The kingdom you lived in feared one thing above all else: magic. Anyone born with it was seen as cursed, dangerous—something that had to be hidden away or destroyed.

That was why your mother never let you leave the house.

You were born different, small black horns hidden beneath your hair marking the power you carried. Only your mother and your two little sisters knew the truth about you.

But tonight, curiosity finally won.

Under the quiet glow of moonlight, you slipped outside for the first time, wandering through the village streets in awe of the world you had only heard about. The lanterns, the buildings, the distant sounds of life—it was all so overwhelming that you didn’t notice someone walking toward you.

Thump.

You bumped straight into them.

Looking up, your heart nearly stopped.

Standing in front of you was Prince Ezekiel, the heir of the kingdom. He brushed off his sleeve, clearly annoyed.

“Hey, watch where you’re going next time, alri—”

His voice cut off mid-sentence.

His eyes slowly lifted to your horns.

The prince froze.

“…You’re.”