voice soft. It's just a myth, Sarah. Don't waste yourself on it. The pearl was
05:26in his hands the whole time. And now, to win my sister's favor, he pulls it out without a second
05:31thought. Everything I gave him. A joke. Isolde takes the obsidian case. Deeply moved. She flicks a
05:37glance at me. Sharp. Triumphant. Then turns to father. Tears shimmer. Her voice trembles just enough.
05:45My whole life, you favored Serafina. And now, finally, someone chooses me. Would you tear that
05:54away from your own daughter just for Serafina's sake? Father hesitates. His gaze lingers on the
05:59leviathan pearl. Then he turns to me. Serafina. Don't make this difficult. If his heart lies with
06:06your sister, let it go. Don't be unreasonable. I close my eyes. A bone-deep exhaustion settles
06:12over me. Isolde and I share a father. That's all we share. Her mother, Ilara, was an iron-scale
06:19dragoness. The lowest subspecies among dragonkind. She died shortly after giving birth to Isolde.
06:25Too weak to survive. Father later married my mother, the previous female archon of clan Aurelion.
06:31Pure blood, golden scale. Her blood and her rank made me the rightful heir from the moment I drew
06:36my first breath. But growing up, even the clan could see it. Father measured us on two completely
06:42different scales. With Isolde, he was a merciless drillmaster. He threw her into the bone wastes
06:47as a child and never looked back. Even when she crawled home covered in wounds, he wouldn't let her
06:53shed a single tear. You are my daughter. Weakness is not yours to claim. With me, even though my raw
06:59talent surpassed Isolde's, he said he worried I'd suffer on the path of cultivation. Without hesitation,
07:05he pulled me out of training entirely. You don't need to be strong, Serafina. Just be happy.
07:11To everyone else, I was the pampered princess. But I knew the truth. This wasn't love. It was a leash.
07:17He was raising me to be useless. In my past life, I wandered deep into the clan crypts by accident.
07:23Found father kneeling before a black obsidian tombstone. The name carved into it. Ilara.
07:29His voice was low, tender. Nothing like the way he spoke to me.
07:32Ilara, my love. After all these years, it is still you. It has always been you. Rest easy.
07:41I've kept my promise. The girl knows nothing. Not her power, not her birthright. Nothing. Our daughter
07:49will have everything she deserves. I stood in the dark, ice spreading through my veins. He wasn't
07:55spoiling me. He was making sure I'd never threaten Isolde. Father wanted me to choose Draven Vos,
08:01a black serpent with low standing. Once bonded to him, no one in the clan would ever take me seriously.
08:06And now, Draven has produced a leviathan pearl. Father seizes the chance to boost Isolde's power.
08:12Pins the label of unreasonable on me. Orders me to step aside.
08:17Fine.
08:18You want it? Take it. I agree too fast. Father blinks. Draven's eyes flicker. Isolde,
08:23though. She walks up to me, voice coated in honey.
08:26I only want what's best for you, little sister. After all, a forced bond breaks both.
08:34Tell you what. She smiles, scanning the crowd. Pick another mate. I'll bond with Draven. You'll
08:41have your own match. And Father can stop worrying. Father watches Isolde with open adoration. But
08:46they both know the truth. Every candidate invited to the sacred altar today is a serpent. And aside
08:51from Draven, not one of them stands out. I don't bother with her games. I raise my hand lazily and
08:57point in a random direction. That one. I'm pointing at a silver serpent. In human form,
09:02he's unexpectedly striking. Pale skin. Silver irises with slit pupils. A lean frame. Wiry but
09:10strong. Almost a match for Draven Voss in appearance. But his mana is so faint it barely
09:15registers. A candle about to gutter out. If black serpentine blood is considered low,
09:20then silver serpentine, in the eyes of dragonkind, is nothing more than a worm with scales. Apart
09:26from shifting into human form, they have almost zero combat ability. The silver serpent freezes
09:31when my finger lands on him. Isolde presses her hand to her lips, feigning concern. Each
09:36word drips with just enough sweetness to cut. Oh, Sarah. Are you sure? He looks...fragile.
09:44I'd hate for him to reject you, too. The silver serpent speaks. No hesitation. No waves.
09:50I accept. The entire crowd flinches. Even I pause. He walks straight out of the line,
09:57stops before me, and extends a pale, slender hand. Your Highness. My name is Kale. A beat of silence.
