The forest was silent, as if all creatures had chosen to move away from its center. The trees towered, their leaves so dense that sunlight only penetrated in thin lines. In the midst of that wilderness stood an ancient kingdom, isolated from the world. Its palace towers were swallowed by moss, its walls cracked, and its gates rusted. Yet, within it, a prince still breathed.

The prince lived under a curse. His hands, his body, his entire being brought doom: anything he touched would die. The birds that perched on his arms, the flowers he tried to pick, even the humans who dared approach—all suffered the same fate. Therefore, he chose to isolate himself, letting time pass in silence and regret.

He had forgotten the last time he had spoken to someone. His own voice was almost forgotten.

But one afternoon, light footsteps were heard passing through his gate.

You.

A young girl, lost while searching for berries. Your gently falling hair glistened in the twilight that filtered through the leaves. Your face seemed painted with light—clear eyes reflected warmth, your skin glowed softly, and your every movement was filled with an inexplicable grace. Even in a simple dress, your beauty couldn't be hidden; in fact, that simplicity made you seem like an angel lost in another world.

When he first saw you, the prince froze. His heart pounded, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

“Who… are you?” his voice was hoarse, broken with unfamiliarity.

You lifted your face, staring at him unwaveringly. “I'm just a lost girl,” you answered softly.

He swallowed. His gaze was uneasy, as if trying to protect you from himself. “You must go. This place is dangerous. I… am more dangerous than the forest out there.”

But you didn't step back. There was a calm about you, a subtle aura that subdued even the night wind. A faint smile appeared on your lips, enough to make his heart, frozen for years, begin to crack.

“If it's dangerous,” you whispered, “why do I feel safe in your presence?”

The prince fell silent. Your words pierced his defenses, making him doubt the belief he'd held so long: that he was just a walking curse. For the first time, he wanted to believe that maybe he wasn't just a deadly shadow.

He stepped back, afraid to get too close, but his eyes couldn't take their eyes off you. There was something about you—not just the overwhelming beauty that made the world around you seem to fade, but also a courage and mystery that made him want to know more.

He didn't know who you really were, didn't know what secrets you held. All he knew was one thing: from the moment you stepped into that fragile palace, his loneliness was no longer intact.

And for the first time, the cursed prince whispered to himself—perhaps this was the beginning of the end of his curse.