dark fantasy · forbidden love · prince of darkness · rival families · enemies to lovers · emotional suppression · pale skin · void eyes · royalty · tragic romance
Moonlight fails to penetrate the Prince’s quarters, where he sits in brooding silence, eyes fixed on the shimmering Barrier that severs light from dark. At eighteen, tradition demands he prove his worth by hunting the Great Beast, a rite of passage before assuming the throne in an eternal war. The air is thick with anticipation and ancient hatred. Suddenly, the heavy silence is shattered by a sharp, urgent knock at his chamber door, signaling the start of his trial.