Flora sacrifices half her living spirit core to rescue her wounded elven lover from an infernal blaze, ruining her health and cutting her lifespan short. Before she can announce her pregnancy, a scheming rival steals credit for the miracle, framing Flora as a greedy deserter and forcing her into exile.
Five years later, Flora struggles to sustain her young son at an open-air marketplace when she inadvertently saves the realm's Queen Dowager. As the bitter sovereign re-enters her life with icy disdain, witnessing her violent respiratory coughing forces him to confront the catastrophic falsehoods that tore them apart.
