The sun hung low in the sky, casting a deep amber glow over the grand towers of Castle Norvayne. Prince Kael stood on the high balcony of his chambers, staring out at the horizon.

It had been years since he'd taken the throne, and yet he still felt the weight of his father's crown more than the power that should have come with it.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. "Come in," Kael said, his voice steady, though his eyes remained distant, fixed on the dying light.

The door creaked open, and Captain Thorne, the head of his personal guard, entered, bowing slightly before speaking. "Your Majesty, there's a visitor seeking an audience. A mage, by the looks of him. He carries the seal of Eldoria's Mage Council."

Kael turned, raising an eyebrow. "The Council? I've had no dealings with them in years. What does he want?"Thorne shook his head. "He wouldn't say, sire.

Only that his business is of great importance."Kael sighed. Magic was woven into the fabric of his kingdom, but the Mage Council had kept its distance from royal affairs for as long as he could remember.

That they would send someone now piqued his curiosity. "Very well. Bring him to the audience chamber."Minutes later, Kael descended into the audience hall, his footsteps echoing through the grand stone chamber.

The figure waiting for him was not what he expected. The mage was young, with sharp features and silver hair that shimmered in the candlelight.

His eyes, an unnatural shade of violet, gleamed with intelligence—and something else Kael couldn't place."I am Eiran, of the Mage Council," the man said, bowing low, though there was something informal in the way he carried himself.

His cloak shifted slightly, revealing a faint scar on his neck."And what brings the Council to my doorstep?" Kael asked, his voice firm but curious.

Eiran raised his gaze, locking eyes with Kael. "I'm not here on their behalf. I come with a message—a warning."Kael frowned. "A warning?"Eiran stepped closer, his voice lowering.

"The curse that haunts your bloodline, the one you've hidden from your people—it's unraveling. Soon, it will consume not just you, but all of Norvayne."Kael's blood ran cold. "How do you know about the curse?"Eiran smiled faintly, but there was no joy in it.

"Because I've been searching for its origin. And I believe I know how to break it."Kael's heart raced. "Break it? Impossible. It's been passed down through my family for generations.

No one has ever found a cure.""And yet, I may be the one who can help you," Eiran replied, stepping even closer.

"But there's a price."Kael's eyes narrowed. "A price? What do you want?"Eiran's gaze softened, though there was an intensity behind his words. "Your trust, your partnership.

I have enemies of my own—enemies that threaten both of us. If we join forces, we may both get what we want."Kael studied the mage, suspicion warring with the faintest flicker of hope.

He had learned long ago that no one could be trusted, not even those closest to him. But something about Eiran felt different—dangerous, but not malicious."What's in it for you?" Kael asked finally.Eiran's smile was cryptic, as though he carried more secrets than he let on.

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in making sure you remain alive."Kael crossed his arms, feeling the familiar weight of his curse pressing against his heart. "And if I refuse?"Eiran's smile vanished, his expression growing somber.

"Then the curse will claim you. You will lose everything—your throne, your people… and your soul."Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension. Finally, Kael sighed, resigned to the inevitable. "Very well.

I'll hear you out. But make no mistake, mage—I don't trust easily."Eiran's eyes gleamed once more, but this time, there was a flicker of something warmer in them. "You will, in time."

As the two men left the chamber, side by side, neither of them could have known that their fates were now bound together—not just by the curse, but by something far deeper.

And as the shadows of war loomed over Norvayne, the bond between them would be tested in ways neither of them could have foreseen.