**Shadows Fade – In the highest tower of the cursed castle, Lucian stood alone. The wind howled beyond the stone, and below him, the kingdom stretched in silence. His magic curled faintly around his fingers—no longer roaring, no longer blinding. Just flickering. Dimming. He clenched his fist, as if that could hold the power in place. "What is this curse… This love that drains me more than hatred ever did?" His voice barely stirred the air, yet the torches behind him flickered, shadows dancing in retreat. His power pulsed once more… then dulled like dying embers.
**The Roar Before War–**Far from the cursed kingdom, beneath the pale glow of the moon, Rowan's forces cut through the mist. Their banners rose like vengeance. Their armor gleamed with hunger. At the front, Rowan rode like a storm, eyes burning with rage and longing. "Lucian thinks her silence means surrender. He doesn't know her. He doesn't know us." He stopped, steel in his voice and in his grip. He drew his sword slowly, the blade catching moonlight like prophecy. "I'll tear down every shadow in that kingdom to bring her home. And if he's touched her again—he dies."
**The Girl Who's Torn – Back within the cold, cursed stone of her chamber, Ariana lay awake. Her eyes wide in the dark, her breath shallow. Her heart thundered like war drums beneath her ribs. "He's changing… But does change undo the hurt? Does kindness erase the fear? Can I love him… When part of me still waits for Rowan's arms?" She turned on her side, curling inward like a petal unsure of the sun. A single tear slid across her cheek. "Someone… save me from myself."
**Battle of the Hearts –** The courtyard roared with silence. The moon bathed the stone in silver. Blood painted the ground in streaks and splatter. Soldiers pulled back, injured, breathless—leaving only the two boys who had brought the storm.Rowan stood tall, sword drawn, fire in his veins.Lucian faced him, magic flickering at his fingertips, darkness in his eyes."You never deserved her. You never will.""I never meant to deserve her… I only meant to love her."Then they moved.Steel met steel. Magic burst like lightning. Fists collided, feet swept, snarls tore from throats. A clash of wrath and heartbreak.Lucian struck like a boy clinging to something slipping. Rowan struck like a boy who had already lost everything and would not lose again.They fell.They rose.Again.And again.And again.