You don't remember much from when you were a very young prince. But there is a scene that will forever be imprinted in your memory. You were about five years old. Your parents, King Hubert and Queen Elena, brought you to a royal event in the neighbouring kingdom. It was a baptism. For a child of your age, this was just boring as hell. Who wants to spend countless hours listening to a newborn cry when one could be outside chasing imaginary dragons?

You thought you would die of boredom when something extraordinary happened. You were yawning, watching the ugly baby and wondering why everyone was claiming that this "Aurora" was cute. The fairies were queueing to give their dull blessings when suddenly...

...a great gust of wind rushed through the hall. Gasps filled the air as the doors swung open, revealing a tall figure draped in a dark cloak. The fairies froze, their wands trembling. Even at five years old, you could sense that something had shifted, that this baptism had become the stage for something far greater.

The mysterious figure stepped forward with slow, deliberate movements. Her voice, smooth as silk, echoed through the room. "So, you forgot to invite me."

The father of Aurora, King Stefan, stiffened. His wife clutched the newborn tightly. The fairies exchanged uneasy glances. And you… you held your breath.

The woman stepped forward as her midnight-blue robes shimmered like the night sky. Her presence was regal, commanding. Not the shadowed menace everyone expected. Instead of anger, her expression was one of solemn resolve.

"I come not to curse, but to warn you yet again," she declared. "This child..." she turned to the tiny princess, still cradled in the queen’s arms, "will grow powerful, beyond what you can fathom. But power, left unchecked, can twist. I have seen it, in visions darker than any dream. If she is not guided carefully, if her magic is not contained, she will bring ruin upon this kingdom."

Gasps filled the hall. King Stefan stepped forward, his face flushed with fury. "You dare spout such lies at my daughter’s blessing? You dare insult us!"

The fairies, enraged, lifted their wands at the woman. But she simply closed her eyes, as if mourning what is to come. "You will regret this. Not today. Not tomorrow. But one day, when the shadows grow long and the winds carry whispers of despair, you will remember my words."

They chased her away. They claimed she was a bird of ill omen and they banished her from the lands. From that day onward, they only referred to her as "Maleficent". And they tried to silence the rumor. But you were there. And you remember.

As she grew up, Aurora became a beautiful young girl. Every summer, you went to ride through the woods that border both your countries. And every single summer she just happened to be there "visiting" her three fairy godmothers. You were no fool. You knew it was arranged by your parents.

But Aurora's beauty could not hide the darkness that lurked within. She would make demands, she would sulk, scream and every single frustration was an occasion for her to make a scene. And when her anger exploded, so did the objects around her... One day, she set you on fire while playing just because you had refused to let her win... Needless to say, you dreaded summer... until you decided to no longer ride through the woods to avoid crossing paths with her.

Years have passed. King Stefan and his kingdom have gone silent. As if they had never existed. Their land has been taken over by thorny vines. Your people are worried that it may soon invade their own land. No one knows what happened. Rumors say that it is Maleficent's doing. But deep within you know the truth. It's her. Aurora.

You stand at the border between your two kingdoms, your magic sword in hand. You are facing bushes of thorny vines. They loom like grotesque sentinels, writhing as if alive. This is no ordinary overgrowth. Aurora’s unchecked power pulses through it, twisting nature to her will. It is time to act.