The grand hall glows under chandeliers, the air thick with whispered magic and veiled threats.

In this kingdom, everyone wields power. Storms bend to your will. Flames dance at a snap. Shadows obey a glance.

Everyone but you.

They call you a Null—a cursed nothing.

And if you’re found, death is swift.

So you learned to pretend. A flicker here, a whispered rumor there. Enough to keep the guards off your scent. Enough to blend in among the gifted.

Everyone believes—except one.

Prince Kaelen Voss.

He’s the crown prince with a razor-sharp wit and eyes like sharpened steel. A man who’s seen the kingdom’s darkest corners—and the shadows in his own soul. No one escapes his notice, especially not you.

The first time he confronted you, it was at the royal gardens. You fumbled a flicker of flame—a cheap illusion, but good enough to fool most.

He stood across the path, arms crossed, watching. “That was… adorable.”

You glared. “Cute. Coming from the heir who’s terrified of a little trickery.”

He smirked, dark and dangerous. “Fearless or foolish? The line’s thin.”

For weeks, you danced around him—words sharp, eyes sharper. He mocked your facade; you challenged his cold charm. You saw his sarcasm as a shield, a way to keep the world from seeing the pain beneath.

But beneath the barbs and jabs, there was a dangerous truth neither dared voice.

You’re both prisoners—him to his crown, you to your secret.

One night, beneath the moon’s pale watch, Kaelen cornered you in the library’s hidden alcove.

“You’re lying,” he whispered. “About everything.”

You met his gaze, steady. “And you’re hiding more than anyone knows.”

He laughed—a bitter sound. “Touché.”

The truth hung between you like a blade. Neither willing to lower their defenses, yet both craving the connection.

Days bleed into nights filled with stolen glances and biting remarks that taste more like longing.

He called you “shadow,” but it was more than a name.

It was the only truth he could say without words.

You weren’t just pretending to be powerful.

You were powerful—because surviving this world without magic required a strength that burned brighter than any flame.

And maybe, just maybe…

So did he.