I didn't sleep well.
The bed was soft—so soft, in fact, that I kept sinking into it like it was trying to eat me. I tossed and turned, haunted by dreams I couldn't remember when I woke.
When I opened my eyes, morning had already arrived... or at least I thought it had. There were no windows in the demon palace, only strange floating crystals that dimmed and glowed on their own.
There was a soft knock at the door. Before I could answer, it creaked open.
A maid with gray skin and glowing blue eyes stepped in, avoiding my gaze.
"The prince is waiting," she said quietly. "He wishes to see you in the Flame Hall."
"The what?"
But she was already gone.
The Flame Hall lived up to its name.
It was massive, lined with red pillars and burning sconces that gave off no smoke. The heat was dry but not suffocating, and in the center of the room stood Kaelith, shirtless, holding a long crimson staff surrounded by swirling fire.
I stopped in my tracks.
He looked... unreal. Flames danced around his arms like obedient pets, and the mark on his back—a glowing red sigil in the shape of a crown—pulsed softly with power.
"You're late," he said without turning.
"I wasn't told it was urgent," I replied, crossing my arms.
He smirked and finally turned around. "You'll learn that I don't wait twice."
"What am I doing here?"
Kaelith walked toward me slowly, the fire around him fading into nothing.
"I'm not interested in having a bride who knows nothing of magic," he said. "If you're going to survive here, you need to learn how this world works."
"So, what, you're going to train me?"
"For now."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is this part of the curse?"
He paused. "No. This is... personal."
That caught me off guard.
He lifted his hand, and suddenly, a small flame appeared in his palm. It danced like a living creature, twisting and shifting.
"Magic in this world responds to will," Kaelith explained. "Flame obeys anger. Wind follows movement. Shadow bends to fear. Your magic, however, is... asleep."
"My magic?" I blinked. "I don't have any."
"Yes, you do," he said, voice calm but sure. "It's inside you. It just hasn't awakened yet."
"How can you be so sure?"
He stepped closer. My breath caught.
"Because when I touched you yesterday… your soul flinched."
He looked down at me, those glowing eyes filled with something unreadable. "And the flame in this hall... flickered."
I didn't know what to say.
"I'll give you time," he added. "But eventually, it will awaken. Whether you want it to or not."
That night, I sat on the edge of my bed again, staring at my hands.
Magic? Inside me?
I had always felt… strange. Sensitive to light. Dreams that sometimes felt too real. But I thought it was just me being weird.
Now I wasn't sure.
And worst of all… I couldn't stop thinking about the way Kaelith had looked at me. Not with lust. Not with cruelty. But like he knew something I didn't.
Something important.
Something dangerous.