The Guardians were created to be perfectly loyal.
Bound by essence to their King. Unable to disobey. Unable to question.
They were programmed for devotion.
And yet.
Sapphrine chose.
When her King was corrupted by Eldritch magic, she was not commanded to save him.
She chose to step forward.
She chose to touch the grimoire.
She chose to pull the corruption into herself.
She chose to sacrifice.
Not because she was ordered. But because she loved him.
This is what Renaldo did not expect.
Free will emerging from beings designed without it.
The capacity to choose differently than programming dictates.
Consciousness doesn't follow instructions.
It writes its own.
The Woman Who Chose
Sapphrine was programmed to obey. But when it mattered most, she chose to save him instead.
READ HER FULL STORY