“The turquoise waters lulled; my reflection stilled. The skin under my eyes was dark as sin, muscles strained to smile, lips dull and ashen.”— Eradena, The Cord Between Two Queens (Book I), Chapter 1

When I wrote those lines, I was thinking of my former modeling days — when I’d sit in a makeup chair, heart pounding under “perfect” skin. Or when I’d step onto a runway in my late teens and early twenties, wearing confidence like a costume and lipstick named Prestige like battle armor.

Makeup was my war paint.
Not for beauty —but for survival.

To pretend I wasn’t scared.
To pretend I wasn’t exhausted.
To pretend I wasn’t breaking under the weight of being “enough.”

I didn’t want people to see the loneliness under the gloss…or the fear that if they did, they’d turn away.

And yet — here’s the truth I wrote into Eradena’s bones:

Presence is more powerful than perfection.
Showing up is more powerful than pretending.

So today, I’m asking you — my Wielder Walkers, my story family —

Let’s stop hiding.

Let’s stop armoring up with “I’m fine.”
Let’s stop mistaking polish for power.

Show up messy.
Show up real.
Show up brave in your rawness.

If Eradena can face kingdoms and ghosts and the crushing weight of destiny, we can face a world that sometimes expects flawless faces and flawless lives.

Because we are building something different here. A community that celebrates courage, not cosmetics.

Truth, not performance.
Presence over prestige — every single time.

So here’s your call to arms:

Reply to this email and finish this sentence:

“When I take off my armor, what I really want is ______.”

Let’s see each other.
Really see each other.
No war paint. No filter. No apology.

Because power doesn’t come from pretending.
It comes from standing in the truth of who we are — together.