The grand hall was silent when the guard stormed in, blood trailing down his arm and fear in his eyes. He dropped to one knee, head bowed low.
"My King… I bring news from Prince Kael's quarters."
Malakar didn't move. "Speak."
The guard's voice trembled. "We… we did as you ordered. We told him the king was calling for him. At first, he didn't respond. We waited. Then we insisted. He refused and said he wasn't coming."
Malakar's grip on his throne tightened. "And?"
The guard hesitated. "One of us tried to bring him by force. The prince… he snapped. His power….he ripped out Maron's heart."
The air thickened.
"And you're alive because?" Malakar asked as he raised a brow, his tone calm, but deadly.
"I…I didn't run. I stood my ground."
The king rose slowly, each step echoing through the hall. His eyes glowed a harsh, burning gold.
"In my palace," he said, voice low with rage, "he dares kill my soldier? Disobey me? He's forgotten who rules here."
Another soldier in the corner dared to speak. "My king… he's not himself. His power…it's consuming him
Malakar turned,his eyes turned cold and dangerous
"Not himself? He better find himself fast. Because this kingdom has one king. And it's not him."
The court fell into a heavy silence. Malakar's voice dropped into a deadly whisper.
"If Kael wishes to behave like a beast, I will remind him what it means to be ruled. He may be my son,but no one defies me and walks free."
"Let him come unchained. Let him come wild. He'll still kneel before me."
He stepped back toward his throne.
"This palace. This kingdom. This throne. All of it is mine. If my son wants to challenge that… then let him."
A soft knock on lysara's door
She didn't turn. "Come in."
A servant entered, head bowed. "My lady… there's been an incident."
Lysara looked up slowly. Her eyes, calm but sharp, met the servant's trembling ones. "What kind of incident?"
"It's Prince Kael… he…he killed one of the guards."
"The king summoned him. When he refused, the guards tried to bring him by force. One of them reached for his sword. The prince… reacted."
Lysara turned fully to the servant. "How did he react?"
The servant hesitated. "He…he tore the guard's heart out. With his claws."
Lysara closed her eyes for a moment.
"Did Malakar find out?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, my lady. He's furious."
"Of course he is," she murmured, more to herself.
She walked slowly to the edge of the window, staring out at the dark mountains beyond the palace walls.
"I told him," she whispered. "I told Kael to be careful. To not let his anger win."
She let out a slow breath, full of heaviness. Her voice trembled
"He's losing himself. Not because of power… but because of pain."
The servant remained silent, unsure if he should leave.
"Thank you," she said softly. "You may go."
When the door closed behind him, Lysara turned let out a heavy sign not knowing what to do.
She stood up and went to kael's chamber.she needed to speak some sense into him.
Queen Lysara walked down the hallway,then turned the corner, walking with calm grace, dressed in a dark violet gown. Her long black hair trailed behind her.
Both guards straightened immediately, lowering their heads.
"Your Majesty," the older one greeted, bowing.
She stopped in front of the door and looked at them. "Is my son inside?"
"Yes, my Queen," the younger one answered, hesitating. "He… hasn't left since the incident."
She nodded once. "I need to see him."
The guards exchanged a look.
"My Queen," the older one began carefully, "forgive us, but Prince Kael left a message. He said no one is to disturb him. Not even the king."
Lysara tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Did he say that exactly?"
The guard nodded. "Yes, my Queen. He also said, 'Tell the king,I don't take orders from anyone. He wants me? Let him come himself.'"
Lysara's lips pressed into a thin line.
She took a step forward, standing tall.
"Move aside," she said, her tone quiet but firm. "I am not 'anyone.' I am his mother."
The guards froze.
"My Queen," the younger one tried again, "he..he's dangerous right now."
"So am I," she replied coldly.
Neither guard dared stop her after that.
Slowly, they stepped aside.
Lysara nodded once and reached for the door handle, her voice soft as she added, "No one else comes in. No matter what you hear."
"Yes, my Queen," they answered in unison.
And with that, she pushed the door open and stepped inside Kael's room, closing it behind her and for a moment, Lysara stood still, Her eyes landed on Kael, who stood by the window, his back to her, his posture tense.
"Kael," she said quietly.
Kael didn't turn around. He stood there, staring out into the dark night, his jaw clenched.
He had known she would come.He could feel her presence before she even spoke.
Lysara took a step closer, her voice calm but full of authority. "What have you done?"
Kael's grip tightened on the windowsill. "I did what I had to do."
"I see," Lysara murmured, walking further into the room.
"Is that what you tell yourself to justify murder, Kael?"
His eyes flashed, but he didn't turn around. "I didn't kill them because I wanted to. They were in my way."
Lysara's gaze softened, but she was still a bit disappointed.
"You could've controlled yourself. You could've made another choice."
"I don't care about control anymore," Kael snapped, spinning around to face her.
"Do you think I care about what anyone says? The king? The soldiers? You?"
Lysara took a step back, her heart tightening at the sight of her son's anger.
His eyes were dark, but they weren't the only thing that had changed. There was something more,his demon side.She could feel the raw power radiating off him.
"Kael," she said, her voice softer now. "You are better than this."
"Better than what?" Kael growled. "Better than who? My father? My family? They've all tried to mold me into something I'm not! I've been nothing but a puppet for them!"
Lysara's expression hardened, but she remained composed. "You are not a puppet, Kael. You are a prince. You are my son. But you are not the monster you're becoming.This is not who you are kael."
Kael's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Then who am I, Mother? A son who can't protect the one thing I care about? A prince who has no say in his own life? What is left for me to be?"
Lysara's heart broke at his words.
"I don't know what the future holds for you, Kael," she said softly, her voice shaking slightly. "But I do know that if you let this anger consume you, you will lose everything. You will lose yourself."
Kael's eyes flickered with something that almost looked like doubt. But then he shook his head, his expression hardening again. "I don't have time for doubts, Mother. I have a choice to make. A decision that could change everything."
Lysara stepped closer, her voice firm. "And that decision doesn't have to destroy you. You can still choose to fight, Kael. But you must fight for the right reasons."
For the first time, Kael looked at her fully.he saw the concern look on her face
"I don't know how to fight anymore, Mother," Kael whispered
Lysara reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Kael. I know. But you're not alone. Not yet. You still have time to choose your path."
The room grew quiet. For a long moment, Kael stood there, his mother's hand on his shoulder, the weight of her words hanging between them.
Finally, Kael exhaled deeply.
"I'll figure it out, Mother," he said, his voice low and firm. "I'll find my way."
Lysara nodded, giving him a small, soft smile. "I believe in you, Kael."
As she turned to leave, she paused at the door and looked back at him one last time.
"Remember, my son. Power without control is nothing more than destruction. And you deserve more than that."
Kael didn't respond. But his eyes followed her out of the room.
.
.
.
Lucianna sat at her vanity, her reflection cold and still in the mirror. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders.She had returned to her father's kingdom without a word.No one knows she is here,not even her parents.
She needed space. She needed silence. She needed to breathe.
She lazily took off the necklace kael gave her during the formal gathering.She stared at it in her palm, her jaw tightening.
"He chose her," she muttered to herself.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips, quiet and sharp. "A human."
She stood, pacing slowly in the large room, the long slit in her satin gown fluttering with each step. It hurts her pride.She was a princess.A powerful demoness and yes, beautiful.
But it hadn't been enough.
Her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"She's not even.." Lucianna stopped herself. Then exhaled. "No. That's not true."
Because as much as it burned her to admit it… the girl was stunning.That inhuman kind of beauty that felt too delicate for this world. Like if you stared at her too long, she might vanish into thin air.
But that only made it worse.
"This wasn't how it was supposed to go," she whispered, her voice raw. "You were supposed to be mine."
And maybe that was the worst part. Not that he'd rejected her. Not that he'd humiliated her. But that he had looked at someone else with the eyes she had dreamed would one day be hers.
She shut her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat.