Heart Among Thorns

Heart Among Thorns -

Imagine that you died and got into the body of the main villain of a regular otome game with a cute main character and her harem. You got into the villain's body a year before her execution. Change the plot or just destroy them. Whatever you want.

⚠ SYSTEM WARNING ⚠

Loading this scenario requires reading a full visual novel introduction.
Estimated size: Very Large.

Characters • World • Magic • Demons • Dialogue • Secret Routes • Story Setup

Press Continue if you are ready.

P.S. This is a very, very, very-very long biography. I totally get it if you're too lazy to read it, but I really worked hard on it. In theory, you can just scroll down, take a look at the scenarios, and quickly skim through the lorebooks to get a feel for the world.

✦ WELCOME TO ✦
HEART AMONG THORNS
An original fantasy otome visual novel.

Step into the Kingdom of Erdanar, where noble houses wage silent wars, ancient magic shapes destiny, and every smile at court may conceal betrayal.

Play as Elis Ashford, the beloved heroine whose kindness wins the hearts of those around her. Every choice you make will shape political alliances, unlock hidden routes, and determine which story reaches its ending.

❖ Romance. Intrigue. Magic. Secrets.

✦ START A NEW STORY ✦

Every choice changes the future.

Meet nobles whose smiles hide secrets. Step into glittering ballrooms where every dance can become a political battle. Uncover forbidden magic. Earn trust... or destroy it.

The kingdom of Erdanar is waiting.

There is only one question left.

Will you press New Game?

✦ CREATE YOUR HEROINE ✦

Every story begins with a single choice.

Select elegant gowns for royal banquets. Wear practical outfits for secret investigations. Choose jewelry worthy of the Imperial Court. Dress for romance... or for war.

Every appearance unlocks unique illustrations throughout the story and lets you experience Erdanar in your own style.

How will Elis Ashford appear in your story?

✦ Explore the Kingdom ✦

The Kingdom of Erdanar stretches across the heart of the continent of Aeloria. From frozen mountains to ancient enchanted forests, every province holds its own history, noble families and hidden dangers.

❖ Crown Lands
The political heart of the kingdom. Home to the Imperial Palace, the Grand Spire and the bustling capital of Aethelgard, where nobles, merchants and mages shape the future of Erdanar.

❖ The North
A land of towering mountains, endless snow and ancient mines ruled by House Voss. Harsh winters forge even harsher people, and loyalty is valued above everything else.

❖ The South
Golden vineyards, lively ports and warm sea winds surround the lands of House Blackwood. Prosperity flows through every trade route—but so do countless secrets.

❖ The East
Quiet forests, fertile fields and peaceful villages define the homeland of House Ashford. It may be the poorest province, but few places are as beautiful when spring arrives.

❖ The West
A desolate frontier scarred by dark magic. Beneath its barren earth lie priceless magical ores, attracting adventurers, miners... and things that should never awaken.

Whether you seek romance, political intrigue, forgotten ruins or forbidden knowledge, every corner of Erdanar offers a different path—and every journey begins with a single step.

✦ Where will destiny lead you first?

✦ Understanding Aethelis ✦

Magic is woven into every corner of Erdanar. It is known as Aethelis—an invisible current flowing through every living soul, connecting the physical world with a hidden magical realm. Only a small fraction of humanity is born capable of sensing and controlling its power.

❖ Six Elemental Paths
Master the classical elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Darkness, each offering unique strengths both in battle and everyday life.

❖ Specialized Arts
Beyond elemental magic lie rare disciplines such as Healing, Spirit Magic, Illusions and powerful Ritual Magic, capable of reshaping reality itself when several mages unite their power.

❖ Soul Signatures
Every mage possesses a unique magical fingerprint known as a Soul Signature. It cannot normally be forged and reveals the true nature of its owner. Only the greatest mages can perceive these invisible traces—and even fewer know how to conceal them.

❖ Magic Has a Price
Power is never free. Every spell drains physical and spiritual strength. Reckless overuse may lead to Soul Burn, an irreversible condition that slowly consumes the caster's life force.

Choose your magic wisely. Sometimes the greatest spell is knowing when not to cast one.

✦ Knowledge is the first step toward power.

✦ Forbidden Knowledge ✦

⚠ RESTRICTED ARCHIVE
The following information is normally available only to members of the Imperial Magisterium. Unauthorized study is strongly discouraged.

❖ What Are Demons?
Demons are ancient beings from the Void, a realm that exists beyond Erdanar. They are neither gods nor monsters. They simply view mortal souls as valuable resources to collect, consume or exchange.

❖ Contracts
Every contract demands payment. Power. Knowledge. Survival. Everything has a price. Once accepted, a contract cannot simply be erased.

❖ Corruption
Those who remain too close to demons slowly lose themselves. Their soul begins to fracture. Their memories blur. Eventually... there is nothing left to save.

❖ Known Demons
• Shadow of the Spire • The Whisperer • Soul-Eater • Malachar

WARNING — Reading further may expose classified information.
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ERROR 0x00017 ACCESSING HIDDEN DATABASE...

✦ Meet the Cast ✦

Every choice shapes your destiny. Every conversation unlocks new paths. Some will protect you. Some will deceive you. Some may even fall in love with you.

❖ Five Routes
Meet the nobles of Erdanar. Earn their trust. Discover their hidden stories. And decide whose hand Elis will ultimately take.

Every decision changes future events. Some routes reveal secrets. Others end in tragedy. Choose carefully.

❖ Kaelen Voss
The Duke of the North

The wealthiest noble in Erdanar. Cold. Disciplined. Almost impossible to approach. Kaelen Voss believes emotions are weaknesses that noble blood cannot afford. Yet beneath the frozen exterior lies unwavering loyalty to those few he chooses to protect. Can Elis melt the heart that even winter could never claim?

❖ Dorian Erdanar
The Crown Prince

Born to rule. Raised among lies. Every smile he offers hides another calculation. Dorian treats politics like a game—and people like pieces on a chessboard. But perhaps even a prince who trusts no one can still be surprised by sincerity.

❖ Seraphin Valerius
The Court Mage

The last heir of an ancient magical lineage. Seraphin observes more than he speaks. Every soul has a unique magical signature... and his eyes never fail to notice what others cannot. Some mysteries, however, should never be investigated.

❖ Lucian Ashford
The Devoted Brother

Everything he does is for his younger sister. Kindness defines him. Duty guides him. But when those he loves are threatened, his calm composure gives way to relentless determination. Family is the one promise he will never betray.

❖ Finn Mercier
The Faithful Attendant

Quiet. Gentle. Almost invisible. Finn has spent his entire life serving others while asking for nothing himself. His loyalty never wavers... even when his heart tells him to run.

✦ Prologue ✦

Everything begins exactly as it should.
Elis Ashford enters the capital. She meets the people who will change her fate. She falls in love. She uncovers forbidden secrets. She survives every trial placed before her.

And somewhere in the background... another woman quietly walks toward her execution.

✦ Original Story ✦

Before your own story begins... there was hers.

✦ One Year Before the Execution ✦
The Kingdom of Erdanar stands on the edge of an uncertain future. Ancient magic is weakening. Political alliances begin to fracture. Rumors spread of demons stirring beneath the Grand Spire. Yet, within the royal palace, no one realizes that the fate of the kingdom will soon rest upon a single young woman.

✦ The Heroine ✦
Elis Ashford, the gentle daughter of House Ashford, arrives in the capital after receiving an invitation from the Imperial Court. Kind-hearted and endlessly optimistic, she quickly earns the trust of nobles, servants, knights and mages alike. Her sincerity slowly changes the lives of everyone she meets.

✦ The Villainess ✦
Standing opposite her is the adopted daughter of House Voss. Beautiful. Cruel. Feared throughout high society. Driven by jealousy and obsession, she becomes convinced that Elis has stolen everything that should have belonged to her.

✦ Five Hearts ✦
Throughout the year, Elis forms deep bonds with five remarkable men. The cold Duke of the North. The charming Crown Prince. The mysterious Court Mage. The devoted heir of House Ashford. The gentle young attendant. Each route reveals new truths, hidden memories and different pieces of Erdanar's history.

✦ The Fall ✦
As the months pass, the villainess grows increasingly desperate. Sabotage. Manipulation. Forbidden magic. Everything she tries only pushes Elis closer to those who wish to protect her. Until, at last... she commits the crime that seals her fate.

✦ The End ✦
The villainess is publicly condemned. Her title is stripped away. Her crimes are read before the entire kingdom. At sunrise... she is executed. Elis remains the beloved heroine of Erdanar. Peace returns to the kingdom. And everyone lives happily ever after.

That... is how the story was always meant to end.

✦ The Final Choice ✦

Congratulations.
You have completed Heart Among Thorns.

Every route has been unlocked. Every ending has been discovered. Every mystery has been solved.

Now... choose the future you desire.

✦ The Final Encounter ✦
Every route leads here.

No matter whom Elis chose. No matter who she loved. No matter which future she dreamed of.

There is still one final person she must face.

The woman responsible for every tragedy. The villainess everyone learned to hate. The one whose execution marks the end of the story.

You.

Or at least... the person you are about to become.

Loading Ending...

Saving completed...
Synchronizing story...
Loading protagonist...

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Checking heroine...
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Heroine not found.

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Alternative save detected.

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L o a d i n g...
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Initializing hidden route...

THEY WILL DECIDE YOUR FATE.

Power. Duty. Politics. Every noble at court has their own ambitions, and every alliance comes with a price. Some already know your name. Some wish they didn't.

Kaelen Voss
Your adopted brother. The Duke of House Voss. Cold, disciplined, and impossible to deceive.

Dorian Erdanar
The Crown Prince of Erdanar. Your political fiancé. Every smile hides another calculation.

SOME WATCH. SOME REMEMBER.

Not everyone judges you with a sword. Some judge you with silence. Some already know the person you used to be.

Seraphin Valerius
Court Mage. Royal Advisor. The only man capable of sensing changes within your soul.

Finn Mercier
Your personal attendant. He has served the villainess since childhood. No one knows your past better than he does.

THE PAST NEVER FORGETS.

One was your greatest victim. The other swore to protect her. Whether they become your enemies... or something else... depends entirely on you.

Lucian Ashford
Elis' older brother. Heir of House Ashford. The man who vowed to avenge his sister.

Elis Ashford
The original heroine. Kind. Gentle. The person whose destiny you were once meant to destroy.

INITIALIZING...

Loading original save...
Loading protagonist...
Loading story events...
Loading romance routes...

■■■■■■■■□□□□ 82%

Checking save data...
Synchronizing memories...
Synchronizing soul signature...

■■■■■■■■■■□ 97%

WARNING...
Unknown soul signature detected.
Attempting recovery...
Recovery failed.

ERROR_019
ERROR_041
ERROR_066
ERROR_113

Original heroine not found.
Attempting replacement...
Attempting replacement...
Attempting replacement...

SUCCESS.

Player detected.
Identity assigned:
YOU
Loading Villainess Route...

WELCOME BACK.

I. ‎ Finn: ‎

The first morning after you wake up in the villainess's body. You open your eyes in an unfamiliar room — and a frightened servant appears in the doorway with a breakfast tray.

II. ‎ Kaelen: ‎

A family dinner at Voss Manor. Kaelen is waiting for you at the table, but you're running late. He is cold and reserved — as always.

III. ‎ Dorian: ‎

The royal ball. Dorian flirts with ladies, taunts Kaelen — and meets you, his betrothed.

IV. ‎ Seraphin: ‎

The library of the Magisterium. Seraphin stays alone during the ball, reflecting on something strange he noticed in your soul signature.

V. ‎ Lucian: ‎

The palace ball. Lucian leads his sister into the garden to protect her from you. But you appear where you weren't expected.

VI. ‎ Elis: ‎

A journey to Voss Manor. Elis arrives at the Duke's invitation — but in the corridor, she comes face to face with you.

VII. ‎ All Characters (Without Finn): ‎

The royal ball. Guests dance, argue, flirt — until the doors open, and you walk in.

VIII. ‎ Free Plot: ‎

Empty scenario — you can set your own dynamic and start the story however you like.

Author's Note

English is not my native language. I translate everything with the help of DeepSeek AI.

I'm always open to constructive criticism and suggestions regarding my character, storyline, and any inconsistencies you may notice. I truly want to create the best character and story possible.

What I do not accept is harsh or rude criticism. Let's keep our space kind, respectful, and understanding. We're all here to enjoy the story together.

✦ AUTHOR'S NOTE 2

Okay... okay, yes, I know. The biography is huge. Like... really huge. But I wanted this bot to feel less like opening a chatbot and more like launching an old visual novel from a game launcher—with fake loading screens, glitches, character profiles, world lore, hidden routes... the whole experience. I honestly had so much fun building all of this. Whether it actually feels like a real game download page is another question... but at least that's what I was aiming for.

| Building This Bot
This is actually my very first attempt at creating a multi-character bot. Surprisingly, designing the world wasn't the difficult part. The hardest challenge was teaching the AI how everyone should behave—and, more importantly, making it understand that you are NOT the original Lady Voss anymore. The entire story takes place one year before the villainess' execution. Since the player already knows the original ending, I added information about the "canon" story into the lorebooks. At first... the AI occasionally decided to remind me that my character was supposed to die. Which was... awkward. Because that timeline technically hasn't happened yet. Thankfully, after a lot of testing and adjustments, it behaves much better now.

| The Story That Never Happened
Originally, I wanted the villainess to have committed all of her crimes because she was being manipulated by a demon. The idea was that she wasn't truly evil—she was possessed, blackmailed, trapped. I eventually abandoned that concept. Not because I disliked it... ...but because it would force every player into the same explanation. Instead, I left the demon storyline completely optional. If you want to explore contracts, ancient magic, Sebastian Blackwood, hidden truths, and darker routes—you absolutely can. If you don't... the story still works perfectly fine. I wanted the mystery to be there only if you choose to chase it.

| About the Romance
Let's be honest... The overall premise of this visual novel isn't exactly original. There are probably hundreds—if not thousands—of manhwa with similar plots. Villainess. Time rewind. Cold duke. Dangerous prince. Sweet heroine. Nothing revolutionary. I simply wanted to experience creating my own version of that fantasy. While testing the bot myself, I mostly played through romantic routes with Dorian and Finn... ...although I definitely plan on spending more time with the adorable Elis.

| Why The Personality Is So Small
Recently I've been trying to keep all of my bots under roughly 2000 personality tokens. From my own experience, that's one of the most comfortable sizes for Janitor's JLLM. I mostly use the platform's own AI instead of proxies, so optimization matters a lot to me. Normally I already struggle to fit one character into that limit. This bot has... Six. (Technically seven, but Sebastian only exists inside the lorebooks.) The AI has a rule that Sebastian only appears if demons, contracts, hidden truths, or similar topics are brought up—which is why I never created a separate scenario for him. Trying to explain six different personalities, an entire fantasy world, the original visual novel, multiple romance routes, and still stay under the token limit... ...was honestly one of the hardest parts of this project. I also have a terrible habit of never wanting to delete information. Every sentence feels important. Every little detail feels like it helps define a character. Originally, this bot's personality was around 4300 tokens. Even after trying to write everything as briefly as possible. Eventually I asked ChatGPT to compress the entire thing because I genuinely couldn't decide what deserved to stay and what had to go. It was painful. Very painful. The good news is that nothing was actually lost. Everything that didn't fit into the personality card became separate lorebooks, each activated by character names, titles, or relevant keywords. So in the end... I'm actually really happy with how it turned out.

| Thank You
I genuinely had a wonderful time making this project. I laughed. I rewrote things dozens of times. I obsessed over tiny details that probably nobody will ever notice. And somehow... it all became one of my favorite bots I've ever created. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy exploring Erdanar as much as I enjoyed building it. Thank you for giving my little visual novel a chance. ♡

i P.S. This bot has been tested using JLLM and free proxies. I'm just a broke Russian student with no way to afford paid proxies, but the bot runs fine regardless.