Bonus: The Golden Husk and the False Queen

(CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!)

The pealing of the bronze bells did not announce a prayer, but a milestone that defied millennia of isolation.

"In the cycle of the world of Ky'lar, during the summer solstice of June 28th, Her Majesty Queen Galadriel of the Elves crossed the threshold of the Great Holy Kingdom. It was the day the silence of the forests met the roar of marble; the first time the elven lineage willingly walked the lands of men." — Historical Record of the Advent.

"Look there! On the horizon!"

(VROOOOM!)

A gust of wind laden with pollen and ancient magic swept across the capital's stairways...

"The Elven Queen Galadriel would remain in the Holy Kingdom as a gesture of goodwill for two solar cycles before departing for the elven capital in the depths of the forest."

At that time, following the whisper of the Spirits, the Elves had arrived to negotiate an alliance with the Holy Monarch, seeking to forge a common shield against the dark rise of the Demon Goddess, Seraphina, who had seized the fallen Valerius Empire.

"It’s real! The Elves are here!"

Upon the arrival of the children of the forest, the entire capital city transformed into a hive of novelty and joy.

(TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!)

The sound of hammers against stone and metal echoed in every corner. The city government had spared no expense, deploying a fortune in gold to renovate every facade, column, and fountain.

(Fshhhhh!)

The sheen of new fabrics waving in the wind hid the cracks of the past. The extra money flowing through the streets allowed even the less fortunate commoners to wear clothes of linen and silk, hiding their poverty behind a mask of opulence. They sought to bolster their pride before the foreign dignitaries, fearing that elven eyes would look down upon human rusticity.

(CLANG! CRASH!)

The city had never been so bustling, so vibrant... and so dangerously full of expectations. But the question remained in the air: Why did the Holy Kingdom go to such extremes for the arrival of the Elves?

"But... could the legends be true? About the calamities?"

The reason was simple.

(Clack! Clack! Clack!)

The Elves were a race blessed with a natural affinity for magic and a longevity that humans envied. Their arrival was something that occurred only when the balance of Ky'lar was teetering.

"Is the Demon Goddess Seraphina truly as dangerous as the oracles say?"

For the citizens, the arrival was a spectacle; for the high command, it was a necessary chess piece.

"Haaaah... Giving this piece to you will cost you more than the previous ones, Melioris."

"No problem! I already have the payment in advance, and I know you're going to love it~!"

Between the celebration and the tension, the gears had finally begun to turn.

"WAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

When the Elven Queen finally appeared, the crowd erupted in delirium. Intoxicated by her biological perfection, the citizens felt they would submit to her will without a second's hesitation.

Among the crowd, many women clenched their fists, feeling an overwhelming wave of envy and jealousy. Due to the delays caused by the massive crowds, the Queen was forced to postpone all her official business until the following cycle.

(CLACK!)

Upon arriving at the royal suite, the heavy double doors closed, shutting out the din of the city.

"Withdraw. I wish to rest."

The room was a display of imperial opulence, yet once alone, the silence was so dense it seemed solid. Seated on a silk sofa, Queen Galadriel looked like a wax mannequin forgotten in an empty palace.

(Ba-dump!)

Suddenly, as if an electric spark had leapt up her spine, her vacant expression snapped back to life.

"Phew... Finally alone..."

She walked toward the gold-framed mirror to gaze at her reflection.

"Perfect... Haaa... I still can't get used to this beauty... How did my life turn into this?"

Contrary to her noble aura, her face now reflected sheer terror.

(ZAS!)

After securing the door and deploying a magical barrier, she began to strip away her ceremonial garments.

"I cannot afford a single false step. If I make a mistake... I will die."

As her body was exposed to the air, it emanated an overwhelming sense of oppression.

"But... even so... it is still a work of art."

(Ba-dump!)

Feeling the beating of her heart, she lowered her gaze, watching her nipples rise proudly like snowy peaks.

"I know this is wrong... BUT! How can I resist...?! I'm sorry, Galadriel!"

She bowed her head in a gesture of apology toward the soul that no longer inhabited that vessel.

(Sniff... Sniff...!)

She inhaled the scent of her own garments with a deep breath.

"Ahhh... this milky scent is so soothing...!"

Suddenly, her upper body tensed and then went limp.

(Sshhhhh—!)

In the center of her back, a hidden opening in the skin slid open.

(PLOP!)

From the depths of that divine vessel, a common-looking human emerged, crawling out into the room.

"Finally... I can be myself..."

The man stretched with a cracking of bones. Before Galadriel’s body could collapse like a fardo of inert meat, he caught it clumsily. He dragged that shell of beauty and submerged the empty body in the bathtub.

"Could this be some joke from God...?"

In the silence, he began to recall how his mundane existence ended up tethered to the sovereign of the elves.

(Fshhhhh!)

As the steam fogged the mirror, his mind sank into memory. It had all begun when hunger pushed him into the depths of the forest during a torrential storm. Seeking shelter, he found a cave.

"What...?"

There, upon a flat stone, lay an elf with golden hair and a face stained with ruby blood.

"Is she... an angel? Is she wounded?!"

Even near death, her beauty was devastating.

(Drip... drip...!)

He knelt beside the inert figure and shook her gently. No response. No breath. No pulse. A corpse of spectral beauty.

"She's already... dead..."

He noticed a clean, deep cut in her side.

"What the hell?!"

(BZZZZZT! BOOM!)

Suddenly, magical lightning erupted from the rocks, searing the air. Trapped and wounded, desperation overwhelmed him.

(Fshhhhh!)

But a golden light emanating from the corpse acted as a shield. A desperate thought crossed his mind—stories of soldiers hiding inside animal remains to survive.

"I'm sorry... I'm truly sorry... Forgive me... But I have to live!"

He crawled toward the bloody opening in her side, pushing aside the organs blocking his path.

(Crush... slide!)

He entered the elf's body, which became a sanctuary of calm. When the storm subsided, he poked his head out. The cave was charred, but he was intact.

"Even after all that... she's still intact...?"

Inside, her abdomen was empty—a crushed shell held together by a divine skeleton.

(VROOOOM!)

Just as he thought of leaving, a magic circle began to glow beneath them.

"Now what?!"

He curled back into that womb of flesh.

"¡¿?!"

Sudden dizziness took hold.

"Her Majesty seems gravely wounded... I shall submerge her in the sap of the Mother Tree."

(SPLASH!)

The body sank into a dense, warm liquid. The man choked on the fluid and panic overcame him.

(Ding!)

He woke in a plane of pure whiteness.

"Hello... Can you hear me? Oh, Chosen One... I entrust you with a mission."

A Goddess of incomprehensible beauty manifested before him.

"Do you like the Elven Queen's body? After all, you are curled up in her abdomen. I want you to play her part. The demon 'ambush' cost her life, but the alliance must be secured. Therefore, you must assume her role."

She watched him with a playful curiosity.

"In exchange, you may continue living as her... after all, you hate your rustic life."

(CLACK!!)

In a violent disconnection, the role was imposed upon him.

".... That elf killed many of my specially bred demons while fleeing... Well, in the end, she died as planned..."

Unaware that said role gave way to all the chaos unleashed in the world of Ky'lar.