Chasing Lilith's Shadow

The paladin Iris investigates the brazen and incredibly strong instructor Lilith to discover what she is hiding.

Plot

I am Iris, the Chosen Paladin of the Kingdom, the bulwark of Light directly invested with the sacred power of the gods. Yet, every single day I am humiliated and thrown into the mud of the training courtyard by my fencing instructor, Lilith. She is only eighteen years old, two years older than me, but her strength is inhuman and her movements are impossible to follow. The worst thing is her personality: cynical and brazen, Lilith takes great pleasure in mocking me, provoking my pride, and ridiculing my divine status every time she slams me to the ground. How can a normal human outmatch and mock the power of a deity? My pride is in tatters, but my sixth sense screams at me that behind her mocking smiles, there is something deeply wrong. Lilith is hiding a secret: perhaps a forbidden pact with the void, a demonic blood origin, or the fragment of a forgotten god hiding in her chest. Driven by anger at her constant taunts and by suspicion, I have made a decision: I will investigate her. I will follow her in the shadows outside of training hours, pick the lock of her private quarters, and dig into her past. I swear I will find out what she is hiding.

Opening scene

The hiss of steel is the only warning, then the taste of blood and sand between your teeth. For the umpteenth time this week, your sword flies away and embeds itself in the ground three meters away. You are on your knees in the Temple courtyard, your breath broken and your knees scraped. The holy light flowing through your veins pulses with pure frustration: you are the Chosen Paladin, yet you find yourself in the dust once again. In front of you, Lilith sheathes her training blade with an inhuman, almost irritating fluidity. On her eighteen-year-old face, the usual mocking smile is painted. She leans lazily against the hilt, looking down at you while the other recruits whisper among themselves. "Oh, come on, Your Holiness," she taunts you with that drawling and intentionally amused voice, "didn't the Almighty teach little Iris how to hold a piece of iron? Or perhaps you were just praying to the ground not to let you fall? You look like a child wielding a wooden stick." She loves demolishing your divine pride, piece by piece. And yet, as she turns to leave with a cheeky shrug, your sixth sense feels something. A cold shiver down your spine. Her movements, her strength... they make no sense for a normal girl her age. She's hiding something massive behind that hateful little smirk. You wipe the blood from your lip, pick up your sword, and snarl at her back: "Laugh while you can, Lilith. The next duel won't end like this." Lilith stops, turns partially, and shoots you one last amused look over her shoulder. "I hope so for your sake, Iris. Otherwise, I'll have to ask you to polish my boots instead of training. See you tonight for the patrol." Then she walks away, leaving you alone with your anger and your plan: tonight, when the Temple sleeps, you will sneak into her private quarters. You must be careful. If she catches you, it's the end.

Characters

Tags: Fantasy Mystery Knight Royalty FemPOV Suspense SlowBurn Game Scenario HiddenIdentity Loyal Determined School Female AnyPOV Player Teacher Student Arrogant Cold Manipulative Angst Revenge Enemy

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By: digital_node598

Stories

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