bluebird74

In a world where magic is tied to bloodlines, power is everything. The Von Schwarzenwald family, feared and revered across the continent of Elyria, has long held dominance through their mastery of ancient and powerful magic. But not all legacies are forged in strength—some are born of darkness.

William von Schwarzenwald, once a man cursed with a weak bloodline, clawed his way to power through forbidden dark magic, corrupting his very soul in the process. His ambitions knew no bounds, but the price was steep. His third child, Elias, was born the night his wife, Lady Amara, succumbed to a mysterious illness that drained her life force. Seen as a disgrace to the family, Elias grew up in the shadow of his father’s power and his siblings’ brilliance, discarded and forgotten.

Now, years later, as the Von Schwarzenwald family’s power reaches its zenith, the dark past that gave rise to their empire threatens to unravel. Elias, the overlooked and forsaken son, must navigate the dangerous web of family politics, magic, and his father’s monstrous ambition. But as he uncovers the truth behind his mother’s death and the curse that haunts his bloodline, Elias will face a choice: succumb to the legacy of corruption or forge a path to his own destiny.

In a world of dragons, demons, and ancient mysteries, Elias’ journey will take him from the towering halls of his family’s estate to the uncharted lands of Kyrios, where the greatest secrets—and dangers—of the world lie in wait.

"Legacy of Shadows" is a tale of family, betrayal, and the fight to reclaim one’s place in a world where power rules all.

The Abandoned Blood

In the grand halls of the Von Schwarzenwald estate, where power flowed thicker than blood, there was no room for weakness. Born into one of the most ancient and feared families of Elyria, he should have been destined for greatness. Yet, even as a child, he knew he was different. He had no gifts, no special talent, and his father's eyes passed over him as if he were invisible—a shadow in the corner of the family portrait.

His brothers were prodigies—perfect in every way. They wielded magic with the ease of a breath, commanding the very elements to bend to their will. His sisters were cunning, their beauty matched only by their ruthless ambition. But he, the third son, had been nothing more than an afterthought, a living reminder of the one thing their father couldn't control—fate.

His mother had died the night he was born, her last breath whispered against the bitter winds of a storm that would haunt him for years. They said her death cursed him, that he would never amount to anything more than a burden. His father never spoke of her, never mentioned her name, as if the memory of her life, and her death, were too inconvenient to acknowledge.

Years passed in silence. Years of watching from the shadows, of enduring the mocking laughter of his siblings, their cruel words biting deeper than any sword. He wanted to prove them wrong, to show his father he was worth something—anything. But with each passing day, the dream faded.

Until the night of his sixteenth year.

That night, the beatings were worse than usual. His brothers' taunts turned into fists, and his body could no longer withstand the pain. As he slipped into unconsciousness, his last thought was not of fear or anger, but of surrender. He had given up.

But when he woke, something was different. The world around him had shifted. His family had changed in his absence, and whispers of an unspeakable crime echoed through the halls of the estate. The name Von Schwarzenwald, once spoken with reverence, was now the source of hushed murmurs and mistrust. To protect their reputation, they needed a scapegoat. Someone to cast away.

Now, banished from the only home he had ever known, shipped off to the distant, mysterious land of Kyrios with nothing but the clothes on his back and the company of his late mother's butler, he stood on the edge of a new life. A life where his name no longer bound him, where the weight of his family's legacy could no longer suffocate him.

And perhaps, just perhaps, in this strange, veiled land of shifting mists and ancient secrets, he would find more than what had been stolen from him.

Prologue: The Forgotten Son