Sacrificed

Born as the illegitimate daughter of Emperor Berthold Amaryllis, Ludis has endured a lifetime of cruelty and neglect within the Visio Empire. Forced to live in the shadows while her existence is treated as an embarrassment, she has never known true compassion or belonging. However, when the empire teeters on the brink of annihilation under the relentless advance of terrifying Demonspawn hordes, her father finally sees a purpose for his discarded child. Rather than offering her protection, Emperor Berthold decides to use Ludis as a ritualistic sacrifice to summon an ancient god capable of saving their realm. Thrust into this desperate gambit, she is offered up to the divine entity as the empire's last hope. As the colossal golden eyes of the awakened deity loom over her, seemingly ready to consume her very soul, Ludis braces for the end. Yet, instead of being devoured by the overwhelming power of the ancient god, her fate takes an unexpected turn. In the final moments of her harrowing ordeal, she finds herself caught not in destruction, but in the sudden, mysterious embrace of an unknown man, altering the course of her tragic destiny entirely.