The rain fell in sheets over Kora, turning the dusty market lanes into a slippery maze of mud and trampled cloth. Zara yanked her faded shawl tighter around her shoulders, the cold seeping into her bones like an unwelcome whisper. She counted the last few naira in her palm—three crumpled notes and a handful of kobo—each clink echoing louder than the distant thunder that rattled the wooden stalls.
A sudden flash split the sky, and for a heartbeat the whole market froze in blinding white. When the light faded, a boy—no, a man—crouched on the wet cobblestones, dripping water as if he'd been pulled straight from the clouds. His hair clung to his forehead, and a strange rune glowed faintly on his chest, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Who…?" Zara breathed, her voice swallowed by the storm's roar. The stranger lifted his head; eyes the color of storm clouds met hers. There was something ancient in them, something that made the rain seem to pause.
"Help me," he managed, voice hoarse, as if the wind itself choked him. "I'm Kael, Prince of the Evergreen Realm. I'm cursed to live forever… but I can't die."
A shiver ran through Zara. She'd heard the old wives' tales—people who'd never known love, souls bound by curses. Her own secret pulsed in her chest: a mark she'd been told would keep her from ever loving anyone, lest she wither like a flower in drought. Her aunt used to mutter, _"Never trust a storm that brings a prince; it'll drown you in promises."_
She glanced at the rune on Kael's chest. It throbbed brighter the longer she stared, as if recognizing a kindred emptiness.
"Why would I help you?" she asked, trying to sound tough, but her fingers trembled, brushing the wet stone.
Kael's lips twitched. "Because maybe… maybe we're meant to break each other's curses." He shifted, and a splash of mud landed on Zara's sandal, reminding her of the market's chaos. A vendor yelled, "Hey! Watch where you're stepping!" and a goat bleated, scattering a basket of oranges that rolled like tiny suns across the puddles.
Zara's eyes followed the oranges, then snapped back to Kael. "Fine," she whispered, the word tasting like both fear and hope. "But you gotta tell me what that curse is. And why I should trust a guy who falls from the sky."
Kael exhaled, a breath that seemed to carry the scent of pine and rain. "Centuries ago, my kingdom was cursed by a sorceress. She said I would live forever, but every love I touch dies. I've walked the world for five hundred years, watching kingdoms rise and fall, never able to end my own misery." He paused, eyes flickering. "Until I heard of a girl in Kora who bears the _Heart‑of‑Morrow_—a mark that can break curses, but it also binds her to a life of solitude."
Zara's hand instinctively went to the small scar on her left wrist—a faint, silver line shaped like a leaf. "You mean this?" she asked, voice barely above the rain.
Kael nodded. "That's it. If we combine our curses, the sorceress's spell shatters. But there's a price. The one who loves the most must give up everything—family, home, even their name."
A sudden gust sent a basket of yams tumbling down, crashing near them. Zara's friend, Ify, ran over, eyes wide. "Zara! You okay? Who's this?"
Zara swallowed. "Ify, meet Kael. He… he needs help."
Ify crossed her arms, skeptical. "Help? He looks like trouble. Remember what happened with the _juju_ man last month?"
Kael bowed his head. "I understand your doubt. I have nothing to offer but my word."
Before Zara could answer, a low growl rumbled from the shadows, and a massive, horned creature emerged, eyes glowing red, its massive claws digging into the mud. The market erupted in screams; people scattered, overturning stalls, mangoes rolling like cannonballs.
"The _Umbral Stalker_," Kael whispered, voice trembling for the first time. "It's been sent to claim the Heart‑of‑Morrow."
Zara's heart hammered. She reached out, her palm finding his—warm despite the storm. A spark crackled between them, and for a fleeting second, the rain stopped. The market stood still, eyes wide, as if the world held its breath.
"Fine," she whispered, the word tasting like both fear and hope. "Let's end this."
Kael's eyes softened. "Then let the storm be our witness."
*Cliffhanger:* The Umbral Stalker lunged, its claws slashing toward Zara's scar—just as a flash of lightning struck the rune on Kael's chest, sending a burst of violet light across the sky.