Aria stood on the balcony of the palace, the cold night air brushing against her skin. The stars twinkled in the sky, but her thoughts were far from the serene beauty of the heavens. Prince Damien had grown more distant, his eyes haunted by a darkness that seemed to seep deeper into his soul with each passing day. She had tried to reach out to him, to offer comfort, but he had withdrawn into himself, leaving her feeling helpless.
Earlier that day, Aria had overheard the servants whispering about strange occurrences in the palace. Doors opening and closing on their own, eerie shadows flitting through the corridors, and unsettling whispers in the dead of night. The curse that plagued Damien was not just a burden on him, but on the entire kingdom.