Emeris_Rose

“I was chosen for a mission I never asked for, and honestly, I don’t even know if I’m the right one for it. But the King believes in me—he thinks I can do the impossible. Me, a poor girl from the village. I never thought a life like mine would lead to anything grand, let alone to the royal palace. But here I am. The King has tasked me with a mission: to change Prince Lilian.

Prince Lilian—the heir to the throne, the one who is everything a prince should never be. He’s rude. He’s arrogant. He doesn’t care for anyone or anything except his own desires. His manners are a disgrace to the kingdom, and his pride is as towering as the castle itself. 

The King believes I can change him, shape him into the man he needs to becometo rule this kingdom. But, how? How can someone like me—an orphan with nothing but my honesty and humility—make him listen?

I’m not like the people here in the palace. They’re all about power, beauty, and status. They see me as nothing more than a tool to fix the Prince, and I’m not sure I can succeed. I’ve spent my life surviving, not leading. How can I change someone who has been given everything and yet still chooses to be selfish and stubborn?

But I have no choice. I must try. For the sake of this kingdom, for the Prince, and for myself. I have a mission. I must complete it. No matter the doubts, no matter how impossible it seems. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll discover that there’s more to me than even I knew. 

Will I fail? Or will I finally see if I’m more than just a girl with nothing?”

Working On You: My Uncompleted Mission

Mai took a deep breath as she stood before the towering doors of the throne room. This was it. The conversation she had avoided for so long—lies, power struggles, and deception. She hated it. But if she was to survive in this palace, she had to endure it.

The guards pushed the doors open, and she stepped inside. King Eric sat on his throne, his cold gaze locking onto her the moment she entered.

"You took your time," he said, voice laced with irritation.

Mai remained silent, standing tall despite the tension crackling in the air.

"Do you think you are above my command?" the King snapped. "You are nothing but a commoner. Those words stung, but she wouldn't let him see it.

"If I had no value, you wouldn't have summoned me in the first place," she replied, her tone even.

The King's eyes flared with anger at her insolence. "Mind your tongue, girl!" he bellowed.

Mai had heard enough. She wasn't here to argue about respect—she was here to get this conversation over with.

"If I'm to be useful, then let's talk about my training with Her Grace," she said, cutting through his rage.

The King's expression darkened, but he didn't dismiss the topic. "You will begin in three days," he said, voice hard. "And from tomorrow, you will also begin your task of training the Prince properly. No more foolishness, no more delay."

Mai exhaled sharply. She hated that she had to do this, but there was no way out. "Fine," she muttered.

Satisfied, the King dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Mai wasted no time in leaving—she had another mission tonight.

As the sun set, casting eerie shadows across the palace grounds, Mai slipped through the halls.

She knew the rules. No sneaking out during curfew. But Sofia had told her to meet at the old tower, and she couldn't afford to waste any more time.

The old tower was outside the palace walls, abandoned and surrounded by unsettling myths. Legends spoke of an evil force that roamed the night, punishing those who dared to break the curfew. But Mai didn't believe in such superstitions.

She moved carefully, avoiding the guards' patrols. The palace walls were high, but she found a section where the stones had crumbled slightly, allowing her to climb over.

The air outside was cold, unnaturally so. As she stepped onto the dirt path leading to the old tower, an eerie silence surrounded her. The usual sounds of crickets and night creatures were absent.

Mai froze, her breath catching in her throat.

Swallowing her unease, she pressed on.

She spun around sharply, but again—nothing.

Her heartbeat pounded against her ribs. Wasit her imagination? Or—

The sound was right behind her. But as she turned for the third time—silence.

Mai inhaled shakily and broke into a run. The old tower wasn't far now. She could see its dark silhouette against the night sky. But just as she reached the clearing—

A burning sensation lashed across her neck, and she screamed.

She clutched at her throat, her fingers trembling as she felt something—a mark, seared into her skin.

A power unlike anything she had ever felt before surged through her veins.

It was wild. Uncontrollable. Angry.

The ground trembled beneath her feet. A pulse of energy erupted from her body, shaking the very earth.

Far away, the palace guards felt it. The trees trembled. The old tower groaned under the force.

A shockwave burst from Mai's body, a surge of raw power exploding into the night.

The Unseen Shadows