FIRSTBORN
Lira, a young girl lost in a mysterious forest, stumbles upon a hidden garden of black roses. Weak from hunger and exhaustion, she meets Caelan, a brooding man with a white mask covering half of his face, the other half scarred and twisted. He gives her food and a clean dress, but his cold, sarcastic demeanor hides a deeper pain.
When Lira touches his scars, something strange happens: they begin to fade, as if her touch can heal them. Confused and afraid, she pulls away, but her touch has already triggered a transformation. Flowers bloom, and the air shimmers with life, breathing color into the dark, decaying castle nearby.
Caelan reveals that her touch brings life to the castle, a place trapped in darkness and madness for centuries. The power she doesn't understand makes her a target for dangerous creatures that want to steal it. Fearing for her safety, Caelan traps her in his castle to protect her, even as he resents her ability to undo the curse that binds him there.
As Lira spends more time with him, she discovers that her magic is tied to Caelan's curse. Each time she touches him, the scars on his face fade more, but it also threatens his existence. Despite his bitterness, a bond forms between them, and Lira begins to understand that she may be the key to breaking Caelan's curse-but only if she can control her dangerous power before the creatures outside break in.
Lira must decide whether to trust Caelan, embrace her magic, and save the castle-or escape before her powers consume them both.
