The night the sky turned crimson, my fate was sealed.
Villagers whispered that it was a bad omen. That something ancient had awakened beyond the mountains. I didn't believe them… until the royal guards came for me.
"You've been chosen," one of them said coldly.
Chosen.
A strange word for something that felt more like a punishment.
I was dragged from my small home, my mother crying behind me, her hands trembling as she held onto the doorframe. No one dared to stop them. No one ever stopped the king's orders.
Because everyone feared him.
The Cursed King.
They said he wasn't human. That shadows followed him wherever he went. That anyone who looked into his eyes either fell in love… or never returned alive.
And tonight—
I was to become his bride.
The palace stood like a dark beast under the moonlight, towering and silent. The air itself felt heavy, like it was watching me.
I was dressed in a deep red gown, my hands shaking as maids prepared me like I was some offering.
"Why me…?" I whispered.
No one answered.
Because everyone knew the truth.
No girl who entered this palace ever came back.
The grand doors opened with a loud echo.
My heart pounded as I stepped inside the throne room.
And then—
I saw him.
Sitting on the throne, like a king born from darkness itself.
His eyes glowed faintly in the shadows. Sharp. Cold. Dangerous.
He didn't look surprised to see me.
He looked… amused.
"So," his deep voice echoed through the hall, "this is the one they sent me this time."
My breath caught.
There was something in his gaze… something terrifying yet impossible to ignore.
He stood up slowly.
Each step he took toward me made my heart beat faster.
Louder.
Closer.
Until he was right in front of me.
He lifted my chin with a single finger, forcing me to look into his eyes.
And that was my biggest mistake.
Because in that moment—
I realized the rumors were wrong.
Looking into his eyes didn't make you fall in love.
It made you forget how to breathe.
"Tell me," he whispered, his voice dangerously soft,
"are you here to break my curse… or to die trying?"