The Fae King's Chosen

Chapter 1 -Alessia's Arrival

Alessia didn’t believe in magic. Not really. She’d grown up reading her fair share of fantasy books, where knights in shining armor and sorcerers with hidden agendas filled the pages. But she had never been one to believe those stories could be real. Fantasy was an escape, a way to break free from the monotony of her everyday life. And recently, life had become far too predictable.

She worked as an administrative assistant at a local law firm—a job that, while stable, offered little excitement. Day in and day out, she filed paperwork, scheduled meetings, and answered phone calls. It wasn’t the career she’d envisioned for herself when she was younger, but it paid the bills, and right now, that was enough.

Or at least, she had convinced herself it was.

Her small apartment, tucked away on the second floor of an old, worn-down building, was her sanctuary. She liked the quiet, the sense of being removed from the chaos of the city. But lately, that quiet had started to feel suffocating, as if she were living the same day over and over again. Something was missing, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

That’s why she’d decided to take the day off and go for a hike, hoping the fresh air and the rhythm of her footsteps along the forest trail would clear her mind.

The woods had always been a place of comfort for her, ever since she was a little girl. Growing up in a small town with miles of forest on every side, Alessia had spent hours wandering through the trees, pretending she was an adventurer on a grand quest. But that had been a long time ago—before life had taught her to keep her feet firmly on the ground.

The trail she followed was familiar, winding through the dense foliage with a steady incline that led to a clearing at the top of a hill. She had been here countless times before, finding peace in the stillness and the rustle of the leaves overhead. Today, though, something felt different.

As she walked, she tried to focus on the gentle sounds of nature—the chirping of birds, the breeze weaving through the branches. But her thoughts kept drifting back to the gnawing sense of dissatisfaction that had been creeping into her life. What am I doing? she wondered. I’m 22, and I already feel like I’m stuck in a loop.

She sighed, pausing to catch her breath as the path grew steeper. She hadn’t come out here for any great revelation. If anything, she just wanted a break—a moment to clear her head and figure out where to go from here.

That was when she saw it.

A shimmer, barely visible in the air ahead of her, like heat rising from the pavement on a summer’s day. Only it wasn’t summer. And it wasn’t hot.

She blinked, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the shimmer remained, hovering in the distance between the trees. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but something about it drew her in, like a whisper just out of reach. She wasn’t the type to veer off paths—life had taught her the value of staying within the lines—but curiosity got the better of her. Without thinking, she stepped off the path and moved toward it, curiosity and a strange pull guiding her feet.

One step turned into two, and before she knew it, she was standing directly in front of the strange shimmer. Alessia hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the trail behind her. Everything in her logical mind told her to turn back, to leave whatever this was alone. But something deeper, something instinctual, pushed her forward.

Cautiously, she reached out to touch the shimmering light.

She shouldn’t have.

The moment she reached out to touch the strange shimmer, reality snapped. The world folded in on itself, twisting and contorting around her, a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds too sharp, too unnatural to belong to the forest. Alessia screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the vortex that sucked her forward, hurtling her through space and time.

When she landed, it wasn’t on soft dirt. The ground beneath her was cool and damp, like polished stone, and the scent of pine and fresh rain filled the air. Alessia gasped, her fingers splayed against the smooth surface. She blinked rapidly, trying to catch her breath.

Where was she?

Gone were the familiar trees and the comforting sound of birds overhead. In their place stood towering, silver trees, their trunks gleaming in the pale light that filtered through the thick canopy. The leaves were a strange iridescent color, shimmering with a faint glow. The air felt charged, humming with a quiet energy that made the hair on her arms stand on end.

Alessia rose slowly, her legs trembling beneath her. This wasn’t the forest she had hiked through. This wasn’t home. A cold chill crept down her spine as she took a tentative step forward, her breath catching in her throat.

“What the hell…?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. She spun around, searching for the shimmer she had touched. The portal had to be here somewhere, the way back. But there was nothing. No sign of the strange light, no way home.

Panic surged through her. She took another step, only to stumble when the bushes ahead of her rustled. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest. Someone, or something, was coming.

Without thinking, she backed away, her mind racing with a million possibilities. None of them good.

The man was otherworldly, with eyes the color of molten gold and skin that seemed to glow in the faint light. He moved with a predatory grace that should have terrified her, but instead, Alessia felt... drawn in. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her legs stayed frozen, her gaze locked on the stranger.

There was something undeniably magnetic about him, about the way he carried himself, as if he commanded not only the space but the very air around him.

“Human.” His voice was low, commanding. It wasn’t a question. It was a fact, spoken as if the very sight of her had confirmed something he had only ever heard in legends.

Alessia’s heart pounded in her chest. This wasn’t a dream. And this man—this... creature—was real. The mix of fear and something she couldn’t quite name made her chest tighten. She didn’t know if she should be running or trusting him, but the pull was undeniable.

Alessia’s throat went dry. “Who… what…?”

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, studying her with a mixture of curiosity and something darker—something she couldn’t quite place. He wore armor, though it was unlike anything she had ever seen. It shimmered like the trees, metallic yet fluid, as if the material itself was alive.

Before she could say anything else, more figures appeared behind him—other men, all just as tall and otherworldly, their gazes fixed on her as if she were some strange, precious artifact.

The first man, the one with the golden eyes, took another step forward, his expression softening slightly. “You must come with us.”

Alessia shook her head, backing up another step. “Come with you? I don’t even know who you are, where I am—”

He raised a hand, silencing her. “You are in Ariysium, and you are in great danger if you remain here unguarded. The king must see you.”

The king? Alessia’s mind spun, trying to process the gravity of what was happening. She opened her mouth to protest, to demand answers, but the words wouldn’t come. Every instinct in her body told her she wasn’t dreaming. This was real.

She swallowed hard, looking into the man’s eyes, searching for some sign of threat. There was none. Only determination. And, maybe, a flicker of something else—something deeper.

“Who… who are you?” she finally managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

The man straightened, his eyes never leaving hers. “I am Caelorn, captain of the King’s Guard. And you, human, have just crossed into a world that has not seen a woman for centuries.”