Fifteen yea%^rs ago )], \?/Princess Se  r^afina of \,the White #\Drago!n Clan sh!(attered her dragon cr;:;ystal[; to save three d@@. yi-?ng _ a;.lien youths—Kael the wolf, Dorian(- the( ] merman, -@and -Soren  th/#@`e vampire. She /\[los%\t t?hr#ee‑quar;]_te; rs; o_f he/(r pow er .(i-+n e\/xchange  for the#ir vow of eter$[nal m@`arr_iage.
On *the nig)-ht of her fath) e;/r's funeral,/% sh)e caught them ch^(eating with her stepmother Lil=@it!=h in the mourn-\ing hall. Hea) rt‑turned‑a! sh, $$she tore up the _+ tr`/^i‑%clan c$ontract on the spot. ). [Her# ex‑fi^]*ancés_(, ^who** h ad risen on her \[powe+^;r, felt@ t\(]h^eir st.rength crumble `(a=/s/ the dragon!, c^rystal shards inside t+hem backfire)d.
The+/y be;]gge(d.
$: She% walke`\ d away.
No!w__$ Serafin,$a #is on a p.\ath to reco
)ver her= c
_omplete drag!@@on crys$ tal and r -=eclaim th/%e= Dragon Cl(an's throne. And**; a mysterious man who ne,#-ver owed her =
anything, ye:*t\* would %bu.+rn/]^ h
imself for he,
r,
 (is step:@ping ou+,t o) f the# s^hadow/_@(s.