Kael’s day started awesome. He woke up smiling because today was finally his big day. Today, Kael was going to become king. Everyone in the palace had been busy all morning, rushing around getting ready. His dad kept patting him on the shoulder, telling him he was proud.

  “You’re ready for this,” his father said with a smile. Kael nodded but felt butterflies jumping around in his stomach.

  The throne room looked amazing. Bright banners hung everywhere, and sunlight shone through the windows like golden swords. Kael wore his best robes, red and gold, heavy but fancy. He felt powerful wearing them.

  Then it all went wrong.

  Just when the royal priest was about to place the crown on Kael’s head, the sky turned black like midnight. People screamed. The sunlight disappeared, replaced by shadows darker than anything Kael had seen before.

  A voice, deep and angry, boomed through the room.

  “You think you’re ready to rule, little prince?” the voice said, cold and cruel.

  “Who are you?” Kael shouted, trying to sound brave. His voice shook.

  “I am Arkanis, God of Shadows,” the voice replied. The shadows moved, shaping themselves into a huge, terrifying figure with glowing red eyes. Kael took a step back.

  “You can’t scare us!” his father shouted, stepping in front of Kael.

  The god laughed, a horrible, mean sound. “I can do more than scare you.”

  Before Kael could even blink, shadows rushed toward him. Pain exploded everywhere, like fire and ice tearing him apart. He screamed and fell to the ground. His skin burned with strange symbols he couldn’t understand.

  “You are cursed, little prince,” the god said. “No kingdom. No crown. You are nothing now.”

  Then the shadows vanished as quickly as they appeared. The room was silent, except for Kael’s heavy breathing. He looked at his father, hoping for help, but instead, he saw fear in his eyes.

  “Father?” Kael whispered. “What do we do now?”

  But the king turned away, shaking his head sadly. Guards surrounded Kael, pulling him roughly to his feet.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “You must go, Kael,” his father said, not meeting his eyes. “You cannot stay here.”

  “What? Why?” Kael shouted. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

  But no one answered him. The guards dragged him out of the palace, ignoring his cries. He fought, but they were stronger. They pushed him out the gates, slamming them shut behind him.

  Kael stood alone outside the palace walls. His robes were torn, dirty from the struggle. Tears stung his eyes. Everything was ruined. He felt the strange curse burning inside him, reminding him of the god’s cruel laughter.

  “I’ll show you,” Kael whispered to himself, fists clenched tight. “I’ll find you, Arkanis, and make you pay.”

  Determined, he turned away from the palace and started walking. He didn’t know where to go yet, but he knew he couldn’t stop. His journey had begun, and he had a god to fight.

  Kael wandered aimlessly for hours, his anger turning into sadness and exhaustion. The roads around the palace soon gave way to dirt trails and dark forests. The trees around him felt threatening, their twisted branches looking like claws reaching out. He shivered despite himself, pulling the remains of his robes tighter around his body.

  Night fell fast, and Kael found himself completely alone. Every noise in the woods seemed louder and scarier. He jumped at every rustle, every snap of a twig, his imagination running wild with fears of monsters and ghosts. He felt silly but couldn’t stop the fear from gripping him.

  “I’m supposed to be brave,” Kael muttered. “Princes aren’t afraid of the dark.”

  Yet he couldn’t help feeling small and lost. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him he hadn’t eaten all day. He realized he had no food, no money, and no idea how to survive.

  “I can do this,” he told himself stubbornly, trying to stay strong. But his confidence faded as the darkness grew deeper.

  Suddenly, something large moved in the bushes nearby. Kael froze, his heart hammering in his chest. His eyes searched desperately through the shadows, but all he saw were shapes he couldn’t recognize. A low growl rumbled through the trees, and panic gripped him.

  “Who’s there?” Kael called out, voice shaking. The growl grew louder, followed by a pair of glowing eyes appearing through the leaves. Fear paralyzed him as a massive wolf stepped into the dim moonlight, its teeth bared.

  Kael stumbled backward, tripping over roots and rocks. He fell hard, scrambling backward as the wolf approached slowly. Its eyes burned with hunger, and Kael knew he was trapped.

  Just as the wolf lunged, Kael threw his hands up instinctively. Bright white light exploded from his palms, blinding and scorching the air. The wolf yelped and stumbled backward, confused and scared. Kael stared at his hands, shocked.

  “What…what was that?” he whispered, amazed. His curse—it had done something incredible.

  The wolf, startled and frightened by the strange magic, ran away into the darkness, leaving Kael panting heavily, heart racing. He stood up shakily, staring at his glowing hands.

  “Maybe this curse isn’t all bad,” Kael thought, a spark of hope growing in his chest. He didn’t fully understand what had happened, but he felt stronger now, ready to face whatever came next.

  With new determination, Kael kept moving through the night, resolved to survive, to master the curse, and ultimately, to confront Arkanis and reclaim everything that had been stolen from him.