The night the stars fell, everyone in Elysium knew something had changed.
For centuries, the kingdom had been protected by ancient magic, a force that flowed through the land like a silent river. The people believed the magic would last forever.
They were wrong.
Deep within the forbidden forest of Aurelian, a young man stood beneath a sky painted with silver flames. His dark hair moved with the cold wind, and his golden eyes reflected the strange lights above.
His name was Kael Arwyn.
Unlike the other nobles of Elysium, Kael had never been able to control magic. While others summoned fire, healed wounds, or spoke with nature, he had always been called the powerless prince.
But tonight, something inside him awakened.
A voice.
Kael...
He froze.
The forest became silent. Even the creatures that hid among the trees stopped moving.
"Who's there?" he whispered.
No answer came.
Only the strange melody that had followed him since childhood.
A song no one else could hear.
A song that appeared every time danger was near.
Kael placed his hand over his chest as a strange symbol began glowing on his skin. The mark had been hidden for eighteen years, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.
"The lost heir..." a mysterious voice echoed from the shadows.
Kael turned quickly.
An old woman stepped forward, wearing a cloak covered in ancient symbols. Her eyes carried the sadness of someone who had witnessed too much.
"Who are you?" Kael asked.
The woman looked at the glowing mark.
"You were never powerless."
Kael's expression hardened. "Everyone in this kingdom knows I have no magic."
The woman shook her head.
"They were looking for the wrong kind of magic."
The wind grew stronger, and the trees whispered around them.
"Your power does not create flames or storms," she continued. "Your power awakens what was forgotten."
Kael stared at her.
"Forgotten?"
The woman looked toward the sky where the fallen stars disappeared.
"Elysium is dying. The ancient darkness has returned, and only the one who carries the echoes of the past can save it."
Before Kael could reply, a roar shook the forest.
Something was coming.
The old woman stepped back.
"They have found you."
From between the trees emerged creatures made of shadows, their eyes burning like red fire.
Kael reached for his sword, even though he knew ordinary weapons could not defeat monsters born from darkness.
The glowing mark on his hand grew brighter.
Then he heard it again.
The song.
But this time, he understood the words.
Awaken, heir of Elysium.
A wave of golden energy exploded from him, forcing the shadows back.
For the first time in his life, Kael felt the power hidden inside his soul.
And somewhere far away, in a kingdom forgotten by time, someone opened their eyes.
Someone who had been waiting for him.
Someone who knew the truth about the boy who could hear the echoes.
To be continued...