CHAPTER THIRTY
DANIEL'S POV
The moment I made my decision, there was no turning back.
I left my kingdom behind once again, but this time my heart felt heavier than before. The images of my people lying helpless on the ground refused to leave my mind. Their cries echoed in my ears with every step I took, reminding me of my failure as their prince.
I should have been there.
I should have protected them.
Instead, I was chasing something uncertain—something dangerous.
Power.
The journey to the witch doctor's land was nothing like any path I had ever taken before. The further I went, the more the world around me seemed to decay. The trees became twisted and lifeless, their branches stretching like skeletal hands. The ground was dry and cracked, as if even life itself had abandoned this place.
A foul smell filled the air.
Death.
Rot.
Dark magic.
I knew I was getting closer.
After hours of walking, I finally saw it—the shrine.
It stood alone in the middle of the dead land, surrounded by broken stones and blackened earth. The structure looked ancient, almost forgotten by time, yet it carried a presence that made my chest tighten.
This was not a place for the living.
But I stepped forward anyway.
The moment I crossed the entrance, the doors behind me slammed shut with a loud echo. The sound sent a chill down my spine, but I did not turn back.
"You finally came."
The voice was deep and slow, echoing from the shadows.
I turned, my eyes scanning the darkness until I saw him.
The witch doctor.
He looked old, but there was nothing weak about him. His presence alone felt overwhelming, as if the air itself bent around him. His eyes glowed faintly, watching me with unsettling calmness.
"Prince Daniel," he said with a slight smile. "I have been expecting you."
I frowned. "You know who I am?"
He chuckled softly. "I know more than you think."
He stepped closer, his gaze piercing through me as if reading my soul.
"Your kingdom is dying," he continued. "Your people are suffering. And you… are desperate."
His words hit me hard, but I did not deny them.
"I need your help," I said firmly. "I want to save my people."
"And the one behind their suffering?" he asked.
My jaw tightened. "Tanya."
The witch doctor's smile widened, almost as if he had been waiting for me to say her name.
"Of course," he said. "A powerful witch. One not easily defeated."
"I don't care how powerful she is," I replied. "Just tell me what I need to do."
He went silent for a moment, studying me carefully.
Then his expression changed.
Serious.
Cold.
"There is a price," he said slowly. "Power always demands sacrifice."
I took a deep breath. "I am ready."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"Then you must give up your future."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
His eyes darkened.
"Your bloodline," he said. "Your children. Your manhood."
The words struck me like a blade.
For a moment, I could not speak.
"You will become powerful," he continued. "Immortal. Strong enough to destroy every witch that stands in your way."
My chest tightened painfully.
"But in return," he added, "your name ends with you. You will never have a family. Never have a future beyond war."
Silence filled the shrine.
My father's face appeared in my mind.
My kingdom.
My duty.
Everything I had been raised to protect.
If I accepted this… I could save them.
But at what cost?
I clenched my fists tightly.
"I only want to save my people," I said slowly. "Not destroy myself."
His eyes narrowed.
"This is the only way."
"No," I replied firmly. "I refuse."
The air grew colder.
"You are making a mistake," he warned. "If you walk away now, there will be no second chance."
I turned toward the exit.
"I will find another way."
His voice followed me like a shadow.
"If you leave, you will lose everything."
I didn't stop.
I walked out of the shrine without looking back.
When I returned to my kingdom…
My world shattered completely.
The situation had worsened.
Bodies lay everywhere, more than before. The cries had grown weaker. Some of the people who were alive when I left… were now gone.
Dead.
My knees dropped to the ground as I stared at the destruction around me.
"This is my fault…" I whispered.
Tears blurred my vision.
I was too late.
Again.
But this time, something inside me broke.
Completely.
The pain in my chest slowly turned into something darker.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Hatred.
"I will destroy her," I said, my voice trembling with anger.
"No matter what it takes."
I slowly stood up, my decision now clear.
I had no choice.
Even if it meant sacrificing everything—
I would return to that shrine.
And accept the witch doctor's condition.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY