Chapter 1 - The forbidden kingdom
Miley was running non-stop, as if pursued by something she couldn't see. The forestry narrowed as she went deeper, and the trees grew taller and darker. Something wasn't right.
At last, she tripped over an unusual maple tree root sticking up unnaturally from the ground. She hit the forest floor—breathless, half-conscious, barely able to speak. She lay on one side, lifeless, her eyes half-closed.
Then, a strange gust of dust filled the air.
A terrifying figure emerged from the haze. It had the face of a skeleton, the body of a dragon, the scales of a snake, and dark eyes glowing with a red, eerie light. From the eye sockets of the skull face, he stared straight at her—Jake.
No one would ever want to be in Miley's shoes right now.
"You tried to escape. You tried to run," Jake said coldly.
Miley, still breathless, opened her eyes wide and looked at him. He smirked.
"Don't try me. This is my kingdom. Or don't you know?"
She staggered to her feet, her gaze locked on him.
"This is your kingdom?" she said, looking around. "Your kingdom of lifeless things?"
She knew her words might provoke him, but surprisingly, he responded in a calm voice.
"A king and a servant is enough to make a kingdom," he said, pointing at her. "You are my servant. I own you. Now, bow to my feet."
Miley looked at him like a defiant child, angry and unwilling.
"I said, bow before me!" he roared.
She stared into his glowing eyes, refusing to move. Suddenly, walls appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye, she was inside a room—with no doors, no windows. Just shadows and silence.
Time passed. She expected to suffocate... but didn't.
Then, his voice echoed again.
"You won't die here. So stop pretending."
At that moment, she realized: she was being watched by that evil creature. She was truly trapped—no door, no window. No escape.
---
Miley, a seventeen-year-old damsel—beautiful and lively like a colour-popping flower.
An undergraduate just finishing high school, surrounded by friends and freedom. She was a curious soul—always exploring.
One day, filled with excitement about her newfound freedom, she set out to find the vision she had always seen in her dreams. Just then, she saw a familiar bird—the one that often appeared in those dreams. A bird she had always felt connected to.
As she reached out to feed it, it flew away. Determined, Miley followed it. She slid down the stair rail, burst through the door, and ran outside. She saw the bird again. It fluttered and flew—again, she followed.
People stared in confusion as she chased the bird—leaping over wheelbarrows, cars, motorcycles, even bicycles. Some were amazed. Others were angry.
Miley didn't care. She didn't even notice them. She was in a trance.
But when the bird disappeared from sight, she stopped, ashamed and tired. She sat down, looked around... and realized she was in a forest.
Confused, she quickly stood up, trying to retrace her steps. But she was lost. While searching for a way out, she stumbled over something hard and mysterious. She fell, then turned to see what it was.
A box.
It was strange, ancient, and seemed to hold power. Something was written on it—old, faded handwriting.
Curiosity, like a hungry lion, must be fed—even when the answers are dangerous.
Before she knew it, her hand was on the plate-like surface of the box.
Suddenly, a flash of aura—bright, strange, and blinding—lit up the space.
Then... she was back in the forest.
But everything had changed.
The print on the box had vanished. The forest air felt cooler. The trees seemed alive with whispers. Then—she saw them again.
The red, glowing eyes.
And that... was how Miley ended up in the Forbidden Kingdom.
---
"I'm sorry. Just get me out of here, please," she begged. But it was useless.
"You offended me," Jake said cryptically.
She apologized again. "I'm seriously sorry. It's sincere—from my heart. Please, hear me."
She dropped to her knees, weeping bitterly.
Then came a sound—something shifting. She stood up. Suddenly, the walls vanished into the ground.
"You came to me," Jake said. "I never sent for you. This is your fate—to serve me."
Miley clenched her fists. "I didn't come to you. I was lost. You'll never be my king."
Jake's tone darkened. "It's fate. You are the key. Fate brought you here. And you will not disobey me in my territory."
Miley lowered her head and backed into a corner. But then—her heart ached.
"My parents," she whispered. "Oh no... they'll be worried sick about me."
She stood up quickly, trying to think of a way out.
"You are now immortal," Jake said calmly. "You're no longer just a person. Time doesn't work here like in your world."
He looked at her. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"
She hesitated. Should she accept food from someone she didn't trust? But where else could she go? What other choice did she have?
Eventually, she accepted.
Other servants watched curiously as she took a slice of cake and a cup filled with honey. She tasted it.
"Thanks," she whispered with her straight into his.
"When you're done, go to the servant's room," Jake said. "You do my part now."
When Miley finished, she followed his orders and directions to the maids quarter.
As she walked to the servant's quarters, she was amazed—and horrified—by what she saw.
On the left, a room filled with ice, so cold it sent chills through her bones.
On the right, a room of lava and burning coal, blazing hot.
She passed even stranger rooms—one, covered in spiked needles, lining
the floor and walls like a torture chamber.
Finally, following her master's directions, she reached the maid's quarters.